Time spent under the Coronavirus Extension Concession (CEC) and lawful residence for naturalisation?

immacul8 · Post by **immacul8** » Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:58 pm

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get clarification on this.

I entered the UK on a visitor visa in March 2020 to visit my wife (NHS medical doctor). My leave was extended under the Coronavirus Extension Concession (CEC). While under the CEC, I applied in-country to switch to the Tier 2 Dependent visa in May 2020, which was only granted in February 2021 (no thanks to COVID-19 related delays). I eventually got Global Talent Visa in July 2022 and my ILR in July 2024.

My questions are:

1. Can the time I spent in the UK under the CEC count as part of the lawful 5years of 'living in the UK' for naturalisation?

2. My wife is also applying for Naturalisation based on her own 5year route. Should I do a joint application to be on the safer side? I know that only a 3-yr stay is required for British citizens and I guess the case officer might factor this in to grant my own application too.

Thanks

Post by **secret.simon** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 1:20 am

immacul8 wrote: ↑
Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:58 pm
2. My wife is also applying for Naturalisation based on her own 5year route. Should I do a joint application to be on the safer side? I know that only a 3-yr stay is required for British citizens and I guess the case officer might factor this in to grant my own application too.

(a) There are no joint applications for naturalisation. Even if you apply together, the applications will likely be considered separately by different caseworkers.

(b) To qualify under the 3 year rule, your spouse needs to have been a British citizen on the date you make the naturalisation application.

So, not only does she need to have made the application, it needs to have been approved AND she needs to have attended the citizenship ceremony and received the naturalisation certificate, and then for you to make your naturalisation application, for you to be considered under that pathway.

Merely making the applications at the same time does not meet the requirements.

Post by **contorted_svy** » Mon Jun 23, 2025 5:53 pm

immacul8 wrote: ↑
Sun Jun 22, 2025 10:58 pm
Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get clarification on this.

I entered the UK on a visitor visa in March 2020 to visit my wife (NHS medical doctor). My leave was extended under the Coronavirus Extension Concession (CEC). While under the CEC, I applied in-country to switch to the Tier 2 Dependent visa in May 2020, which was only granted in February 2021 (no thanks to COVID-19 related delays). I eventually got Global Talent Visa in July 2022 and my ILR in July 2024.

My questions are:

1. Can the time I spent in the UK under the CEC count as part of the lawful 5years of 'living in the UK' for naturalisation?

2. My wife is also applying for Naturalisation based on her own 5year route. Should I do a joint application to be on the safer side? I know that only a 3-yr stay is required for British citizens and I guess the case officer might factor this in to grant my own application too.

Thanks

Regarding point 1) see this thread https://www.immigrationboards.com/viewt ... l#p2193942

We haven't seen a lot fo cases and the advice from the HO is that if an applicant holds ILR they don't need to do further checks about lawful stay. There isn't a clear cut answer in the guidance to these circumstances that arose due to covid.

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Time spent under the Coronavirus Extension Concession (CEC) and lawful residence for naturalisation?

Time spent under the Coronavirus Extension Concession (CEC) and lawful residence for naturalisation?

Re: Time spent under the Coronavirus Extension Concession (CEC) and lawful residence for naturalisation?

Re: Time spent under the Coronavirus Extension Concession (CEC) and lawful residence for naturalisation?