BC residency requirements

[MSaxp]

Probably asked a million times.

I was under the impression that I need 6 years of employment before applying for British citizenship. Going through the guidelines, I can't find any reference to to that but only to 5 years.

(I am an eea national, in the UK since 2005, in full time employment since April 2007.)

Can I apply now add or go through the P R process First? I'd rather I don't use my time pre employment, as it might be tricky to get the uni papers, so let's assume I am here since April 2007 when I started working.

If I do get a P R certificate, do I have to wait for a full year before applying?

Thanks

[Gyfrinachgar]

After 5 years working (=exercising treaty rights) you become automatically a PR. You can, but you don't have to apply for documentation certifying PR (makes it easier later, though). After a further year (6 years in total) your can apply for BC. If you apply later -for example after 5.5 years - for a document certifying PR, you can still apply for BC after 6 years (the date you become a PR counts, not the date when HO issues the document). If you don't apply for PR at all (as it is entirely voluntary), you just apply for BC after 6 years in total.

[Jambo]

PR Confirmation is optional. See more two periods of 5 years.

You should be aware that for time as a student to be considered as under the EEA regulations, the HO would expect you to have a private health insurance (CSI) or a non-UK EHIC. Without it application for PR for that period or application for BC covering that period will fail.

[MSaxp]

Thanks for that. Was getting a bit confused. I think i will wait for the 6 years of employment. It's more straightforward although I did have a non UK ehic when studying and for the 3 months looking for a job. Didn't know it proves anything. But i hope that 6 years of continuous employment with the same employer will make things easier. Not much to challenge and I have paperwork for everything.

I am considering pr but I'm worried about not having a passport for 3 months.

[Jambo]

You should be aware that there might be disadvantages to becoming British (apart from the £1000 departing) - see Also British - Only British.

[MSaxp]

The way i read this, my children will not have eea rights if they dont hold a uk citizenship. Correct? (I dont have any children for now and my wife is an eu national as well. )

Given i will have dual citizenship, doesnt that mean that my children can have dual citizenship if born in the UK?

[Jambo]

Children born in the UK where at least one parent has PR status are British from birth. The parents don't need to be British.
(that's a good example where PR Confirmation from the HO is useful. Makes British passport application for the children very simple).

The UK allows dual nationality. The link I referred to is about the UK government trying to apply restriction on their own citizens which of course they can't do to other EEA nationalities (but they can do if you hold a dual nationality).