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British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Old Dec 2nd 2011, 3:00 am
  #16  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Originally Posted by sambrit
Hi JAJ,
my bad for not stating my circumstance clearly.
I do have Right of Abode but am not too sure of the longevity of that Certificate. Is it for life or just within the validity of my Zimbabwe passport which is due to expire in 2 years time?
Can I not claim citizenship through having been born in Southern rhodesia? My birth parents are of Scottish extract but going down that route (grandparents were born in Scotland I think) would be quite time consuming.
Kind regards,
Sam
Right of Abode is valid for life as long as you remain a Commonwealth country citizen (Zimbabwe is currently treated as Commonwealth for UK nationality purposes). If you became a US citizen, for example, you'd lose your Zimbabwe citizenship and lose Right of Abode with it. Same if Zimbabwe ceased to be treated as Commonwealth for nationality purposes.

If you move to the UK with Right of Abode, you can become naturalised British in due course. Is that an option?

If your birth father was born in the United Kingdom, or a colony, and your birth parents were married, you might be able to claim British citizenship by descent. Or if you fall into one of the special exceptions to the UK nationality law for those from Southern Rhodesia, but you'd probably need a good immigration lawyer to work this through.
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Old Feb 15th 2012, 2:25 am
  #17  
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Default British citizenship, Rhodesia and Japan

Hallo,

I am a British citizen by descent, born in Bulawayo in 1967.
My wife is Japanese. Our children were born in Japan.
We have been told by consular officials that the children must be resident in the UK for 3 years in order to apply for a full British passport.
Having a British passport from birth would not entitle their decendants to British nationality or citizenship unless my children had first resided in the Uk for 3 years.
Can anyone clarify specifically the requirements and and restrictions concerning this situation.
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Old Feb 15th 2012, 3:45 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Hi JAJ and thanks for your reply.
I am 58 now so will only have to wait 2 years to apply for Naturalisation through having been here for the last (by then) 8.5 years. This will save me the cost of taking the pesky Life in Britain examination
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Old Feb 18th 2012, 10:45 am
  #19  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Re: British nationality and passport and Japan-born children.

I received an E-mail stating that sambrit had replied to my query, but I can not find it. Am I missing a plug-in or suchlike?
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Old Feb 19th 2012, 7:03 am
  #20  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

@ futhorc,
no worries about whether you have a plugin missing cause I didn't reply to your thread but only jaj's. sorry if there has been some confusion.
Sam
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Old Feb 19th 2012, 4:52 pm
  #21  
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Default Re: British citizenship, Rhodesia and Japan

Originally Posted by futhorc
Hallo,

I am a British citizen by descent, born in Bulawayo in 1967.
My wife is Japanese. Our children were born in Japan.
We have been told by consular officials that the children must be resident in the UK for 3 years in order to apply for a full British passport.
Having a British passport from birth would not entitle their decendants to British nationality or citizenship unless my children had first resided in the Uk for 3 years.
Can anyone clarify specifically the requirements and and restrictions concerning this situation.
Your question should probably be on its own thread, however,

Start here:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...ritishcitizen/

You may have at least two options:

- Section 3(2) registration which gives British citizenship by descent; or
- Section 3(5) registration which gives British citizenship otherwise than by descent.

Look at the requirement for both registrations. Are either/both an option? Are the children Japanese citizens?

Note that, a. age limit in both cases is 18, b. there is a "good character" requirement if child is aged 10 or more, and c. if you register child as British by descent then child cannot later on switch to being British otherwise by descent.
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Old Feb 19th 2012, 4:56 pm
  #22  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Originally Posted by sambrit
Hi JAJ and thanks for your reply.
I am 58 now so will only have to wait 2 years to apply for Naturalisation through having been here for the last (by then) 8.5 years. This will save me the cost of taking the pesky Life in Britain examination
You need to be age 65 for exemption from the test:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...kol/exemption/

It's a false economy. The cost of naturalisation could increase even more within 2-7 years. Secondly, you may have to renew your Right of Abode stamp as it is probably only valid until the expiry date of your passport. That will cost money Thirdly, if you're on a Zimbabwe passport you are in a very vulnerable situation if your passport is lost or expires, as there have been accounts of Zimbabwe refusing to renew passports to citizens outside the country. You may be left without photo ID which you need to take the so-called "Life in Britain" test.

