CCJ's in Portugal and British Citizenship

[CarlosM]

Hello,

This is my first time asking a question on the forum, I hope that I am in the right section.

I come from Portugal and I have been in UK for over 6 years and I have a couple of questions. I am considering to become a British Citizen, I have read the Booklet on British Citizenship published by the Home Office and I believe I meet all the criteria with one possible exception. I have never had any legal problems with police, not even traffic offenses, I was in Portugal just recently and I checked my criminal record and it is clean.

But I do have unpaid credit card debts and a debt to the Portuguese Tax Office which I am trying to sort out, the last time that I used the credit cards was in 2006. The banks have taken me to court, I have something similar to CCJs in England. I had a very good job but the company was sold and I never received my money so I couldn't afford to pay back the debts.

Is this situation going to affect my application for British Citizenship? Last week I rang the UKBA section which deals with applications to British Citizenship from EEA nationals and they said that it shouldn't affect my application but the person I spoke to wasn't a 100% sure.

Thanks in advance for your help,

CarlosM

[Amber]

CCJS must be declared (3.8 & 3.9). The question will be whether you are:

a person [who] deliberately and recklessly builds up debts and there is no evidence
of a serious intention [for you] to pay them off, [then] the decision maker will normally refuse the application.

[CarlosM]

Thank you for your reply.

The unpaid credit card debts and bank loan refer to before 2006, the banks have sold the debts to debt collection companies. They have taken me to court and before the court can stop the action against me those debt collection companies must be paid. I have approached those companies to try to settle the debts but they didn't accept my offer, the amounts that they are trying to charge me are too high as they include all sort of fines and very high interest rates. In Portugal there is very little legislation concerning debt collection companies and they can get away with almost anything, it is a very difficult situation for me. But even if I could reach an agreement with them, the debt collection companies, would I have to wait a certain amount of time after the court closed my judgments?

Thank you,

CarlosM

[CarlosM]

It says that ''moved topic'', moved to another section in the forum? Where?

Thanks

[Amber]

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