How to be a british citizen

[FrostWyrm96]

Hi there i'm just new in this forum and i would like to ask how can i become a british citizen? My reason is because of joining the british armed force.

Here are some of my info
16 years old (year 1999)
Malaysian citizen
Born in Kuching, Sarawak (currently living there)
I don't have Visa card but i do have Maybank card

I wanna know what's the step of becoming a brit citizen, from the very start till the end.

What i know bout becoming a brit citizen is to first reside in UK for 5 years before making an application. How?

Thanks,
Frost

[noajthan]

Hi there i'm just new in this forum and i would like to ask how can i become a british citizen? My reason is because of joining the british armed force.

...

I wanna know what's the step of becoming a brit citizen, from the very start till the end.

What i know bout becoming a brit citizen is to first reside in UK for 5 years before making an application. How?

Thanks,
Frost

To start with you need to be at least 18 years old to apply for naturalisation as a British citizen.

There are 2 main routes - one is via marriage to a British citizen, the other is naturalisation not by marriage.

The non-marriage path is under section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act.
See requirements here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... n_2015.pdf

The army treats naturalisation as a private matter for the individual to deal with but you may find some information & guidance on this website:
http://www.army.mod.uk/welfare-support/23209.aspx

Note it refers to the 'UKBA' but the activities of that organisation have been taken over by the Home Office.
It also mentions information available on a British Army intranet called ArmyNet so suggest checking you have access to that.

The AFF has a website too, so worth searching for immigration topics there too:
http://www.aff.org.uk/latest_news_information/index.htm

Good article about military migrants:
http://militarymigrants.org/2012/11/the ... y-migrants
- note it mentions counting time served abroad in the army towards the 5-year residency requirement;
you would need to look into this in more detail.

Hope this helps as background information.
Good luck with your career in British army.

[noajthan]

fyi - Here is the BA's Unit Guide for non-British nationals:
http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/genera ... tional.pdf
- it's a bit heavy reading but contains comprehensive information.

[secret.simon]

Apart from the military path, you may also look at applying for a Tier 2 work permit. Given that you are 16 and likely are just starting your higher (university) studies, you may want to look at studying a subject that is in the Shortage Occupation List. While the list is liable to change in the four years of a university study, there is a higher probability of there still being a shortage in those fields in four years. Five years of working under the Tier 2 visa would make you eligible for ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain), followed one year later by naturalisation.

You could also look at getting naturalised in another EEA country which would give you the right to settle down in the UK.

Whichever path you take, you will need to be of working age and preferably working in a job that is on the shortage list for you to move to the UK.