This visa type replaced Tier 2 General on 1 December 2020 and falls under long-term work visa which is designed for skilled workers and most long-term visa routes lead to UK settlement status.

To work under this visa route, will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will need to assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is a virtual work permit required before you can apply for a visa to enter or remain in the UK.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 2 Health and Care on 1 December 2020 and falls under long-term work visa which is designed for skilled workers and most long-term visa routes lead to UK settlement status.

To work under this visa route, will need a UK sponsor who is regulated by a healthcare or education provider.

If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will need to assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is a virtual work permit required before you can apply for a visa to enter or remain in the UK.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Intra-company visa in April 2022 and falls under long-term work visa which is designed for Senior or Specialist workers and this visa route will not lead to UK settlement status.

This visa route allows the UK sponsor to bring their overseas employees to the UK under their sponsor licence.

Different immigration rules apply to this visa type to Skilled workers.

To get sponsored under this route, a link between the UK and overseas businesses must be demonstrated and meet other criteria before assigning you a Certificate of Sponsorship.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type was introduced on 22 August 2022 as a brand-new visa type.

A Scale-up Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to do an eligible job for a fast-growing UK business.

The UK employer must meet specific eligibility criteria to sponsor scale-up workers.

This visa route allows you to apply outside or within the UK and your immediate family members can apply as your dependants.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 2 Minister of Religion on 1 December 2020 and falls under long-term work visa which is designed for skilled workers and most long-term visa routes lead to UK settlement status.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 2 Sportsperson on 1 December 2020 and falls under long-term work visa which is designed for professional sportspeople and this visa route can lead to UK settlement status.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 5 Charity worker on 1 December 2020 and falls under short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national to apply for a field-based unpaid work visa via UK sponsorship.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

 To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 5 Creative and Sporting on 1 December 2020 and falls under a short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national to apply for a creative or sporting work visa via UK sponsorship.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange on 1 December 2020 and falls under a short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national wanting to come to the UK for a short time for work experience or to do training, an Overseas Government Language Programme, research or a fellowship through an approved government authorised exchange scheme.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 5 International Agreement on 1 December 2020 and falls under a short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national wanting to come to the UK for a short time to be an employee of an overseas business, or a self-employed service provider based overseas where you provide a service under a contract that is covered by a valid international trade agreement.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 5 Religious worker on 1 December 2020 and falls under short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national to apply for non-pastoral role or religious order support work.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 5 Seasonal worker on 1 December 2020 and falls under a short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national to apply for work in horticulture for a 6-month visa.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you,

they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa was first introduced on 11 April 2022 as a new visa scheme.

To apply for this visa type you must be transferring from your overseas employer to the UK to work for a different employer on a temporary assignment. Your overseas employer must have a high-value contract or investment by their employer overseas.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa route allows first introduced on 11 April 2022 as a new visa scheme.

This visa scheme allows an overseas business to send employees or self-employed individuals to the UK to work on a contract the overseas and UK organisations have in place under a B2B agreement.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme on 1 December 2020 and falls under a short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national to apply if you have certain British Nationality or are from a certain country or territory.

To work under this visa route, some nationals will have to meet additional criteria to enter the UK.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced a previous graduate visa type on 1 July 2021 which is designed for an overseas national to remain in the UK for up to 2 or 3 years if they graduate in the UK usually by obtaining a UK bachelor’s degree, a UK master’s degree or a UK PhD or doctorate and other criteria are met.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa was first introduced on 30 May 2022 as a new visa scheme.

This visa scheme allows an overseas person to remain in the UK for at least two years if they are deemed to be a high-potential individual.

The individual must meet the eligible universities' criteria, awarded their UK bachelor’s degree, UK postgraduate degree, or UK Ph.D. or doctorate within the last 5 years.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Graduate Trainee visa on 11 April 2022 and falls under short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national to apply for a temporary work visa via UK sponsorship.

To work under this visa route, you will need a UK sponsor. If a UK sponsor agrees to sponsor you, they will assign you a Certificate of Sponsorship which is required before you can apply for a visa.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa type replaced Representative of an Overseas Business visa on 11 April 2022 and falls under short-term work visa which is designed for an overseas national to come to the UK and set up a Branch of an overseas business. you can apply for this visa if the overseas business is trading in the UK.

To work under this visa route, your overseas employer will need a UK sponsor licence, issue you a Certificate of sponsorship and meet other criteria.

To explore more about this visa route click here.

This visa allows the following types of nationals to come to the UK:

• a Commonwealth citizen
• a British overseas citizen
• a British overseas territories citizen
• a British national (overseas)
• a citizen of Zimbabwe.

