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Can I apply for citizenship within 12 months time restriction? Obtained ILR through 5 year working, been in the UK for 12 years and meet all the other requirements. If so, What's the success rate? How do I justify it? How do I prove I have established links within UK and have compelling business reasons?
Thanks.

Unless you are married to a British Citizen, you will have to wait until you are 'free from immigration time restrictions' (ILR), before you can apply for naturalisation. The application is based on the 5 years immediately before the date of application, so it will be 1 year on ILR and 4 years on a visa.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/briti ... uirements/

Thank you, so there is no way at all to bypass this requirement?? I'm not married to a BC. I can't progress within my company because the positions I want to apply require frequent short notice travelling abroad. And it's always a lengthy process for me to get a visa to anywhere. I'm really frustrated.

My partner is BC he would marry me if I ask him, but I don't want the home office to suspect my purpose of marriage and jeopardise my chance all together.

What do I do?

You either have to wait 12 months or get married.

For nationality purposes, it is being married to a British Citizen at the time of the application, it does not matter how long you have been married as you have the same rights with ILR as a British Citizen, so there won't be much scrutiny as such.

We weren't planning on getting married yet, so if we were to get married ASAP we probably will just go to a registry office with one witness or get married in Vegas and have a proper big wedding next year - will this look suspicious?

When did you obtain ILR?

You could apply early (save about 3 months) but it would be at discretion and to be honest if you have waited so long, why not wait a few more months.

Got ILR last year September. I know I should wait, but I have to travel more than ever this year for work. The positions I would like to progress to all require frequent travel abroad, it's a pain in the back side every time I try to get a visa for anywhere. I need to stay at some of the places for weeks at a time and they can only issue me single entry visas, while my colleagues and friends can just go off to hong kong or Dubai for a weekend I will have to be stuck at somewhere I don't know anyone

I'm just really frustrated, I have already missed an important meeting for my project because meeting date was only scheduled two days before and I couldn't get a visa at such short notice, as you can imagine I'm not mangers' favourite due to the inflexibility.

I have already travelled 50 days since obtaining ILR, can't afford to wait another 7 months ....

Doesn't sound as if this is a compelling business requirement (as the business just send other people not you). In any case, as you have no control on the duration the application would take (maybe applying early with discretion would take longer than applying normally), I would just wait. Or are you willing to risk £900 for the sake of a few months?

You also need to keep an eye on how many days you've been out of the country.

Thanks guys,

but can't do anything about the traveling, can't just not go when required

what kind of reasons are compelling business reasons?

why do they make it so difficult for good people who always pay tax, never claim benefits, like the culture and genuinely want to live in this country ...

See paragraph 7.5: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... iew=Binary

Thanks, I have seen this document, but it doesn't explain what kind of reasons are compelling..

There isn't a list of what would or wouldn't be compelling or compassionate reasons. However, if you read the document, you'll be able to read between the lines of what may allow discretion to be exercised.

For example, 4.1.2(d) states: exceptionally compelling reasons of an occupational or
compassionate nature to justify naturalisation now, including, for
example, because the applicant has a firm offer of a job for which
British citizenship is a statutory or professional requirement.

You can apply and put forward the reasons you believe discretion should be exercised. The case officer might exercise discretion in your favour but they also may choose not to exercise discretion. Unfortunately with discretion based applications, there is no guarantee on the outcome.

The worst outcome is you lose the application fee and are asked to re-apply when you meet the criteria. The best outcome is that you are naturalized earlier.

All right, thank you so much for the help, I think I will just have to wait