Immigration Corner | British citizenship ceremonies

Dear Mr Bassie,

I recently became a British citizen and I am told that I must attend the citizenship ceremony. If this is true, please advise how I should proceed.

BI

Dear BI,

Persons need to attend a citizenship ceremony if they are 18 years old or over and if they have successfully applied to become a British citizen. Please note that persons must book the ceremony within three months of being sent an invitation from the Home Office. However, if persons become British citizens under the Windrush scheme, they can choose if they want to attend a citizenship ceremony and those persons will not have to pay the fee.

With respect to booking the ceremony, persons' local council will organise the citizenship ceremonies. These citizenship ceremonies are usually done in groups, but persons can ask for a private ceremony if they prefer and should book the citizenship ceremony with the Council.

Persons must take their invitations when they go to the ceremony and they are usually allowed to take two guests. Persons should note that it costs £80 to attend a group ceremony. Private ceremonies cost more, and persons should check how much the cost is with the local council.

Persons who are not living in the United Kingdom can ask the embassy or consulate in the country where they are living if they can have the ceremony there. If persons are only abroad for a short period of time, they might be asked to postpone the ceremony until they return to the United Kingdom. However, persons must still book their ceremony within three months of receiving the invitation from the Home Office. In addition, persons might have to prove that they are planning to live in the United Kingdom permanently if they are going to be abroad for more than a few months.

During the ceremony, persons will have to make an oath of allegiance and a pledge. Persons will need to make an affirmation if they prefer not to swear by God. This means that persons will promise to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the United Kingdom. At the end of the ceremony, persons will be presented with their certificates of British citizenship and welcome packs. Please note that some local councils will sell photographs or videos of the event.

As previously mentioned, persons who became British citizens under the Windrush scheme will not need to attend a citizenship ceremony. Also, persons registering to become a: British overseas territories citizen; British overseas citizen; or a British subject will not need to attend a citizenship ceremony. Nevertheless, persons will still need to make an oath or affirmation of allegiance and a pledge; and these persons will be sent details of how to do this.

All the best

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com