Donkey81

We have just had baby girl here in the US. Both my husband and I are UK citizens. I was born in the UK and he was born in the US but got his citizenship to the UK through me. Our daughter automatically has UK citizenship through me.

We are planning on moving back to the UK ASAP as my husband has been offered a job (due to start in Jan but they are flexible).

We are currently stuck in passport application hell..can't apply for US passport as we're waiting for US social security, can't apply for UK passport as we need a copy of US passport to include in UK passport application.

Ideally we were hoping to be back before Christmas however that is looking like a pipe dream now, which is less that ideal for us but we will cope.

My question is, is it worth getting the US passport now and then moving anyway, knowing that we can get her UK passport when we arrive in the UK? Which appears to be a far simpler and quicker process. Are there any issues with doing this? Will we get in trouble with the border agent as we're relocating back to the UK but out daughter will enter on a US passport as a visitor. And what about access to NHS services? She is a British Citizen from Birth through me. But would we have to wait to get her passport when we're in the UK to prove that? What if we needed to take her to hospital before we got her UK passport - or does that not even matter?

What would be the best course of action for us to take? Just wait out the time it takes to get the US passport and then the UK passport, knowing that that will likely take us into the New Year...

I am going to call the UK passport advice line tomorrow and the British Embassy in Washington, but from past experience it's very hard to find someone who can give you a definite answer on these matters!

SanDiegogirl

I was born in the UK and he was born in the US but got his citizenship to the UK through me



How did this happen? Marriage alone does not make one eligible for citizenship.

Donkey81

My husband got his UK Citizenship when we lived in the UK after we got married. He lived in the UK from 2005 to 2011 before we moved to the US.

SanDiegogirl

Right, so he obtained it through residency. Thanks.

SanDiegogirl

If worse comes to worst, you can obtain her US passport, enter the UK on that (probably with some questioning by officials) and apply for her UK passport as soon as you return.

Without the UK passport, yes, you are likely to get questioning regarding the NHS, so plan on applying immediately you return.

Carry your birth certificate as proof of being born in UK.

scot47

Good that the citizenship query was clarified. So many people beleive - wrongly - that marriage alone can confer citizenship !

BritInParis

Your daughter doesn't need a US passport to apply for a British passport. Apply next week and you'll likely have it back by mid-November.

Vixyvj

I agree. I'm British and my partner is Portuguese we live in Bermuda. When our son was born we registered him as British and Portuguese. We applied for a British passport and it was quite easy really (need both mine and Daddy's birth certificates though).

Donkey81

Thank you everyone who has responded, I can't tell you how helpful your responses are. Apologies for not clarifying that my husband got his UK Citizenship when we were living in the UK after we got married based on residency.

On the passport declaration form it states: 'For dual nationals a full colour copy of any uncancelled non-British or British Overseas Territories Citizen passport relating to you'. I interpreted this as we would need to provide a US Passport copy since she is a dual national, even though we have not even got her one yet, but it seems that you don't think we would need to? I just don't want to send off her application and then get a jobsworth at the UK Passport office who kicks back our application because of this, extending our wait time even longer.

I have heard from a friend who has a family member who works in UK Immigration who has said that there is a lull in passport applications this time of year (post Summer) so I would likely get it back well before Christmas if the above were the case, which is beyond good news to me right now. Just wanted to share that information in case anyone is in a similar situation.

Pulaski

It is a legal requirement that US citizens enter and leave the US using their US passport. At the moment there is very little exit process, other than passenger manifests reported by the airlines, but technically she should have a US passport when she leaves the US, though I think it highly unlikely that anyone will notice or cause you a problem at the airport.

Donkey81

Yes thank you, that's definitely true about leaving the US on a US Passport. We are starting the US Passport application as soon as her SS arrives, and I can get it expedited in 2-3 weeks, so we should be good to go there. The issue I had is that from now we would have to wait a another week for SS, then 2-3 weeks for US Passport, then 3-4 weeks for UK Passports which puts us right at Christmas! And therefore not enough time to organise movers and cat relocation, flights etc etc. Best case scenario for us would be we have the UK Passport in hand mid-November, allowing us a month to plan to leave. Then US would turn up some time before our leave date and we'd be good to go.

I appreciate your comment - thank you for responding!

holly_1948

Right.
When applying for a passport the applicant submits a copy of their foreign passport. But only if he or she actually has a foreign passport. If you don't have a foreign passport you need to say so in writing. If you don't have one such as because the application for it is in the pipeline then you don't have to submit something that you don't have. So indeed it is OK to apply for both passports at the same time, it is not necessary to wait to one to be issued before applying for the other.
My son faced that situation (his US passport had long since expired when he applied for his UK passport). He applied for both passports (US and UK) at the same time.

Donkey81

Wonderful news, thank you for your comment. I will ensure that I write on the covering letter that she does have any other foreign passports.

BritInParis

You need to submit a copy of any foreign passport belonging to the applicant. Your daughter doesn't possess one ergo this doesn't apply to her. No need for a covering note.

Pulaski

When I renewed my British passport last year I just plain forgot to send a copy of my US passport.

It didn't seem to cause a problem and I wasn't asked for it or about it. I received my new British passport back the week after I sent in my application.