Families who can not afford to pay £1,012 for a British Citizenship application can now apply for an exemption or a fee waiver for children under 18. Recently, the Home Office has introduced a “citizenship fee waiver for individuals under 18” policy. To qualify, the parents have to prove that they can not afford it to have their application fee waived.
Children’s Eligibility to Apply for a Fee Waiver in Citizenship Application
Anyone under the age of 18 is eligible to register for British Citizenship as well as make a request for the fee waiver. The fee waiver is granted if the applicant or parent(s) do not have sufficient funds left after meeting their essential living needs.
As per the Home Office guidance, a fee waiver will be granted if the applicant and the parent must
- Prove that they can not afford the fee
- Show they do not have sufficient funds at their disposal after meeting the child’s needs
The Affordability Test
The primary consideration taken by the Home Office will be the applicant’s inability to pay the fee whilst meeting essential needs. Financial circumstances taken into consideration are
- If others are supporting the applicant and their parent(s) with essential needs and accommodation. By others, it means family, friends, NGOs, charity, local authority, or their home country government.
- Any savings in the bank account and their inability to save for the foreseeable fee
- If an excess amount is spent on the essential living needs by the applicant (child) or parent(s)
Insufficient Funds to Meet the Child’s Needs
The need to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child in the UK is also considered by the caseworkers when deciding on the fee waiver request. Prove that paying the fee would deprive the children of having their needs met.
British Citizenship Application Eligible for a Fee Waiver
This guidance applies to only the following applications
- Form MN1
- Form S2 and S3
- Form T
- Form B(OS)
- Form B(OTA)
- Form(EM)
Evidence Required For Child Citizenship Fee Waiver Application
It is up to the applicant and parent(s) to provide the relevant, clear, and compelling evidence to qualify for a fee waiver. Additionally, evidence can be in the form of
- Bank statements
- Pay slips
- Tenancy contract
- Utility bills
Children in Local Authority Care
If the citizenship application is made by a child in local authority care or a child in a similar situation outside the UK, it is not required to pay any fee. In addition, no evidence of financial circumstances needs to be submitted to get an exemption.
Applicants receiving the local authority support but not looked after by them are not eligible for the said exemption. However, they can qualify for a fee waiver if they can not afford to pay the fee.
Applying For a Fee Waiver
Submit a fee waiver application using the online form available on gov.uk. If approved, you will receive a code to use when completing your main citizenship application. The citizenship application must be submitted within 28 days of the fee waiver decision date.
If refused, you can not resubmit the fee waiver application for reconsideration.