To meet this route, prove one of your grandparents was born in the UK, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man and meet other criteria.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa allows a person to work in the UK but lives in another country.

You may be eligible if all of the following apply to you:

1. You are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and
2. you lived outside of the UK and
3. you began working in the UK by 31 December 2020.

You must usually have worked in the UK at least once every 12 months since you started working here. You may still be able to apply if you have had periods of unemployment or were unable to work during this time.

If the above does not apply to you, you cannot for this visa type and you will need a visa to enter the UK.

If you are from Hong Kong and are a British national (overseas), you can apply under this visa route and include your family members as they will also be eligible for a British National (Overseas) visa. 

This visa type is also known as a BNO visa. It will allow you to live, work and study in the UK.

You can apply for the BNO visa from overseas, once a decision is made and your visa is granted, you can then travel to the UK.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

If you are from Hong Kong and are a British national (overseas), you can apply under this visa route and include your family members as they will also be eligible for a British National (Overseas) visa. 

This visa type is also known as a BNO visa. It will allow you to live, work and study in the UK.

You can apply for the BNO visa from overseas, once a decision is made and your visa is granted, you can then travel to the UK.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

You can apply for this visa type if you are an employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation posted on a long-term assignment to the UK but if you are a representative of an overseas business planning to set up its first UK branch, you will need to apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility).

To apply for this visa type, you will have to meet other eligibility criteria.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route closed to new applicants on 31 December 2020 meaning, unless you held this visa type, you can only extend this visa.

If you have family members who can only extend their visa if they hold a valid UK visa.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route closed to new applicants on 31 December 2020 meaning, unless you held this visa type, you can only extend this visa.

If you have family members who can only extend their visa if they hold a valid UK visa and are permitted to apply to join you in the UK.

Family members must be a dependant partner can be your husband, wife, civil partner or unmarried partner, child under 21 including if the child was born in the UK during their UK stay, and if over 21, must still be currently in the UK dependant on you.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

You can apply for a Service Providers from Switzerland visa if you work for a company based in Switzerland and your employer needs you to work on a contract in the UK. 

The contract to carry out work in the UK must have been signed and started before 11pm on 31 December 2020.

If you are a Swiss national, you can also apply to the route as a self-employed service provider if you are based in Switzerland.

If you are employed, your employer can only send staff to the UK for 90 days per calendar year across all employees and contracts, including weekends and bank holidays. It is your employer’s responsibility to make sure you and any other staff who need to work in the UK do not collectively exceed the 90-day limit. If you are self-employed it is your responsibility.

If the above does not apply to you, you cannot for this visa type and you will need a visa to enter the UK.

This visa route allows an overseas national to enter or switch in the UK if they possess an Innovative, Viable and Scalable business idea and can obtain endorsement from one of the UKVI-approved endorsing bodies.

The visa is issued for 3 years.

English is required at or above B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Obtaining an endorsement letter and meeting other criteria requirements.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route allows an overseas national to enter or switch if already in the UK if they possess an Innovative, Viable and Scalable business idea and can obtain endorsement from one of the UK higher education institutions or a business organisation with a history of supporting UK entrepreneurs.

The visa is issued for 2 years, and this visa cannot be extended but you can then switch to the Innovator visa route. Note: The Start-up visa does not count towards settlement unless you settle via the 10-year-long residence route.

You cannot join a business already operating in the UK, you must provide evidence of meeting English B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), obtain an endorsement letter, and meet other criteria requirements.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route allows an overseas national to enter or switch if already in the UK if they are a leader or potential leader in one of the following fields:

1. Academia or research
2. Arts and culture
3. Digital technology.

You will need an endorsement from one of the 3 bodies listed above, no need to provide evidence of English but you will need to meet other eligibility criteria.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route closed to new applicants on 29 March 2019 meaning, unless you held this visa type, you can only extend this visa.

If you have family members, they can join you in the UK if you still have a valid visa and also extend their visa.

If you want to apply to enter the UK as an Entrepreneur, you can now apply under the Innovator visa route.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route closed to new applicants in February 2022 meaning, unless you held this visa type, you can only extend this visa.

If you have family members, they can join you in the UK if you still have a valid visa and also extend their visa.

There is no alternative visa route for investors, the only option available is the Innovator visa route.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route was replaced Tier 4 (General) on 5 October 2020.

To apply under this visa route, you need to be aged 18 or over when you submit your visa application. 

