British Citizenship: 10 years in he UK or 5 on/off work ?

[nmessaritis]

Hello Forum,

I need your help.
I have moved to the UK on September 2004 from Cyprus. I am a Cypriot citizen which qualifies me both as EU and Commonwealth.
I want to apply for British Citizenship and someone told me that I can apply based on being here for 10 years, is this true? During this 10 year period I've been both employed and full time student.

Also, I've been a student from 2004 to 2007, for which i held no private health insurance, as I was encourage by the University Staff to use the NHS. I understand now that there is a backlash as that is considered to have made me a burden to the NHS, since i was a full time student at the time, though I never had any condition which necessitated me using the NHS.

In October 2007 i began working full time for 10 months, therefore started paying taxes and national insurance.
After that I went back to university for two more years studying full time.

I have now been full time employed since March 2011. (4 years to date)

From my research i understand that there is a criteria of being in the UK for 5 year prior to applying for citizenship and my understanding is that you must be in no way a burden to the tax payer, ie either employed or if student have private health insurance.

Does anyone know if my time in the UK under this criteria can begin in 2007 when i worked for 10 months, took two years off working and began working again? If yes, then i'm eligible to apply for citizenship?

Thanks for all your help!

Nicolas

[fwd079]

Hello Forum,

I need your help.
I have moved to the UK on September 2004 from Cyprus. I am a Cypriot citizen which qualifies me both as EU and Commonwealth.
I want to apply for British Citizenship and someone told me that I can apply based on being here for 10 years, is this true? During this 10 year period I've been both employed and full time student.

Also, I've been a student from 2004 to 2007, for which i held no private health insurance, as I was encourage by the University Staff to use the NHS. I understand now that there is a backlash as that is considered to have made me a burden to the NHS, since i was a full time student at the time, though I never had any condition which necessitated me using the NHS.

In October 2007 i began working full time for 10 months, therefore started paying taxes and national insurance.
After that I went back to university for two more years studying full time.

I have now been full time employed since March 2011. (4 years to date)

From my research i understand that there is a criteria of being in the UK for 5 year prior to applying for citizenship and my understanding is that you must be in no way a burden to the tax payer, ie either employed or if student have private health insurance.

Does anyone know if my time in the UK under this criteria can begin
in 2007 when i worked for 10 months, took two years off working and began working again? If yes, then i'm eligible to apply for citizenship?

Thanks for all your help!

Nicolas

Personally that could be risky. You can go 10-years ILR route though.
On 10 years basis, you need to apply for ILR, see vinnay's post in this link please.
But I am not from EEA so will await further replies. Good luck.

[nmessaritis]

Thank you!

[vinny]

I think that applying under Long Residence would fail, if you don't qualify for PR.

[nmessaritis]

Thank you Vinny.

Do you happen to know if my treaty rights were triggered when I began working in 2007 and have been uninterrupted when I went back to University?

Because that way, I will have triggered them for over 7 years now.