Shorter Citizenship Pathway for foreign-born Spouses of British Citizens — 17 signatures. Status: open.
Create a new shorter pathway for foreign spouses of British Citizens to apply for citizenship. The current 5 year visa, followed by an application for ILR before being allowed to apply for Citizenship is, we believe, costly and distressing for couples trying to settle in the UK.
Many Commonwealth nations have specific paths for foreign born spouses gaining sponsorship and residency. In Australia, Spouses can apply immediately with a 2 year visa that ends with eligibility to apply for Permanent Residency. The only delay beyond this is processing time. The process is the same in Canada, whereby a Canadian Citizen can sponsor their spouse for 2 years whilst awaiting their PR application to process. We do not understand why the UK insists on a minimum of 5+ years and what we consider to be extortionate fees.
View this petition on the official UK Parliament website