markii.b

Hi guys - first time post!!

I was born in the UK in 1984 and have lived in Australia since 1988. Neither of my parents were born in the UK, but had permanent residency at the time of my birth.

I am looking at renewing my British passport to travel/work next year (I'm an Australian trained Physiotherapist), and as my passport is the really old blue-black ones, I was told that I had to apply for a passport as if it were my first time... So! Along with original birth certificates etc, they require: "father's/mother's original naturalisation/registration certificate or evidence of your mother/father's settled status."

As my parents don't have their original registration certificates, I'm wondering how else I can prove their status' in the country for that time.

Any ideas??

The alternative is to travel to the UK next year on my Australian passport on a working holiday VISA, and then renewing my UK passport when I'm in the country. I figure that obtaining the necessary documents pay prove easier to do while IN the country than on the other side of the globe.

Thoughts? Suggestions? I'm a bit stuck here.....

JAJ

Did your parents subsequently become British citizens? There should be a Home Office file somewhere with all their immigration details. And even though your old British passport is long expired it still should be useful for proving your status - don't lose it. You probably have an old passport file with the UK Passport Office.

The best thing to do is probably to use form NS to apply to the Home Office for a certificate proving your British citizenship. This can then be used to apply for a British passport.

Form and guide NS are here:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...utcitizenship/

If outside the UK you are supposed to apply via the British High Commission and they will forward it to the Home Office. As it is highly unlikely that anyone at the British High Commission will know about this process, you probably should contact the Home Office directly and ask for a contact in Canberra with whom you can discuss how the application process will work.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...nship/contact/

Alternatively, contact the Foreign Office on +44 20 70081500 (ask for the Nationality and Consular Division).


A different option is to apply for a Right of Abode stamp in your Australian passport - unlike a passport application, this cannot be refused on a whim and there is a formal right of appeal.

markii.b

Thanks for the reply JAJ, and Happy New Year (we can still keep saying that for at least the first week of January, I figure).

My parents did not subsequently become British citizens, they moved to Australia and became Aussies. That shouldn't affect my citizenship though, correct?

I still have my old birth certificate with me.

Thanks for the advise so far. I should probably contact the Home Office and ask them some of these questions - and which offices I need to apply to to get the required documentation

Cheers!

JAJ

It won't affect your citizenship. Just makes it harder to prove as your parents don't have any naturalisation file in the archives, only an immigration file.

Do your parents have any of their old UK immigration documents?

In theory you should start at the British High Commission in Canberra but in practice that won't work because a. they make you call a premium rate phone line, and b. they probably will not know anything about the Home Office Nationality Status certificates. I would start with the Home Office but you will probably need to be insistent on speaking to a manager if the person answering the phone doesn't know about the form NS procedure.