Mariss87

I really need advice.

I hold a British passport which was passed to me from my mother who was born in uk. I was initially in her passport. However I was born in Sierra Leone in 1987.
I grew up in London, moved to Sierra Leone, married there had a child, moved to Lebanon and had a second child.
They are now 6 & 4 and we reside in Beirut,lebanon.
Last year they were refused a visa to uk. I want to move back to uk but I'm unsure of my rights and what visas etc they require. They have never met my family and I was devastated when they were refused 6 month visa. Please advise as I hope to move back this summer. Thanks

Mariss87

It's been 10 years since I left uk and have been following my non-uk husband around the world with his work(currently in beirut.he travels 3 months and is only home 10 days and off again). I now have 2 young kids who have no British passport or visa but I deperately want to move back to be near my family. Where do I even start?
I am a teacher here and my husband an Ngo so good salaries and can support family whilst there. But confused as how to get started. Please advise

mikelincs

Welcome to BE.

If you have any problems regarding the site please contact one of the moderators listed at the bottom right of the forum page, and it might well be to your advantage to have a quick read of the rules to ensure that you do not, inadvertently, have any problems.

A lot will depend on to British Citizenship, if you were born in the UK than it is likely that you are a British Citizen other than by descent, which would make your children also British Citizens and just needing to get British Passports, however for your husband to move to the UK YOU would need to sponsor him for a spouse visa, details of which are here.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/citiz...mation-830478/

Unfortunately there is no allowance for someone to help with the sponsorship, and your husband's earnings cannot be taken into account for the initial visa.

BritInParis

A few questions before we get started: I take it your children were born in Sierra Leone and Lebanon, which passports do they hold currently? Which passport(s) does your husband hold and which NGO does he work for? Do you also work for the NGO?

Mariss87

Thank you for your reply. I am British by descent but did live there for over 13 years.my husband will not be moving with me and will apply for a multiple entry visa until we are more settled.
So it's more a question of my children.
Should I register them from here? Or can I do it from there?
I plan to be there in june.

Mariss87

Husband works for a US funded NGO and gets moved around alot(Lebanese passport). I work at an international school. First child born in Beirut 2nd in Sierra Leone and I was very naive about paperwork and passports. They both currently have Lebanese passports. Am I right in thinking that I can register them as citizens?
I lived in London aged 2-16 and 19-20.
Thanks and hopeful to go home

mikelincs

From her other thread here..

http://britishexpats.com/forum/movin...mesick-890782/

It's been 10 years since I left uk and have been following my non-uk husband around the world with his work(currently in beirut.he travels 3 months and is only home 10 days and off again). I now have 2 young kids who have no British passport or visa but I deperately want to move back to be near my family. Where do I even start?
I am a teacher here and my husband an Ngo so good salaries and can support family whilst there. But confused as how to get started. Please advise

BritInParis

You have two main options.

One, register your children as British citizens based on your previous residence in the UK under Section 3(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 using Form MN1. This will give your children British citizenship by descent meaning that cannot pass it on to any children born outside the UK regardless of the length of time they may have previously spent in the UK. The fee is currently £936 per child.

Two, apply for settlement visas for your children and move together to the UK. After three years' residence in the UK together you can then register your children under Section 3(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981 using Form MN1. This will give your children British citizenship otherwise than by descent meaning that can pass it on to any children born outside the UK. The fee is currently US$1518 per child plus the registration fee to become a British citizen in three years' time (currently £936 but likely to rise).

Mariss87

Thank you so much, I really appreciate your reply.

Do you know what kind of time frame the registration route would take and can I apply from beirut? Also can they travel immediately once they they are have it.

HKG3

After your children are registered as British Citizen, they will need to apply for a British passport. The registration and passport application are two different processes.

Mariss87

Thanks again, this is all going to take a long time and be very expensive but entirely my fault for not registering them at birth.
My mother is getting remarried in the summer and the plan was to go in June and stay.
My understanding is that they cannot apply from UK on a visitors visa right? I cannot miss the wedding and knowing the length of procedure it's likely that even of I apply tomorrow it will be cutting it close.
I just didn't imagine it would be so difficult.

BritInParis

Processing times will vary quite widely. You also need to factor in the time it will take to acquire a British passport for each child bearing in mind that both Lebanon and Sierra Leone are considered high risk countries for first time passport applicants. HMPO advises at least 12 weeks but it could take considerably longer.

In theory your children can go to the UK as visitors and apply from there but given that they have already been refused visitor visas and it's your stated intention to stay then they are unlikely to be considered genuine visitors and are therefore very likely to have their applications refused again.

If time is of the essence then settlement visas would be a quicker way to go. It will also give your children the benefit of British citizenship otherwise than by descent in three years' time as outlined in Post #5. You can apply for these up to three months ahead of your planned arrival date so you could lodge in March for a June arrival.

HKG3

If the children apply for settlement visas, does the father (the non EEA national) also need to apply for an UK spouse visa at the same time?

mikelincs

As you are British by descent, then your children will NOT be British Citizens as you are unable to pass that on. BiP may well be around soon with more specific information about what you can do as he is our resident expert.

holly_1948

In the meanwhile until the resident guru shows up, please tell us -
Which 13 years did you live in the UK?
What year were you born?
In which country or countries were your children born? And how old are they now?
Because the answers to those question would probably affect his answer to you.