The British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2014

Statutory Instruments

2014 No. 1465

British Nationality

The British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2014

Made

5th June 2014

Laid before Parliament

10th June 2014

Coming into force

1st July 2014

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 41(1)(ba) and (1A) of the British Nationality Act 1981(1), makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the British Nationality (General) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 and come into force on 1st July 2014.

Amendments to the British Nationality (General) Regulations 2003

2.  Amend paragraph 1 of Schedule 2A (Specified English Language Tests and Qualifications) to the British Nationality (General) Regulations 2003(2) as follows.

3.  In the table, omit “Educational Testing Service” from the left hand column and the corresponding tests from the right hand column (“Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT)” and “Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)”).

Karen Bradley

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Home Office

5th June 2014

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the British Nationality (General) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”), which detail the procedures and requirements relating to applications in connection with British nationality made under the British Nationality Act 1981 (“the 1981 Act”).

Persons making an application for naturalisation as a British citizen under section 6 of the 1981 Act are required to fulfil the requirements of Schedule 1 to the 1981 Act, which includes having sufficient knowledge of the English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language. Under Regulation 5A of the 2003 Regulations, applicants can demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the English language by passing a test specified in Schedule 2A to the 2003 Regulations.

These Regulations amend the 2003 Regulations so as to remove two tests offered by Educational Testing Service (“ETS”) in Schedule 2A.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as limited impact on the private or voluntary sector is foreseen.

(1)

1981 c. 61; sub-section (1)(ba) of Section 41 was inserted by section 1(3) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41) and sub-section (1A) was inserted by section 1(4) of that Act.

(2)

S.I. 2003/548, as amended by S.I. 2003/3158, S.I. 2004/1726, S.I. 2004/2109, S.I. 2005/2114, S.I. 2005/2785, S.I. 2007/3137, S.I. 2009/3363, S.I. 2010/785, S.I. 2011/1043, S.I. 2012/1588 and S.I. 2013/2541.