Citizenship Refused on Good Character for Illegal Entry: Can You Request a Reconsideration?
If your British citizenship application was refused on good character grounds because of a past illegal entry, you can request a reconsideration using Form NR — but it is not an appeal, and your realistic chances are low unless you can show the Home Office made a legal, policy or procedural error. There is no full right of appeal against a citizenship refusal, so reconsideration (or judicial review) is usually the only route.
This guide explains the fee, the process, the timescales and what "reconsideration" can and cannot do. It is general information, not legal advice — a good-character refusal tied to illegal entry is one of the hardest decisions to challenge, so get advice from a regulated OISC adviser or immigration solicitor on your specific case.
- A refused citizenship application has no full right of appeal — only reconsideration or judicial review.
- Reconsideration is requested on Form NR and currently costs £513 (since 8 April 2026).
- Reconsideration only succeeds if the decision was not soundly based on law, policy or procedure — it is not a fresh look at your eligibility.
- Since 10 February 2025, prior illegal entry will normally lead to refusal regardless of how much time has passed.
Why illegal entry leads to a good character refusal
Every naturalisation applicant must meet the good character requirement. On 10 February 2025 the Home Office changed its good character guidance: any person applying from that date who previously entered the UK illegally "will normally be refused, regardless of the time that has passed since the illegal entry took place."
This is much stricter than the old policy, which generally only looked back ten years. The word "normally" leaves a narrow door open — but ministers have said discretion is reserved for "exceptional, compelling and mitigating" circumstances. In practice, a refusal on this basis is difficult to overturn.
What reconsideration (Form NR) actually does
Reconsideration is not an appeal and not a second eligibility assessment. The reviewing officer only checks whether the original decision was correctly made under the law, the published policy and proper procedure.
Form NR is for people who believe their citizenship refusal "was not soundly based on law, policy or procedure." That means a reconsideration is most likely to help if, for example, the caseworker:
- applied the wrong version of the guidance or the wrong test,
- ignored or misread evidence you submitted, or
- failed to consider discretion where the facts arguably called for it.
Simply disagreeing with the outcome, or asking them to look again with no new argument, is unlikely to change anything. If your refusal correctly applied the post-10 February 2025 illegal-entry rule, reconsideration will usually only succeed if you can point to genuine exceptional or compelling mitigating circumstances the Home Office should have weighed.
The fee, the form and where it goes
The reconsideration fee is £513 (it rose from £482 on 8 April 2026). The fee is refundable (less the citizenship ceremony fee, where relevant) if the decision is reversed and your application is then approved.
You complete Form NR and send it, with the fee and supporting documents, to Department 73, UK Visas and Immigration, The Capital, New Hall Place, Liverpool L3 9PP. Always include a copy of the original refusal letter so the reviewer can see exactly what you are challenging.
Timescales and the time limit
There is no fixed statutory deadline to submit Form NR, but you should act promptly — both because evidence is fresher and because delay can affect a later judicial review. In practice many reconsiderations take roughly 2 to 6 months, though this varies and there is no guaranteed timeframe.
If reconsideration is refused
If reconsideration fails, the remaining remedy is usually judicial review in the High Court — a legal challenge to how the decision was made, not its merits. JR is technical, has strict time limits and costs risk, so legal representation is strongly advised.
There are live legal challenges to the 10 February 2025 good character policy itself, so the position may evolve. That is another reason to take specialist advice before spending money on a reconsideration with limited prospects.
Realistic chances — be honest with yourself
Where a refusal correctly applies the illegal-entry rule and you have no exceptional mitigation, the realistic chance of a successful reconsideration is low. Where the caseworker clearly erred — misread your immigration history, applied the old or wrong test, or ignored compelling evidence — your prospects improve. A regulated adviser can read your refusal letter and tell you which category you fall into before you pay the fee.
While a citizenship setback can be stressful, the Life in the UK test itself is fully in your control — you can keep that requirement ready with free Life in the UK practice. For the bigger picture on documents and timing, see what documents do you need to apply for British citizenship and our British citizenship timeline. If a criminal record or past overstay is also in play, read can you get British citizenship if you have a criminal record or previous overstay.