mrnutkin

Hi all, my ex wife is a Brit. We got divorced many years ago and I have 3 sons who are all British citizens. I have a work permit to work in the UK. Can I apply for UK citizenship thru my sons who are over 18 years of age? BTW I am from Botswana.

banjo

Hi there,

I am no expert...but going on what you have said and on my own personal experience, I think you wouldn't be entitled to citizenship. The fact that your sons are entitled to live there doesn't really mean anything for you. My husband and sons are also British and I am in the same boat. You would have to fulfill a residency requirement to be able to apply.

When you say you have a work permit....what exactly do you mean? The reason I ask is that you need to spend 5 years (if not married to a British citizen) in the UK once you have indefinite leave to enter / remain before you can apply. Your best bet is to look at the Home Office website and/or get in contact with your local British High Commission....although don't take what they say as gospel.

Godo luck

seacreature

No,
You have to apply for permenent residence first.
I believe you need to be a permenent resident of the UK for 2 years before you can apply for citizenship.

To get PR status usually you need to be married to a British citizen.

Elvira

It's also possible to get employment-based permanent residence, though I'm not familiar with the criteria.

As Banjo said, check the Home Office website.

JAJ

- if *not* married to a British citizen
5 years *legal* residence including permanent residence for at least 1 year

- if married to a British citizen
3 years legal residence with permanent residence held on date of application.

There are numerous other ways.



Jeremy

amancharan

Do you know that if my wife's father is a British Citizen living in Canada, can my wife, who was born in Canada and is a canadian citizen, apply for british citizenship?

banjo

Was your wife's father born in the UK?
Were her parents married at the time of her birth?
How old is your wife?

All these factors could influence the outcome as now citizenship derives from the mother - but it wasn't always so. Also....I am not British, but my husband is, so my youngest son is still entitled to citizenship although he was born here in Australia. If we weren't married I think it wouldn't be so straight forward.

Jeremy (JAJ) is THE BEST source of info if you can pin him down on this one.

amancharan

My wife is 22 and my father-in-law wasnt born in the UK, though her father and mother wer married at the time of her birth....
JAJ, can you answer this

JAJ

How and when did your father-in-law get his British citizenship, in that case? Was he registered or naturalised as British, or did he get it based on his own parent's citizenship?


Jeremy

amancharan

He came to the UK as an immigrant worker back in 1960s..
Is it possible??

JAJ

Did he obtain British citizenship (citizenship of the UK & Colonies, as it was called at the time)?



Jeremy

amancharan

Yes

JAJ

If her father naturalised as a citizen of the UK and Colonies in the UK at the time then she may well be a British citizen if:

- she was born after he naturalised; and
- her parents were married when she was born

If this is the case, the only way to know for sure is to apply for a British passport.

If she is British, she may also be able to register her birth if you were born outside the 'Old Commonwealth' countries and get a British birth certificate.

Contact the nearest British diplomatic mission.

If she is British she'll likely be British 'by descent' and hence her own overseas born children will not automatically inherit her nationality.

If she's Indian then obtaining a British passport may well cause loss of Indian citizenship but this may not be important.

Jeremy

amancharan

My wife is a born Canadian citizen!!

JAJ

If she was born in Canada then she will have no problems (as far as Canada is concerned) claiming British citizenship based on her father, if she's eligible.

Was her father also born in Canada? If so, he may have lost his Canadian citizenship when he became British (assuming it was before 1977).


Jeremy