British Citizenship Will Be Granted To The Windrush Generation

The Home Office has today announced that any individuals from the “Windrush” generation will be able to apply for British citizenship as long as they can show that they arrived in the UK before 1973.

The welcomed announcement applies to all Commonwealth citizens and is not limited to Caribbean citizens. In addition to the eligibility for citizenship, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Amber Rudd, has also announced that a compensation scheme will be set up for the Windrush generation who have suffered loss or damage as a result of of their inability to prove their right to be in the UK and to access public services.

Windrush individuals applying for citizenship will have their Home Office application fee waived and will not not be required to pass the normal Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK test.

The Home Office have also confirmed that “extra measures will be introduced to help those who arrived before 1973, spent their life in the UK and are now having difficulty returning either for a visit or to reside” and that they will “help to facilitate their return on the most suitable route and waive any associated fees“.

If you are Commonwealth citizen (undocumented or otherwise) and arrived in the UK before 1973, contact us and speak to one of our immigration lawyers.