Obtaining British citizenship, deprivation and renunciation of citizenship and passport issues

Ronald Fletcher Baker prides itself on providing professional and seamless expert immigration guidance we have been Ranked in Legal 500 and trusted by several businesses and individuals across the UK and beyond.  

We understand that the immigration process, can become very daunting, especially with the ever-changing legislation and policy which is driven by politics and bureaucracy has made the UK visa process complicated.  

If you require British citizenship, deprivation and renunciation of citizenship and passport advice and assistance, please reach out to our qualified immigration experts for a consultation who will provide you the best possible advice. 

About obtaining British citizenship 

The immigration team at Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP are experts in immigration and nationality law, advising many diverse private clients from different backgrounds on all aspects of nationality law.  

The team assists all different types of clients, including very high net worth clients and refugees with limited incomes and has helped secure clients’ initial visas or asylum claims up until the point of naturalisation as a British citizen over the years. Clients who instruct us know they are in very capable hands and are offered continuity and an excellent service by the firm.  

The team also acts for corporate clients on all aspects of corporate immigration as well as private clients. We have also previously assisted employees of our corporate clients to secure British citizenship for them and their family members.   

Why should you instruct RFB Legal with your immigration and nationality matter?  

Initial applications 

We will not waste your time and money. We will normally always have a 10-15 minute free call with you in the first instance to understand the nature of your enquiry. If we know there is no merit in the application you wish to make, we will let you know immediately. If the matter needs more investigation, we will charge you our consultation rate and only if it is clear there is enough merit and you want to make a full application, we will charge you an application rate. Almost all work is done on a fixed fee basis.  

Fee transparency 

We will let you know the costs in advance of doing any work on your case and obtain your approval for these. We are transparent with our fees. We can assist on a one-off piece of work such as a letter or advice session or a full application or appeal.  

Straight-talking honest advice 

We pride ourselves on being very honest and straight talking. We are not afraid to tell it how it is. We have significant experience in working in the immigration sector that we are able to put ourselves in the shoes of the UK government and find the flaws in your case and deliver the counter argument so you can be aware of how your case will likely be assessed.  

High success rate 

We have a high success rate. We seek advice from external barristers when cases are very complex to have a second opinion and ensure you are getting the best value for your 

British Citizenship in detail 

At Ronald Fletcher Baker LLP, we advise and assist clients with all aspects of UK immigration and nationality law.  

We pride ourselves on being able to deliver very tailored, thorough and dynamic legal advice in all immigration situations regardless of the time constraints, calibre of client or complexity of the matter.   

 The nationality services we offer include the following:  

• Applications for registration as a British citizen   

• Applications for naturalisation as a British citizen 

• The language and knowledge of life in the UK including who is exempt and when an exemption can be applied for 

• Advising dual nationals or potential dual nationals on the pros and cons of renunciation of British citizenship and acquiring British citizenship   

• Advising clients facing deprivation of British citizenship due to deception and very serious criminal offending  

• Obtaining first-time UK passports for British born nationals and those with a successful registration or naturalisation application   

• Assisting British nationals with issues renewing their passports including name issues and change of name deeds 

• Advising on the merits of individual applications and the pros and cons of obtaining citizenship   

• Advising on eligibility for British citizenship including for nationals born abroad   

Our services in action 

The immigration team at RFB Legal have recently helped the following clients with the following very quickly and smoothly: 

• Assisting a British citizen overseas to renew her passport following a mismatch of names by drafting a change of name deed, obtaining the relevant documents and liaising with HM Passport Office 

• Successfully obtaining naturalisation for employees of our corporate clients with limited ties to the UK 

• Advising a client with a previous bad character on the prospects of success of a naturalisation application 

FAQs 

Q: I have previously been convicted of a criminal offence. Can I still apply for British citizenship?  

A: In short, you may be able to. This will depend on various factors including the seriousness of the offence and how long ago it took place. The UK government view citizenship as a privilege not a right and the interpreting the good character requirement for a naturalisation application can be difficult (it is at the UK government’s discretion). It is therefore imperative that you seek advice on this prior to deciding to make an application. 

Q: When can I apply for naturalisation as a British citizen and do I have to stay in the UK whilst my application is pending?  

A: In most cases, you can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen after you have lived in the UK continuously with Indefinite Leave to Remain or Settled Status for one year. However, if you are married to a British citizen you do not have to wait one year and can normally apply immediately after obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain or Settled Status. You should only apply if you meet all the requirements otherwise the application will likely be rejected. You do not have to stay in the UK whilst your application is pending if you have a valid travel document for travelling. 

Q: How strict is the UK Government on absences in the last 5 years or 3 years? 

A: There is some discretion on the absence requirement. It is best to prepare a full schedule of absences from the UK for the last 5 years and seek legal advice. A legal representative will check your schedule of absences to ensure these have been calculated properly and to check the reasons. Any long absences should have been for good reasons and whether some absences will be discarded depends on your ties to the UK and generally speaking the other elements of your application. 

Contact us 

If you require any assistance with obtaining or retaining British citizenship or UK passport applications please contact Associate Solicitor Beatrice de Burgh by email at b.deburgh@rfblegal.co.uk or by telephone on 02076137124.