Yessiree-indeedilydo! I have received a letter from Home Office UK Border Agency inviting me to attend a ceremony to complete my journey to British Citizenship!
I have arranged the ceremony, and so next week I shall be a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. Soon — likely in the new year or sooner — I will apply for a UK/EU passport. Feels great!
It’s been a long and expensive road to get to this point. I’ve been filling out forms, attending interviews, getting photographed, witnesses, and recalling dates and times since 2004. The expense? I haven’t tallied it up properly, but it’s more than £2000* just in forms, applications, and appointments. One of the appointments was just under £1000 alone (it was in-person at the Home Office), and so I know that Visas and other pieces of the puzzle have probably pushed that final amount up another £1000.
I’m not complaining though. I think it should be expensive. I think it should be hard. I think it should be difficult to pass the questions, tests, and interviews. It’s a serious thing to become a citizen and it should be challenging. There are times I’ve worried, sweated, even cried, but here I am and it’s almost finalised.
I feel like I can breathe better now. I feel like it’s my country as much as anybody’s. I feel good.
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*Was just thinking about it, and it’s probably closer to £3000… egad!
15 Comments
Does that mean I get to keep you now?
Aaahhh, I’m glad you’re so happy!
I’m not really proud of being British (personally). Maybe, one day, I’ll go and get citizenship somewhere else
Very pleased for you, sweetie! Hope it makes life easier/better for you. x
Congratulations! Best gift my parents ever gave me was dual citizenship, it opens up so many opportunities. Enjoy a good UK celebratory champers next week after your phone ceremony!
Oh! No… poo… I wrote that too fast. Not a ceremony by phone, but rather, I arranged the ceremony by phone. They’ll require me to be present.
I feel an edit coming on…
Congratulations! Welcome to the most exclusive club in the world!
Thank you MattR! And sorry about your comments– for some reason they got stuck in the penalty box and I only just noticed. I have freed two and hopefully there were no others.
Congratulations! We need to catch up soon! Love you!
Thank you Jodi! Love you too, soon to be birthday girl!
Catch up after the weekend? Email me what’s good for you.
thats great news for mr jEN. He gets to keep you
Now you 2 should so visit here for a photogastro trip 
Woo! Congrats.
how very exciting!
i’m so jealous.
any advice of where to start? i’ve done the preliminary research (realized how hard it is to get that foot in the door), and i’ve started saving.
so happy for you! and any advice would be much appreciate.
best,
jenn
Hi jenn! Welcome!
I met a man through blogs, we commented back and forth and fell in love. We met in person months later (in Chicago) and decided that I should come to the UK. We applied for a marriage visa and it’s been a long but worthwhile road of forms and interviews, but we’re almost there!
If you don’t come to Britain through partnership or marriage, there are skilled worker avenues as well. Perhaps coming over for volunteer work would be a good way for you to see the country too.
If you want it, go for it. You’ll never regret it.
Thank you Bob!
Thank you Kevin!
Yes, a trip to France is definitely coming up. Not sure where all we’ll be able to hit, but I need to see the grave of one of my Grandma’s brothers (died in the war). Hopefully, I’ll be able to make that trip on a UK Passport! Whoo! I’ll let you know closer to when we’re on our way.
£2000!- I’m sure when my Mrs got UK citizenship a few years back it was about £170 all in.
aw, thanks jEN!
i appreciate the kind word. good luck today!
i’m thinking of coming and staying with some friends for a bit and possibly doing some volunteer work while i’m there. i’m in publishing, so i also thought a bit of freelance might be an avenue to pursue.
so happy for you! i feel like i’m British at heart, so hearing about your citizenship brightens my day.
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[...] naturalisation yesterday and am now a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. The ceremony was a small affair of five of us pledging, a handful of guests, and two employees of the Register [...]