On top of that, you'll probably find you can't travel anywhere on a Zimbabwe passport without a visa.

Short answer : unless you are particularly attached to remaining a Zimbabwe citizen you should normally acquire British citizenship as soon as possible. As far as I understand you would then cease to be a Zimbabwe citizen but this is not usually a problem.
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Old Mar 6th 2012, 8:28 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Hi there

I am a bear of little brain so please bear with me.

A person was born of an immigrant English mother in Southern Rhodesia in November 1964. Please can someone tell me whether this person can rightly be called British? And if so, in what senses?

Please note I have no understanding of or training in law and do not understand the first thing about the legal concepts involved (citizenship/nationality/subjecthood etc). I have tried reading the Acts of UK Parliament and became completely confused.

I need a very simple answer - if one is forthcoming.

Thanks

Jon
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Old Mar 19th 2012, 5:13 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

No answer forthcoming?

Hey ho.
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Old Mar 19th 2012, 9:07 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Originally Posted by Jon69
Hi there

I am a bear of little brain so please bear with me.

A person was born of an immigrant English mother in Southern Rhodesia in November 1964. Please can someone tell me whether this person can rightly be called British? And if so, in what senses?
Probably not automatically a British citizen but if mother was born in the United Kingdom normally eligible for:

1. Right of Abode stamp in a Zimbabwe passport:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...ight-of-abode/

OR

2. Registration as a British citizen under the UKM process:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...britishmother/
It would cause loss of Zimbabwe citizenship but perhaps this is not a problem.
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Old Mar 24th 2012, 7:29 pm
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Thanks.
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Old Mar 31st 2012, 11:49 am
  #27  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Hi all

I was born in Rhodesia in 1968. Both my parents and grandparents were born in Rhodesia and great-grandparents were born in UK. Do I qualify for ancestral visa?
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Old Jun 11th 2012, 2:13 pm
  #28  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

My Dad was born in Rhodesia in 1955. His father was born in Wales in 1922 and his mother was born in South Africa in 1919.

My Mom was born in Rhodesia in 1957. Her mother was born in Rhodesia in 1929 and her father in South Africa in 1927.

My parent were married in 1977. My father passed away in 2003, he had a British Passport with Right to Abode stamped in it.

Both my brother and I are currently in the UK with an ancestral visa (from my grandfather who was born in Wales.)

What would be the easiest/less complicated way to apply for my Mom to come live in the UK? She is alone in South Africa (all her children and grandchildren are resident in the UK)

Would the fact that she was born in Rhodesia in 1957 (it was still under British rule then) be of any help.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Old Jun 17th 2012, 3:31 am
  #29  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Originally Posted by Kels1977
My Dad was born in Rhodesia in 1955. His father was born in Wales in 1922 and his mother was born in South Africa in 1919.

My Mom was born in Rhodesia in 1957. Her mother was born in Rhodesia in 1929 and her father in South Africa in 1927.

My parent were married in 1977. My father passed away in 2003, he had a British Passport with Right to Abode stamped in it.

Both my brother and I are currently in the UK with an ancestral visa (from my grandfather who was born in Wales.)

What would be the easiest/less complicated way to apply for my Mom to come live in the UK? She is alone in South Africa (all her children and grandchildren are resident in the UK)

Would the fact that she was born in Rhodesia in 1957 (it was still under British rule then) be of any help.
Southern Rhodesia in 1957 was a separate country for British nationality purposes.

However, first thing I would look at is to see if she can claim Right of Abode as a Commonwealth woman married to a British man before 1983.

Is she still a Zimbabwe citizen, or is she South African? And if she became South African, when did she do so?
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Old Jun 17th 2012, 2:01 pm
  #30  
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Default Re: British citizenship and Southern Rhodesia

Originally Posted by JAJ
Southern Rhodesia in 1957 was a separate country for British nationality purposes.

However, first thing I would look at is to see if she can claim Right of Abode as a Commonwealth woman married to a British man before 1983.

Is she still a Zimbabwe citizen, or is she South African? And if she became South African, when did she do so?
Thank you for your response.

My mom is now a South African Citizen. She became South African in 1987.

I think because my Dad has passed away she can't claim claim Right of Abode as a Commonwealth woman married to a British man before 1983, but will have to research further on this.
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