The British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

4.  For regulation 6 (Oaths of allegiance), there is substituted:

“Citizenship oaths and pledges

6.— (1) Where a citizenship oath or pledge is required by section 42 of the Act(1) to be made by an applicant for registration or for a certificate of naturalisation, it shall be administered in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 3.

(2) If, on an application for registration or for a certificate of naturalisation by an applicant who is required to make a citizenship oath or pledge, the Secretary of State decides that the registration should be effected or the certificate should be granted, he shall cause notice in writing of the decision to be given to the applicant.

(3) The requirement to make a citizenship oath or pledge shall be satisfied within three months of the giving of the notice referred to in paragraph (2) or such longer time as the Secretary of State may allow.

(4) Any notice required by paragraph (2) to be given to an applicant may be given—

(a) in any case where the applicant’s whereabouts are known, by causing the notice to be delivered to him personally or by sending it to him by post;

(b) in a case where the applicant’s whereabouts are not known, by sending it by post in a letter addressed to him at his last known address.

(5) In this regulation, references to the requirement to make a citizenship oath or pledge include the requirement to make a citizenship oath and pledge at a citizenship ceremony.

Arrangements for, and conduct of, citizenship ceremonies

6A.— (1) The Secretary of State may designate or authorise a person to exercise a function (which may include a discretion) in connection with a citizenship ceremony or a citizenship oath or pledge, and the reference in paragraph (3)(b) to “designated person” shall be construed accordingly.

(2) Each local authority (within the meaning of section 41(3B) of the Act(2)) shall—

(a) make available, or make arrangements for, premises at which citizenship ceremonies may be conducted; and

(b) arrange for citizenship ceremonies to be conducted with sufficient frequency so as to enable applicants in their area who are required to make a citizenship oath and pledge at a citizenship ceremony to meet the time limit laid down by regulation 6(3).

(3) Where an applicant is required by section 42 of the Act to make a citizenship oath and pledge at a citizenship ceremony, the Secretary of State shall—

(a) issue to the applicant an invitation in writing to attend a citizenship ceremony (a “ceremony invitation”);

(b) notify the applicant of the local authority or designated person which the applicant should contact to arrange attendance at a citizenship ceremony (the “relevant authority”); and

(c) notify the relevant authority of his decision in relation to the applicant.

(4) An applicant who has arranged attendance at a citizenship ceremony shall bring with him to the ceremony his ceremony invitation; and if the applicant fails to do so, the person conducting the ceremony may refuse admittance to, or participation in, the ceremony if he is not reasonably satisfied as to the identity of the applicant.

(5) Where an applicant makes the relevant citizenship oath and pledge at a citizenship ceremony as required by section 42 of the Act—

(a) the person conducting the ceremony shall grant to the applicant a certificate of registration or naturalisation, duly dated with the date of the ceremony; and

(b) the relevant authority shall notify the Secretary of State in writing within 14 days of the date of the ceremony that the applicant has made the relevant citizenship oath and pledge at a citizenship ceremony and the date on which the ceremony took place.

(6) In this regulation, “the person conducting the ceremony” is the person who administers the citizenship oath and pledge at the citizenship ceremony in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 3.”.

(1)

Section 42 is substituted by paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41).

(2)

Section 41(3B) is inserted by paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41).