Immigration Corner | Fee waiver for a minor applying for UK citizenship

Dear Mr Bassie,

I am a minor and I plan to apply for British citizenship. I am told that I may be eligible to have the fee waived. I would like you to advise on this for me.

FB

Dear FB,

Persons can apply for a fee waiver, so they do not have to pay a citizenship application fee. They may be eligible to receive a citizenship application fee waiver if they are under 18 years old. If applying online for a fee waiver, they must get a decision before applying for citizenship.

ELIGIBILITY

Persons can apply for a fee waiver if they are under 18 and are eligible for British citizenship.

They can become British citizens if one of their parents considered the United Kingdom as their home and did any of the following after they were born:

• Became a British citizen;

• Got indefinite leave to remain in the UK;

• Got ‘settled status’ (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme’);

• Got indefinite leave to enter the UK;

• Got permanent residence status.

Persons can apply for a fee waiver if they cannot afford to pay the fee because they:

• Do not have a place to live and cannot afford one;

• Are unable to afford essential living costs like food and heating;

• Do not have enough money to pay the fee after paying for their accommodation and other essential living costs;

• Paying the fee would mean their children’s needs cannot be met.

In addition, the person’s parent or legal guardian can apply on their behalf. They can include their other children in the same application.

Those persons being looked after by a local authority do not need to apply for a fee waiver. They will be asked if they need a fee waiver when they apply for citizenship instead.

APPLY FOR A FEE WAIVER

Persons can either apply online or by post. If they are applying from Guernsey or Jersey, they must apply by post. They cannot currently apply for this fee waiver from the Isle of Man.

If applying for a fee waiver online and are successful, persons must also then apply for citizenship online. If they cannot apply for both online, they must apply by post instead. When applying by post, persons should fill in a child citizenship fee waiver request form and send it to the address on the form.

Persons should note that when they are applying online, they will be able to save the form and return to it later. Please note that before starting, persons will be asked to prove their identity by uploading a copy of their identity document online, for example a:

• Passport;

• National identity card;

• Biometric residence permit.

They will also need to provide information about their financial situation, for example:

• Bank statements;

• Letters from local authorities or family members showing that they get financial support;

• Evidence to show they receive public funds;

• Evidence of their household earnings, for example, payslips;

• Evidence of their household expenses, for example, how much rent they pay.

AFTER APPLYING

Having applied, persons will receive a confirmation email from the Home Office. If the application is approved, persons will receive an email or letter with a personalised code (called a ‘token’). This code should then be used when making the application for citizenship.

Good luck!

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, deputy global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com