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Originally Posted by mrthumbs
What were/are the requirements?
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Well, the first barrier is time and then you have to go through an application process that includes people writing me recommendations and then they have to check to see if they think you are of 'good character' and will be a benefit to their country.
For me this has included the following:
June 11 , 1996 - arriving in the UK
June 17, 1996 - registering witht he British police and home office to allow me to work here whilst on student work visa
October 26, 1996 - Getting married
Nov 1, 1996 - Going to Lunar House in Croydon (the immigration home office) and standing in a five hour long line to register my marriage and be given temporary rights to residency
Nov 1, 1997 - Having to go back one year after our marriage and prove we are still married and that we love each other (loved that they could decide that) in another five hour line to be granted permenant residency rights and given a nice green stamp in my American passport that states I am allowed to stay in the UK
Years of hard work and paying taxes (all countries like that bit)
2001 - Being granted the right to vote
2004 - Started filling out the application for citizenship and got references but then my husband died and I had to redo the forms to say widow because that is different than applying when married to a British citizen
2005 - finally getting to the emotional state to apply again as a widow and using a bit of my husband's pension (which wasn't much at all) to apply because there was a charge of about $500 to apply
September 28 2005 - Dancing for joy
My ceremony is sometime in November
