laurenmaje

hey everyone, i am going round and round in circles and getting v confused about whether or not we can apply for citizenship/passport for our son born in Australia a couple of months ago... can any help?
My paternal grandmother was British so i spent 6 years in the uk, got my citizenship & passport and a few years later moved to oz. my husband got his british passport through his father who was born in a british army base in india to british parents. So... we both hold british citizenship = does that mean our son can get it too? Any help would be great. thank you!!

kiwi_child

Suggest you check out this site. It should be of help.

http://ukinaustralia.fco.gov.uk/en/

john5655

all the definitions are here

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

your descriptions of your backgrounds are insufficient for me to apply the rules, perhaps you can do this and work things out

how it works is something like my circumstances

I was born in UK to British parents so I am clearly british otherwise than by descent

my two kids were born in Hong Kong whilst I was deemed to be in Crown service, I had this registered with the appropriate authority and they have a document stating that they are the same as me, i.e. the same as having been born in UK

however, if their children are born outside of the UK, those children would be British by Descent and so those children could not have children born outside of the UK and have them regarded as British Citizens

It would seem that you are both British citizens by descent, but I am not sure as you do not state where you were both born

if this is the case you need to read this

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

hope that helps

JAJ

If you are naturalised British (look at your citizenship papers) then you are British otherwise than by descent and your child is British by descent.

Are you originally from Australia or somewhere else?

laurenmaje

thanks for your reply. i've checked my papers and i have a certificate of naturalisation as a british citizen... so i think that means i am not a citizen by decent even though i originally got my work visa for the uk through my grandmother connection.
i am originally from zimbabwe but hope that having this naturalisation ertificate is enough to enable us to get the bub his own british citizenship??

JAJ

Correct ... as you're naturalised you are British otherwise by descent. Doesn't matter that you got your visa through a grandparent.

When were you naturalised? Apparently, the Home Office have lost records of those naturalised between 1969 and 1986, so you might have a problem proving your status if you lost your certificate.

laurenmaje

fab, thank you so much for that. i am still finding the forms heaps confusing... they are not straight forward, are they! i was naturalised in 2005 so hopefully they will still have my documents.
i have been looking at this guide - http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/si.../guide_mn1.pdf
but it's not very clear what section of the act we would like the application considered based on my naturalisation. does anyone have any idea as iti not covered by the list on page 4.
thanks, lauren

JAJ

You don't need to complete an MN1 as your child is already British, it seems. Apply for a British passport to prove it.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Britis...en_Born_Abroad

What's your status in Australia? Is the child also an Australian citizen?

laurenmaje

got it... that's why i was getting soconfused as thought we still had to register his birth/apply for citizenship but it looks like i just have tofill out a passport app for him. . thank you so much for the replies... what a silly complicated process - or maybe i am jst too exhausted after all the sleepless nights!!