You must have been offered a place on a course by a UK-licensed student sponsor, have enough money to support yourself and afford the course fees and meet the English level for the course you wish to study.

Note: If you’re 16 or 17 and you want to study at an independent school in the UK, you may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visa route was replaced Tier 4 (Child) on 5 October 2020.

To apply under this visa route, you need to be aged 4-17 when the visa application is submitted. 

You must study at an independent school in the UK that is approved by UKVI.

You must have an unconditional offer of a place on a course with a licensed Child Student sponsor and obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). 

You must have enough money to support yourself and afford the course fees.

Note: If you’re 16 or 17 and you want to study at an independent school in the UK, you may be eligible for a Child Student visa instead.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

You can apply for a Short-term study visa to study the English language in the UK and if your visa is granted, you can study in the UK for 11 months. Note: You cannot extend this visa or switch to another UK visa. You must depart the UK to enter again.

 This visa is for English language courses lasting longer than 6 months and up to 11 months.

If you require to study any other course, you will need to apply under a Student or Child Student visa.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

You can apply under this visa route if you are a husband, wife, unmarried partner, fiancée, fiancé or proposed civil partnership and your partner is either:

• be a British or Irish citizen or
• have settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence or
• be from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021 or
• have a Turkish Businessperson visa or Turkish Worker visa or
• have refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK.

You will have to meet other eligibility criteria such as proof of relationship, financials, English etc. Note: Different rules apply for Leave to Enter to Leave to Remain visa applications.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

You can apply under this visa route if you need to care for your child. Note: You should not apply under this visa route if you meet the eligibility to apply as a partner.

To apply under this visa route your child must be living in the UK and meet one of the following:

• The child is a British or Irish citizen or
• the child is settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status, or proof of permanent residence or
• they’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021 or
• if you are applying in the UK, the child must have lived in the UK for 7 years continuously and it would not be reasonable for them to leave the UK.

You will have to meet other eligibility criteria such as sole or shared parental responsibility for your child, financials, English etc. Note: Different rules apply for Leave to Enter to Leave to Remain visa applications.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

A child can apply to join their parent(s) in the UK.

Note: The child may not need a family visa if at least one of their parents has indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or proof of permanent residence. If your parent(s) obtained settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme.

Different rules apply if the child was born inside or outside the UK and their parent's unique circumstances.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

Applying under an adult coming to be cared for by a relative is a very complex case and has a high risk of visa refusal.

The person that needs caring for must apply outside the UK and must be a family member of:

1. they’re a British or Irish citizen
2. they’ve settled in the UK - for example, they have indefinite leave to remain, settled status or proof of permanent residence
3. they’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and have pre-settled status - they must have started living in the UK before 1 January 2021
4. they have refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK.

To meet this visa route the person who needs care will need long-term care to do everyday personal and household tasks because of illness, disability or their age and, the care they need is not available or affordable in the country they live in and, the family person in the UK will be able to support, accommodate and care for them without claiming public funds for at least 5 years.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

Not all nationalities require a visa to enter the UK under a Standard visitor visa but certain visa types you must obtain a visa before UK entry.

Standard visa caters for Visit on business visits to study, visits as an academic and visits for medical reasons.

Visit visas can be issued for 6 months, 2, 5 and 10 years but for medical reasons (11 months), academics (12 months).

To find out more about this visa route click here.

This visit visa restricts UK visits up to 1 month, meaning, you cannot remain in the UK beyond 1 month.

You can be invited and paid by a UK-based organisation or client under the following:

• as a professional artist, entertainer or musician or
• as a professional sportsperson or
• as a qualified lawyer - to represent a client or
• to give a lecture or series of lectures or
• as an academic - to be a student examiner or assessor or
• as an air pilot examiner.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

You might need a visa to pass through the UK in transit (on your way to another country) but before you apply for a visa, you should do a visa check.

To get a transit visa you must prove that:

• you’ll be in transit to another country, with enough funds and the intention to travel on
• you can enter that country
• the only purpose of your visit to the UK is transit

You do not need a transit visa if you:

• have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
• have a Home Office travel document, for example you’re a refugee or stateless person
• have a Standard Visitor visa
• have a Marriage Visitor visa

To find out more about this visa route click here.

If you wish to marry in the UK, there are two visa types, this visa type does not allow you to remain in the UK once you are married and, you have to depart the UK and apply for a new visa if you plan to settle in the UK. If this is the case, you might want to consider the family visa route where you can apply as a fiancée, fiancé or proposed civil partnership.

