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August 4, 2009
Tough new points system for earning citizenship
Plans requiring would-be-citizens to earn enough points to stay permanently in the United Kingdom were revealed by the Government today.
The new points based test for citizenship – an extension of the already successful Australian-style points based system – will award migrants pointsfor building up different attributes and skills. Proposals being launched in the new consultation would see people rewarded for economic contributions, skills and English language proficiency above the level already expected. Points could be removed and citizenship withheld or delayed for those breaking the law or committing anti-social behaviour.
This system builds on the changes to earned citizenship introduced by the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, which passed through Parliament last month. A points based test for citizenship will give the Government more control over the numbers of people permitted to settle here permanently, allowing the bar for settlement to be raised or lowered depending on the needs of the country and the economy.
One of the key principles of the earned citizenship system is building community cohesion, through encouraging community involvement through 'active citizenship'.
Migrants already contribute to communities throughout the United Kingdom and the
Government wants to support integration by encouraging more of these activities. That is why a migrant's journey to citizenship will be sped up if they conduct voluntary or civic work. As part of this new 12 week consultation, the Government will work closely with local authorities to ensure any voluntary or community work being undertaken by applicants is checked and verified.
Under the current system those wanting citizenship have to pass a Life in the UK test to demonstrate both their knowledge of the country and their ability to speak English. The Government is proposing tightening this even further with a new two-stage system. This will focus on practical information about life in the United Kingdom at probationary citizenship stage, and then a further test at the final stage with more challenging topics including history and politics.