Immigration offences bar
Anyone who has committed an offence on a new list (Schedule 1), at any time, could never be naturalised.
Heads 5 and 6, Schedule 1 · New sections 15(1)(g), 15A(1)(i)
| Now | Proposed | |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration offences | Weighed as part of “good character” | Automatic bar |
| Time limit | Older matters weigh less | None: “at any point” |
| Conviction needed | — | Text says “committed”, not “convicted” |
| Waiver | — | None, except existing s.16(1) groups (not for spouses) |
| Applies to spouses | — | Yes |
What the listed offences cover
| Item | Covers |
|---|---|
| a. 1956 Act s.29A | False statements in a citizenship application |
| b. Immigration Act 1999 ss.3, 4, 8 | Breaching a deportation or exclusion order; obstructing deportation |
| c. Immigration Act 2004 s.4 | Not presenting on arrival; visa and reporting rules for land arrivals; breaking permission conditions (e.g. overstaying, students working extra hours) |
| c. 2004 Act ss.6, 7, 11, 12 | Landing outside a port; declaring documents (incl. phones); carrying and showing a passport |
| c. 2004 Act s.9 | Registration: e.g. reporting a change of address within 48 hours |
| c. 2004 Act ss.8, 10 | Notices on ships, trains and buses; hotel guest registers (transport operators and hotel keepers) |
| d. International Protection Act 2015 ss.16, 17, 26 | Asylum seekers' conditions (address, reporting, leaving the State); forging certificates; media identifying applicants |
| e. EU Free Movement Regulations 2015, reg. 30 | From not applying for / returning a residence card, up to fraud and forgery |
| f. Withdrawal Agreement Regulations 2020, reg. 21 | The same, for UK nationals |
| g. International Protection Act 2026 (14 sections) | Not declaring documents or unlocking devices; obstruction; document and travel fraud; offences by officials, accommodation operators and media |
Legal text
Highlighted: current wording proposed wording
Not in current law
(g) has not committed any offences listed in the first schedule to this Act at any point before or after an application for naturalisation;
Not in current law
Schedule 1: Offences and contraventions by an applicant which would preclude the issue of a certificate of [grant of] citizenship
a. An offence under Section 29A of the Act of 1956,
b. An offence under sections 3, 4, or 8 of the Immigration Act 1999,
c. An offence for a contravention of sections 4(2), 4(5)(b), 4(5)(c), 4(5)(d), 4(6), 4(8), 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 of the Immigration Act 2004,
d. An offence under sections 16, 17, or 26 of the International Protection Act 2015,
e. An offence under Regulation 30 of the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015,
f. An offence under Regulation 21 of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) (Citizens’ Rights) Regulations 2020, or
g. An offence under section 19, 32(1), 32(6), 69(6), 96, 120, 134, 155(12), 192, 209, 237(17) 275, 276, or 278 of the International Protection Act 2026.