British citizenship via naturalisation

To whom it may concern, 

Please could you tell me how many people in Jersey have applied to become a British Citizen and gone through naturalisation and registration? Please could you give me the figures from the last ten years, starting from 2015? and breaking it up year on year? 

Please could you further split up the data by nationality? Where did people applying for naturalisation and registration originate from (i.e their place of birth / other nationality)? 

Please could you also tell me the figures for the number of people who apply for naturalisation after marrying a British Citizen compared to those who have to wait five years or more before they can apply? Please could you give me the figures from the last ten years, starting from 2015? and breaking it up year on year? 

There is a significant cost for naturalisation and registration - where does this money go, or what is it for? 

How much money is being received from those going through the process of naturalisation nd registration across the last ten years, starting from 2015? and breaking it up year on year? ​

Please see attached table. Data is based upon the date of application submission. Where numbers are fewer than five, disclosure control is applied to avoid identification of  individuals.  Article 25 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. 

Freedom of Information 762873831 - Attachment.pdf​

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Those applying in their own right are naturalised under Section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 and are eligible to apply after being granted indefinite leave to remain and having been free of immigration restrictions for a minimum period of 12 months (usually eligible after 6-years’ continuous residency). 

Those applying based on their marriage to a British citizen are naturalised under Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 and are eligible to apply after being granted indefinite leave to remain (usually eligible after 5-years continuous residency). 

Up until mid-2016 the Customs and Immigration Service did not record naturalisation and registration applications in a digital format therefore obtaining the information prior to mid-2016 is not held in a centrally recorded or reportable format.  Some of the data has been provided in a previous FOI request – see JCIS ​FOI​.  

Nationality matters in Jersey remain the remit of the Lieutenant-Governor. Fees are set by the Home Office and apply to all nationality applications submitted across the Common Travel Area (UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man), however, unlike the UK, Jersey does not currently charge a ceremony fee.  

The fees collected in Jersey are used to cover the operational costs of processing nationality applications by the Office of the Lieutenant-Governor and nationality / immigration applications by the Customs and Immigration Service. 

Income calculations have been estimated on the assumption that fee increases, when applied, were implemented from the 1st January each year. Adult registration applications in certain categories are free of charge.  

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018. 

(2) Information is absolutely exempt information if – 

(a) it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject as defined in the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018; and 

(b) its supply to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles, as defined in that Law. 

3)      In determining for the purposes of this Article whether the lawfulness principle in Article 8(1)(a) of the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 would be contravened by the disclosure of information, paragraph 5(1) of Schedule 2 to that Law (legitimate 

interests) is to be read as if sub-paragraph (b) (which disapplies the provision where the controller is a public authority) were omitted. ​​