P

1. Parent

   A parent is the biological mother of a child, the biological father if he was married to the mother when the child was born or if he can prove paternity, or the adoptive mother or father of a child who has been legally adopted.

2. Parental responsibility

   An adult who has responsibility for a child in a parental role, even if he/she is not one of the child's biological parents

3. Paternity

   Evidence that a man is the biological father of a child.

4. Payment handling service

   A company that collects and processes application fees for us.

5. PLAB

   Medical doctors who qualify overseas and wish to register to practice medicine in the United Kingdom must first pass the test of the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) to demonstrate their knowledge of English and their medical expertise.

6. Pledge

   A pledge is made by those taking British citizenship. It promises loyalty to the United Kingdom, respect for its rights and freedoms, to uphold its democratic values, observe its laws faithfully and to fulfil the duties and obligations of a British citizen.

7. Points-based assessment

   The method for deciding whether you qualify to come to work, train or study in the United Kingdom under our points-based system. To qualify, you must earn a certain number of points in various categories.

8. Points-based system

   Our immigration system for managing applications by people who wish to come to the United Kingdom to work, train or study.

9. Previous earnings

   This is a category for which you may score points under the points-based system for coming to the United Kingdom to work, train or study. It means the amount of money you have earned in 12 consecutive months during the 15 months immediately before you make your application.

10. Protected state

    Protectorates and protected states were foreign territories to which British protection was extended in some form. For more information on protected states, see What were protectorates, protected states, mandated territories and trust territories?

11. Public funds

    Public funds are income-related benefits paid by the state. They include income support, income-based job seekers allowance, housing and homelessness assistance, housing and council tax benefit, working families' tax credit, a social fund payment, child benefit and any disability allowance. Benefits paid as a result of contributions, such as the state pension, are not considered to be public funds. Social housing is not considered to be a public fund either. Claiming public funds when you are not eligible is known as benefit fraud and it is a criminal offence.

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