Practical information & advice
Read our latest news posts about coming to (and staying) in the UK
Information
Here you’ll find links to various parts of this site where we have information and useful resources relating to coming to (and staying in) the UK.
Possibly as both spent and unspent convictions can be taken into account.
If you’re an EU citizen and want to stay in the UK after the country has left the EU, we have information on settled status and what you need to know if you are an EU citizen and have a criminal record.
We also have information on:
In order to continue to live and work in the UK you’ll need to apply for settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme. We have information on settled status and what you need to know if you are an EU citizen and have a criminal record.
A criminal record on its own is not the only thing that can stop somebody being permitted to the UK but it will be taken into account. We have information on EU nationals coming to and staying in the UK.
If you’ve received a prison sentence of 12 months or more or have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment for a “serious crime” you may be subject to deportation. We have more information on deportation due to a criminal record.
Advice
Here you’ll find some of the common advice we give on coming to (and staying in) the UK. This is based on what we’ve learnt as a charity, as well as the real-life experiences of people with convictions.
- If you need to apply for settled status, don’t let your criminal record put your off from applying.
- If you’re applying for citizenship or right to remain, you will need to disclose all of your convictions, including those that are spent.
Frequently asked questions
Here you’ll find some specific questions that we regularly get about coming to (and staying in) the UK. More detailed FAQ’s may be included in the information pages above.
If you fail to disclose, then this could be seen as an attempt to deceive the UK Visa and Immigration Department.
The process of applying for citizenship is slightly different to applying for leave to remain. We have information on both processes.
Useful links
Here you’ll find links to useful organisations and websites related to coming to (and staying in) the UK that we refer to in our information and advice. Contact details for the organisations listed below can be found here.
- Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID)
- Migrants Resource Centre
- Movement for Justice
- Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens (PRCBC)
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Key sections include the threads in the forum on traveling to (and staying in) the UK.