Breaking UK law — even minor offences — can seriously affect your visa, ILR, or British citizenship application.
| Sentence | Immigration impact |
|---|---|
| 12+ months prison | Automatic deportation considered. Visa revoked. |
| 4–12 months | Mandatory refusal of ILR & citizenship for 10+ years |
| Under 4 months | Possible 3–5 year bar on ILR and citizenship |
| Non-custodial sentence | Fine or community service — still affects good character |
| Police caution | Must be declared — can affect applications |
| Spent conviction | Must still be declared on ALL immigration forms |
| Offence | Visa impact |
|---|---|
| Tax evasion / HMRC fraud | ILR/citizenship refusal. HMRC shares data with Home Office. |
| Benefit fraud (NRPF breach) | Criminal prosecution, visa curtailment, removal risk. |
| Working in breach of visa | 10-year ILR bar. Must not work outside visa conditions. |
| Overstaying visa | 1–30 days: warning. 31–90 days: 1yr ban. 90+ days: up to 10yr ban. |
| Deception on application forms | 10-year ban from ILR and citizenship. |
| County Court Judgments (CCJs) | Poor financial conduct — affects citizenship good character. |
| Bankruptcy | Cannot naturalise while bankrupt. |
| Excessive UK absences | ILR: max 180 days/year. Citizenship: max 90 days final year. |
General educational information only. Always consult an IAA-regulated adviser or immigration solicitor before applying.