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Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:19 pm**

I am EEA citizen and after 6.5 years in the UK I received my passport yesterday.

My wife is also EEA citizen but sheâ€˜s been in the UK for only four years. Can she apply on the basis of marriage to British citizen (since I have been granted citizenship last month). We have been married for five years.

I think that she is eligible to apply on the basis of three year qualifying period for spouse of British citizen but want to make sure I am correct before I spend Â£800

(Does it matter that Iâ€™ve been BC only for one month now?)

Thanks for your help .

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:43 pm**

Your wife can apply now as a spouse of British citizen. Hope she is eligible.

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2011 12:46 pm**

She needs PR first.

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:23 pm**

Thank you for your replies.

Yes, she is eligible - she's been working here since June 2006.

Vinny - I don't think she needs PR as she is applying on the grounds of marriage to British citizen and as a citizen of EEA is free of immigration restrictions. Anyway I may wait until June as she will acquire her PR automatically being here five years.

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2011 2:43 pm**

From my third link above:

[url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1003/schedule/2/made]SCHEDULE 2 EFFECT ON OTHER LEGISLATION[/url] wrote:Persons not subject to restriction on the period for which they may remain

2.â€”(1)Â For the purposes of the 1971 Act and the British Nationality Act 1981(2), a person who has a permanent right of residence under regulation 15 shall be regarded as a person who is in the United Kingdom without being subject under the immigration laws to any restriction on the period for which he may remain.

(2)Â But a qualified person, the family member of a qualified person and a family member who has retained the right of residence shall not, by virtue of that status, be so regarded for those purposes.

Posted: **Fri May 06, 2011 2:17 pm**

This is just to close out this post:

The detailed requirements are outlined in leaflet BN7 â€œNaturalisation as a British citizenâ€

Immigrationboards.com

Naturalization for Wife of EAA - British Citizen

Naturalization for Wife of EAA - British Citizen