Brit passport for recently married Kiwi?
May 10th 2003, 7:42 pm
#1
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Location: Sussex, formerly Christchurch
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Brit passport for recently married Kiwi?
A Kiwi friend of mine has recently married an Irish woman. He wants to know if it entitles him to a Brit passport or citizenship at some point in the future. Any ideas?
May 10th 2003, 9:21 pm
#2
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Location: New Zealand
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I've done quite a bit of research into this because we planned to go home a couple of years ago but didn't in the end. My hubby is a kiwi and we've been married 11 years. This was the situation 2 years ago. When we plan to go we have to apply for something (can't remember the name of it) which entitles him to travel there, live there and work there, but it is only a visa. After a year I think, could have been two, he can then apply for residency (or their equivalent). But you can't do that from outside of Britain, you have to travel there on the visa first and then they start assessing you once you live there. It is quite a drawn out process I think, not like the one off application for NZ residency. Also, you can't apply for anything at all until you have dates. If you get the visa and don't go within 6 months then it becomes void. All a bit annoying (and costly), but once the ball is rolling I would imagine it is quite straightforward if you are married. I hope so anyway. Hope that helps. I'll know more soon as I will be enquiring again.
May 11th 2003, 12:04 am
#3
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Originally posted by DaisyNZ
I've done quite a bit of research into this because we planned to go home a couple of years ago but didn't in the end. My hubby is a kiwi and we've been married 11 years. This was the situation 2 years ago. When we plan to go we have to apply for something (can't remember the name of it) which entitles him to travel there, live there and work there, but it is only a visa. After a year I think, could have been two, he can then apply for residency (or their equivalent). But you can't do that from outside of Britain, you have to travel there on the visa first and then they start assessing you once you live there. It is quite a drawn out process I think, not like the one off application for NZ residency. Also, you can't apply for anything at all until you have dates. If you get the visa and don't go within 6 months then it becomes void. All a bit annoying (and costly), but once the ball is rolling I would imagine it is quite straightforward if you are married. I hope so anyway. Hope that helps. I'll know more soon as I will be enquiring again.
I've done quite a bit of research into this because we planned to go home a couple of years ago but didn't in the end. My hubby is a kiwi and we've been married 11 years. This was the situation 2 years ago. When we plan to go we have to apply for something (can't remember the name of it) which entitles him to travel there, live there and work there, but it is only a visa. After a year I think, could have been two, he can then apply for residency (or their equivalent). But you can't do that from outside of Britain, you have to travel there on the visa first and then they start assessing you once you live there. It is quite a drawn out process I think, not like the one off application for NZ residency. Also, you can't apply for anything at all until you have dates. If you get the visa and don't go within 6 months then it becomes void. All a bit annoying (and costly), but once the ball is rolling I would imagine it is quite straightforward if you are married. I hope so anyway. Hope that helps. I'll know more soon as I will be enquiring again.
May 13th 2003, 5:01 pm
#4
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Joined: Feb 2003
Location: London
Posts: 681
Citizenship (and a British passport) can be applied for after 3 years of living in the UK, if you are married to a Brit. That's now 2 years of 'Further Leave to Remain'--(FLR)-- can work but cannot claim benefits--(not counting NHS) plus 1 year of 'Indefinite Leave to Remain' (ILR). Sort of equivelant to US Perm Residency.
May 14th 2003, 7:22 am
#5
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 297
Re: Brit passport for recently married Kiwi?
Originally posted by muppetking
A Kiwi friend of mine has recently married an Irish woman. He wants to know if it entitles him to a Brit passport or citizenship at some point in the future. Any ideas?
A Kiwi friend of mine has recently married an Irish woman. He wants to know if it entitles him to a Brit passport or citizenship at some point in the future. Any ideas?
In that case, they would need to apply for an EU family visa so that he could join her in living in the UK. They would both need to actually live in the UK to be eligible for anything. After 4 years on that visa, he would be entitled to apply for ILR (permanent residency). Then after a year on that (so a total of 5 years) he would be eligible to naturalise as a British citizen. But, all of that time needs to be spent living in the UK in order to be eligible for any UK permanent residency or citizenship.
The spouse visa being discussed by others above is for those married to a UK citizen, not an EU citizen.
