Immigration Act 2014

10 Provision of biometric information with citizenship applications

(1) Section 41 of the British Nationality Act 1981 (regulations for giving effect to the Act) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (1), after paragraph (b) insert—

“(bza) requiring an application for registration or naturalisation of a person as a British citizen to be accompanied by biometric information, or enabling an authorised person to require an individual to whom such an application relates to provide biometric information;”.

(3) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1ZA) In subsection (1)(bza) “authorised person” and “biometric information” have the same meaning as in section 126 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

(1ZB) Section 126(4) to (7) of that Act applies to regulations under subsection (1)(bza) as it applies to regulations under section 126(1) of that Act.

(1ZC) Section 8 of the UK Borders Act 2007 (power to make regulations about use and retention of biometric information) applies to biometric information provided in accordance with regulations under subsection (1)(bza) as it applies to biometric information provided in accordance with regulations under section 5(1) of that Act.

(1ZD) But (despite section 8(5)(b) of that Act) regulations made by virtue of subsection (1ZC) may provide for photographs of a person who is registered or naturalised as a British citizen to be retained until the person is issued with a United Kingdom passport describing the person as a British citizen.”

(4) In subsection (8)(b) for “(1)(bc)” substitute “(1)(bza), (bc)”.