AgentGhost

Hello, I searched online and on these fourms and I cant seem to find anything close to my situation which could give me a definate answer or point me in the right direction, so I came here.

My grandmother was born in the UK, married my grandfather who is a American Citizen and in the USAF, which yields my father to have dual citizenship as an American Citizen and UK.

I am an American citizen, however I have British ties due to my father and grandmother. My father was moving around the US due to my grandfather being in the military so I cant say he ever actually lived in england, however he does have dual citizenship.

Is there any way in which I could or would be able to apply for dual citizenship like my father? Is there any types of requirements that need to be met? I am currently 23, born in 1990 if that helps any. If you got ideas please point me in the right direction, thank you!

englishguygoinghome

Off the top of my head and assuming your father is British by desent based on being born outside the UK to a British parent- you would need to be either:
a) Stateless (not the case)
b) born in the UK
c) or you Father would have had to live in the UK for 3 years
Otherwsie you can look at getting an ancestry visa and applying for naturalisation after 5 years - that would give you British citizenship which you could also pass on to your children in future

brioche

In any case, applications for Section 3(2) registration are only accepted for children under 18.

Ancestry visas are only available to Commonwealth citizens.

If the OP has a grandparent born in Ireland or Northern Ireland then that would allow them to be registered as an Irish citizen.

AgentGhost

Right I was looking into british by decent of my father was born OUTSIDE of the UK and therefore I do not qualify.

However he was born in England on English soil. Does that change anything?

englishguygoinghome

Ah yes, as are section 3(5) where the child is in the UK.

Ouch - does that mean that there isn't even a visa available for people who's parents are citizens by descent? That's disgraceful and makes me even more releaved that we are in the UK at the moment so our grandkids at least get to register as citizens wherever they happen to be born.

brioche

I'm confused now. Was your father born in the UK? If so then you are already a British citizen by descent; otherwise you are not, and have no options for applying for citizenship by registration.

englishguygoinghome

Yes, it would change everything if your father were born in the UK to a British parent. There are all kinds of specifics depending on exactly when he was born, where and whether your grandparents were married at the time. But in general if his parents were married and he was bron in the UK to a British parent then he is British other than by descent and you are therefore British by descent, no registration needed.

So where was your father born, when and what were the nationailties and marital status of his parents?

AgentGhost

I don't know where exactly but it was on English soil. My father is around 55 and I am not sure if my grandparents were married upon bearing my father I have a strong reason to believe they were. My grandparents are 75-80ish if that helps at all. My grandfather is American, whiley grandmother is British I think she's from Chester

AgentGhost

If I have my father dig up his British citizenship document what do I look for? If it says citizen by birth or decent? Would it say that on the certificate?

AgentGhost

In the event I am all clear. Who do I contact/get a hold of to get paperwork documenting my (possible) citizenship? Where do I apply for a passport?

brioche

Since your father was born in the UK before 1983 then he's a British citizen by birth, regardless of the status of his parents, and you are a British citizen by descent.

To apply for a British passport, start here: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Any certificates needed can be obtained from the General Register Office.

englishguygoinghome

He probably won't have a citizenship document, just a birth certificate (which you can also order via the link brioche gave, you need the long version of this for him). Passports etc never say "by descent" or "otherwise than by descent" so that's why you keep getting asked for birth certificates

scot47

If he was born on a USAF base in the UK is that still deemed to be British soil ? Not so sure.

englishguygoinghome

A question for JAJ ...

JAJ

Yes.