Under this visa type you can:

• get married or register a civil partnership in the UK or
• give notice of a marriage or civil partnership in UK.

Note: You do not need a Marriage Visitor visa to convert your civil partnership into a marriage - you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa.

To find out more about this visa route click here.

You can get an electronic visa waiver (EVW) instead of a visa if you are a national of:

• Bahrain
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Qatar
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates

You must pay £30 for an EVW and a EVW lets you visit the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, business, study or medical treatment. If you are visiting for another reason, check if you need a visa.

You must apply between 3 months and 48 hours before you travel.

To apply you need:

• your current passport
• an address in the UK where you will stay
• details of your journey, including departure and arrival dates and times.

You can come to the UK for up to 30 days as part of a tour group through the approved destination status agreement (ADS) if you’re a Chinese citizen.

To qualify via this visa you must enter the country as part of a tour group (minimum 5 people) and stay with the group for the whole of your visit.

Your tour must be organised by an ADS licensed Chinese tour operator.

Your agent will then arrange an appointment for the whole tour group at a visa approval centre in China. This will usually happen at least 3 weeks before departure.

Before the appointment date you need to give your agent:

• your current travel document or passport
• your previous passports or travel documents
• evidence of your current employment or studies.

If you are entitled to have a right of abode (RoA), this will mean you are allowed to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions.

You will not need a visa to come to the UK

and there is no limit on the length of time you can spend in the UK.

All British citizens automatically have right of abode in the UK and some Commonwealth citizens may also have right of abode.

What if I need a certificate of entitlement?

You can apply for a certificate of entitlement to prove you have right of abode in the UK. It goes in your passport.

To find out more about this route click here.

If you hold one of these visa types and you meet the settlement rules, your settlement will fall under SET (O):

• have a tier 2, T2, International Sportsperson or Skilled Worker visa.
• have a Scale-up Worker visa.
• have a Global Talent, Tier 1 Entrepreneur or Investor visa.
• have an Innovator visa.
• represent an overseas business.
• have a Turkish Worker or Businessperson visa.
• are a private servant in a diplomatic household with an International Agreement visa, or a domestic worker.
• UK Ancestry.

You must usually have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years. If you have a tier 1 visa, it can be 2 or 3 years. If you have an Innovator or Global Talent visa, it can be 3 years. It will all depend on if you meet the immigration rules.

To find out more about this settlement route click here.

If your visa falls under Appendix FM immigration rules and you hold a visa to be with your spouse/partner, parent or child or a person already settled in the UK, you can use SET (M) to settle in the UK.

You must usually have lived and worked in the UK for 5 years, but this may not be the case if your UK partner died or you want to apply to settle because of domestic violence.

Depending on your family visa type, you may have to wait until 10 years has passed before you can apply to settle in the UK.

To find out more about this settlement route click here.

If you have lived 10 continuous years in the UK on valid visa, you can apply to settle in the UK based on different visa types.

Continuous stay is broken if you held during the 10 year period a visitor visa, you overstayed in the UK, breach immigration laws or in breach of good character areas or, departed the UK and entered the UK without previously holding a valid visa.

Settlement applications under SET (LR) can be complex if in the past 10 years you have any issues relating to your UK stay or issues whilst being in the UK.

To find out more about this settlement route click here.

If your visa falls under refugee, humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave, and you meet the 5 or 10 years requirements to settle in the UK, you can apply to settle in the UK.

Note: You must have a residence card if you are a refugee or person with humanitarian protection.

You can apply after 5 years in the UK as either someone with refugee status or humanitarian protection.

If you have Discretionary Leave, you can apply after:

• 6 years if you were first given Discretionary Leave on or before 8 July 2012
• 10 years if you were first given Discretionary Leave from 9 July 2012.

To find out more about this settlement route click here.

If you are a returning resident and want to get your ILR reinstated, the rules fall under two categories:

• If you were away for less than 2 years.
• If you were away for more than 2 years (Returning Resident visa).

Your ILR is not impacted if you return to the UK within two years but if you been away from the UK for two years or more, you lose your indefinite leave to remain if you have been outside the UK for 2 or more continuous years. You may be able to re-enter the UK and get indefinite leave to remain by applying for a Returning Resident visa. Note: You may not need to apply if your partner is in the British armed forces or works for certain UK government departments or the British Council.

To find out more about this settlement route click here.

If you are in the armed forces and want to apply to settle, normally you have to comply to:

• Be leaving the armed forces or have left in the past 2 years and
• have served for a minimum of 4 years.

