jaymal1988

Hey guys.

I need help-fast (Sorry if that sounded rude, but it is important).

I'm going to school in the UK starting Sept. 17th of this year and it has come to my attention that I am eligible for citizenship through my mother (who was born in the UK in 1960 and her mother who died when she was 15). It's important to also note that I was born August 1988

1)
Is this true?

2)
If so, what form(s) do I need to fill out and

3)
What is the estimated turnaround time for the paperwork?

Any help would be greatly appreciated and thank you guys in advance

MarylandNed

You're likely a UK citizen by descent through your mother. You just need to apply for a UK passport.

jaymal1988

hmmm... ok so I'm looking for the specific forms I need to fill out..

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...port/DG_174146

This link takes me to UK boarder agency which states I have to be born before 1983.. This process is confusing as hell :S

jaymal1988

According to Direct.gov.uk I need to apply for a visa bc I am currently not living in UK.. and when I look for info on UK border agency it doesn't give information for people born after 1983

MarylandNed

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br.../bornoverseas/

If you were born outside the United Kingdom on or after 1 January 1983


This section also applies to you if you were born outside a qualifying territory on or after 21 May 2002 and had a parent who was a British citizen.

Whether or not you are a British citizen depends on the type of citizenship your parents had. This may be British citizenship by descent or otherwise than by descent.

British citizenship may descend to one generation born abroad. So if you were born outside the United Kingdom or qualifying territory and one of your parents was a British citizen otherwise than by descent, you are a British citizen by descent. If you were born before 1 July 2006 you may not qualify if your parents were not married at the time of your birth.

However, you are a British citizen otherwise than by descent if at the time of your birth one of your parents was a British citizen in Crown service, designated service, or service of a European Community institution and he/she was recruited to that service:

in the United Kingdom;
in the United Kingdom or a qualifying territory (if you were born on or after 21 May 2002); or
in the European Community (for service with a European Community institution).

If you were born outside the United Kingdom or qualifying territory and your parents were British citizens by descent, you are not a British citizen. However, you may be able to apply to register as a British citizen (see registration of a child).

Novocastrian

Ned has it right, but reading between the lines a bit, if you think that having a UK passport will reduce your tuition fees, think again.

You'd have to have been a resdent in the UK for the last three years.

If that's not why you're asking "urgently" then I apologize.

jaymal1988

no no I was aware of that.. I currently work for Apple and they have offered to transfer me to UK store while I am in school.. from what I have been told, unless I get my citizenship I will not be able to work for at least a year.. It's an amazing company and I would not want to take a year off there.. First year is paid off but only living expenses and tuition etc.. I would like to be able to work and experience life in UK while I'm there.. The urgency is because its government paperwork and you and I both know that can take a long time to process.

BTJ

UK Passport applications for those resident in Canada are made through the British Embassy in Washington DC: http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...o-apply/canada

jaymal1988

Thank you for your help guys. I really appreciate it and you were all quick to respond!

Novocastrian

Then I apologize. You can likely get your UK passport from Washington in about a month. You may need a copy of your mother's birth certificate, but I'm not sure about that.

MarylandNed

Just a clarification. You likely already are a UK citizen. What you're getting is just proof of your UK citizenship - not UK citizenship itself.

Steve_

Maybe I've got it wrong but he doesn't need to fill in any forms at all does he? All he needs is proof that his mother was British and he shows that to the UKBA upon arrival. He can travel on any passport. Not sure how the UKBA works it at the POE but by law they cannot deny entry to a British citizen. All he needs is proof that he is one.

To get the passport he needs the evidence, so either way it's the evidence, such as her birth certificate or passport combined with proof he is her son, etc. that is the relevant bit.

Obviously it would be better to have a British passport but if he wants to travel urgently I can't see that he needs to have one.

Bob

Getting on the plane might be difficult though, if he didn't have a return flight and no visa in Canadian passport, they might not let him board.

BTJ

Seems fair enough - at least if you got onto the plane you could at least purchase a far cheaper UK passport domestically. Very useful to have the British passport for entry into the rest of the EU though - although again technically a British Citizen cannot be refused entry (except in the case that they are a public safety hazard/becoming dependent on the state) I very much doubt anything other than a British passport would do.

MarylandNed

A UK passport is the only internationally recognized proof of UK citizenship. Even having his birth certificate and his mother's birth certificate isn't going to be acceptable proof for everyone of him being a UK citizen. The UK officials at the port of entry are under no legal obligation to recognize his Canadian birth certificate at all.

I could see someone considering this option if really desperate to travel. For example, he could travel on a Canadian passport and obtain a UK passport while in the UK. However, what do you say upon arrival in the UK when asked why you're there and when you're going home? What if he doesn't have a return ticket? What if they laugh when he whips out the birth certs? He said he's starting school on Sept 17th and we're only just in March - so he's got plenty of time to obtain a UK passport anyway.