Guidance

Good character: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on assessing the good character requirement in nationality applications.

• From: UK Visas and Immigration
• Published: 27 July 2017
• Last updated: 31 July 2023 — See all updates

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Good character requirement (accessible version)

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Good character requirement

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Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance for staff on how to assess the good character requirement in relevant nationality applications.

It applies to:

• all decisions made on or after 14 January 2019 which are as a result of a person’s association with war crimes or extremism

• all new applications for citizenship made on or after 14 January 2019

Published 27 July 2017
Last updated 31 July 2023 + show all updates

1. 31 July 2023

   Guidance updated to align criminality thresholds with those in part 9 of the Immigration Rules and to provide clarification on exceptional grants; lawful residence changes; UK and UN sanctions.

2. 20 September 2022

   Added accessible and pdf of updated versions. Aligned with provisions on lawful residence introduced into the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA) by section 9 and Schedule 1 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 (NABA), and with differentiation of refugees in section 12 of the NABA 2022. There is also a new section on travel bans and clarification that a fine imposed under the coronavirus regulations counts as a fixed penalty notice. Finally, there is clarification that pending prosecutions include where a person is under investigation but has not yet been charged with an offence.

3. 2 October 2020

   Updated Good character: nationality policy guidance document

4. 16 January 2019

   Updated date in details section.

5. 14 January 2019

   Updated guidance.

6. 24 April 2018

   Updated guidance.

7. 20 April 2018

   Updated guidance on good character requirement published.

8. 8 November 2017

   Updated document.

9. 27 July 2017

   First published.