Foreigners might have to wait longer to become British citizens

Foreigners might have to wait longer to become British citizens under plans to make the UK seem less of a 'soft touch' on immigration.

Home Office officials are currently considering bringing the UK closer into line with other countries by extending the criterion of 'continuous residence' from five years to eight years before they grant an indefinite leave to remain – the first step towards citizenship.

Other changes being considered include requiring applicants to have worked or been at school in the UK for two years; a strict threshold for criminality – such as demanding that an applicant must have been conviction-free for at least ten years; and removing the exemption for the over-65s from knowledge tests about British life.

This all comes after the British prime minister Rishi Sunak has announced last week the toughening up of immigration policies one of his key priorities. 

More details on such news to follow in due course.