Can I keep my biometric ILR card when I get UK citizenship?

I'm from Zimbabwe and hope you guys and girls can help.

I currently hold ILR on a biometric card and will be eligible for a UK passport in August this year.

I would like to be able to travel to Zimbabwe and arrive on my Zim passport (and not pay the foreigner visa fee), and also depart on my Zim passport, but arrive back in the UK on my UK passport. This should work fine in theory, but of course I wont be allowed to board the plane from Zim if I cant produce a visa for the UK.*

I understand that if I had the old ILR sticker in my passport then I'd be OK, but unfortunately I have a biometric residence card - I assume I'll have to hand that in when I apply for the UK passport. Is there any way for me to prove my right of abode in the UK in my Zim passport?

Many thanks,
ay129

*Zim is a bit of a mess politically at the moment, and while the latest constitution allows dual citizenship, the powers that be there have been known to allow their suspicion and hatred of the west overcome observance of their own laws and statues.

You will get your ILR BRP back if you use NCS to submit your Naturalisation application. Not sure if you get it back if you do a direct postal application.

CR001 wrote:You will get your ILR BRP back if you use NCS to submit your Naturalisation application. Not sure if you get it back if you do a direct postal application.

Thanks!!

im also in the same shoes but i believe i will get my brp even if i apply direct cause thats what i did. usatye

oncewas wrote:im also in the same shoes but i believe i will get my brp even if i apply direct cause thats what i did. usatye

I know it's been a while since you guys posted in this thread (hopefully you were successful in your naturalisation applications) but wanted to find out from you how you are getting on with juggling the two passports in Zimbabwe. At lease you got to keep your BRPs to show at the airline check-in desk, but us, the recently naturalised rookies, have had to return our BRPs in order to comply with the new HO requirements. Where does that leave me, seeing that dual citizenship, although now allowed in the new Zimbabwean constitution, continues to be a thorn as Immigration officers unfairly victimise duals?

ScopeD wrote:

oncewas wrote:im also in the same shoes but i believe i will get my brp even if i apply direct cause thats what i did. usatye

I know it's been a while since you guys posted in this thread (hopefully you were successful in your naturalisation applications) but wanted to find out from you how you are getting on with juggling the two passports in Zimbabwe. At lease you got to keep your BRPs to show at the airline check-in desk, but us, the recently naturalised rookies, have had to return our BRPs in order to comply with the new HO requirements. Where does that leave me, seeing that dual citizenship, although now allowed in the new Zimbabwean constitution, continues to be a thorn as Immigration officers unfairly victimise duals?

Your ILR becomes null & void after naturalisation as a citizen is not subject to immigration controls - so the BRP will be null & void too.

Even if someone hangs onto their BRP does not mean they can wave it at an airline worker & board a plane.
Airlines increasingly have systems in place to permit boarding only if "docs OK".

noajthan wrote:
Your ILR becomes null & void after naturalisation as a citizen is not subject to immigration controls - so the BRP will be null & void too.

Even if someone hangs onto their BRP does not mean they can wave it at an airline worker & board a plane.
Airlines increasingly have systems in place to permit boarding only if "docs OK".

Hi noajthan. Thanks for your response. I do understand the point that the BRP becomes null and void. In any case, I no longer have mine to wave at the check-in desk because, as I stated in my first post, I've returned it to the HO to comply with the new guidelines. My question is about how one can then juggle the two passports (in Zimbabwe). Say I've used my Zimbabwean passport to enter Zimbabwe, I've got to use the same passport to exit Zimbabwe (and I get all that). But at the check-in desk, do I wave my British passport to prove my UK residence (which, as the original OP has stated, can be a real risk/nightmare/invite-to-a-spanking by the authorities in Zimbabwe).

ScopeD, since recently naturalising myself I've done some online research on how to travel with two passports as a Dual citizen when required. But have no idea about anything specific to Zimbabwe. When you check-in to a flight it needs to be with a passport that gives you the right to enter your destination country. So if you are travelling to the UK from Zimbabwe you will need to use and show your British passport at check-in & when boarding the flight. Note that airlines share this information with border control through API now. As you say you do not have a ROA stamp on your Zimbabwe passport I don't see a way around that. But you'll probably want to wait for others who may have first hand knowledge about Zimbabwe for your specific concern.

ScopeD wrote:Hi noajthan. Thanks for your response. I do understand the point that the BRP becomes null and void. In any case, I no longer have mine to wave at the check-in desk because, as I stated in my first post, I've returned it to the HO to comply with the new guidelines. My question is about how one can then juggle the two passports (in Zimbabwe). Say I've used my Zimbabwean passport to enter Zimbabwe, I've got to use the same passport to exit Zimbabwe (and I get all that). But at the check-in desk, do I wave my British passport to prove my UK residence (which, as the original OP has stated, can be a real risk/nightmare/invite-to-a-spanking by the authorities in Zimbabwe).

Good question.
I haven't done this but one technique that comes to mind would be to fly to a neighbouring country first. Then fly on to UK from there.