Note: There’s no minimum time you need to have served for if you’ve been medically discharged for an injury or illness that happened as a result of your service and different rules if you are a former Gurkha.

To find out more about this settlement route click here.

If you are an adult (aged 18 and over) want to naturalise in the UK, this is open to any adult who has obtained settlement status from the Home Office.

Typical visa routes approved under ILR are:

• Work visa
• Family visa
• Refugee, humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave.
• Armed forces
• Long residence
• EU settlement scheme.

In most cases, you will need to have held your settlement visa for 12 months before you can apply to naturalise. Different rules apply if you are the spouse/partner of a British national then the 12-month does not apply to you.

To find out more about this British route click here.

If you are aged under 18, you can apply via this route to naturalise. If you turn 18 during the process, you will have to attend the ceremony to give oath to the King.

In most cases children that apply under this route were born outside of the UK so they will need settlement status first but if born in the UK, can skip the application process to settle. The child can only naturalise if the child parents meet the eligibility criteria.

To find out more about this British route click here.

People who apply for British citizen can sometimes obtain this without first bring naturalised such as children being born in the UK to foreign parents or born overseas where one parent is British.

These are the key areas to determine if you are automatically British:

• Born in the UK or a British colony before 1 January 1983
• Born in the UK between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000
• Born in the UK between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006
• Born in the UK between 30 April 2006 and 30 June 2021
• Born in the UK from 1 July 2021 onwards
• Born outside the UK or stateless
• Your parents' immigration status when you were born.

To find out more about this British route click here.

British overseas territories citizenship was called ‘British dependent territories citizenship’ before 26 February 2002.

If you were born before 1 January 1983

You became a British overseas territories citizen on 1 January 1983 if both of these applied:

• You were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) on 31 December 1982 and
• you had connections with a British overseas territory because you, your parents or your grandparents were born, registered or naturalised in that British overseas territory.

Note: You also became a British overseas territories citizen if you were a woman married to a man who became a British overseas territories citizen on 1 January 1983.

To find out more about this British route click here.

You became a British overseas citizen on 1 January 1983 if both of these applied:

• You were a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) on 31 December 1982 and
• you did not become either a British citizen or a British overseas territories citizen on 1 January 1983.

Hong Kong

If you were a British overseas territories citizen only because of your connection with Hong Kong you lost that citizenship on 30 June 1997 when sovereignty returned to China. However, you became a British overseas citizen if either:

• You had no other nationality and would have become stateless.
• You were born on or after 1 July 1997 and would have been born stateless if one of your parents was a British national (overseas) or British overseas citizen when you were born.

To find out more about this British route click here.

Until 1949, nearly everyone with a close connection to the United Kingdom was called a ‘British subject’.

All citizens of Commonwealth countries were collectively referred to as ‘British subjects’ until January 1983. However, this was not an official status for most of them.

Since 1983, very few people have qualified as British subjects.

Who is a British subject

You became a British subject on 1 January 1983 if, until then, you were either:

• a British subject without citizenship, which means you were a British subject on 31 December 1948 who did not become a citizen of the UK and Colonies, a Commonwealth country, Pakistan or Ireland.
• a person who had been a citizen of Ireland on 31 December 1948 and had made a claim to remain a British subject.

You also became a British subject on 1 January 1983 if you were a woman who registered as a British subject on the basis of their marriage to a man in one of these categories.

To find out more about this British route click here.

Someone who was a British overseas territories citizen by connection with Hong Kong was able to register as a British national (overseas) before 1 July 1997.

British overseas territories citizens from Hong Kong who did not register as British nationals (overseas) and had no other nationality or citizenship on 30 June 1997 became British overseas citizens on 1 July 1997.

Note: If you are not already a British national (overseas), you cannot apply to become one.

To find out more about this British route click here.

You would have become a British protected person on 1 January 1983 if you:

• were a citizen or national of Brunei
• were already a British protected person
• would otherwise have been born stateless (without a country) in the UK or an overseas territory because, when you were born, one of your parents was a British protected person.

In most cases you would have lost your British protected person status if:

• You gained any other nationality or citizenship.
• The territory you were connected with became independent and you became a citizen of that country.

To find out more about this British route click here.

If you are entitled to have a right of abode (RoA), this will mean you are allowed to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions.

You will not need a visa to come to the UK

and there is no limit on the length of time you can spend in the UK.

All British citizens automatically have right of abode in the UK and some Commonwealth citizens may also have right of abode.

What if I need a certificate of entitlement?

You can apply for a certificate of entitlement to prove you have right of abode in the UK. It goes in your passport.

To find out more about this route click here.