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How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Old Jul 10th 2014, 9:11 am
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Default How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

My husband is American born. I am British born. Both of our kids 15 and 13 yrs old are American born. I am still a British citizen. How do I go about getting my children dual nationality and British passports? We all live in the US. I have lived here for over 20 yrs.
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Old Jul 10th 2014, 9:29 am
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Originally Posted by jpwojo
My husband is American born. I am British born. Both of our kids 15 and 13 yrs old are American born. I am still a British citizen. How do I go about getting my children dual nationality and British passports? We all live in the US. I have lived here for over 20 yrs.
Hi jpwojo - you created your post in the Australian immigration section so I've moved it to our Moving Back to the UK section, and hopefully someone can tell you what you need to do
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Old Jul 10th 2014, 12:21 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

You apply and pay online and send all the supporting docs (your PP, BC, Kids BC, Previous PPs etc) to Durham via FedEx

We did the same for our US kids late last year and it was very fast (2 weeks) BUT it is taking much much longer right now as they are backlogged. Browse around the threads on this section for more insight....might take two or three months right now so plan accordingly.

Good luck
Cheers
Nigel
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Old Jul 10th 2014, 7:00 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Your children are already dual US/British citizens. You only need to apply for their British passports. ncoomber has posted the relevant link. Given the current backlog at Her Majesty's Passport Office (500,000 at the last count) you may be well advised to apply for your children's consular birth certificates first.

They aren't mandatory nor cheap but it will prevent you having to give up your family's vital records for several months as they can be used as a standalone document to apply for a British passport. It will also serve as permanent and easily replaceable evidence of your children's British citizenship and can make life easier when dealing with UK bureaucracy should they ever move there.
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Old Jul 12th 2014, 2:08 am
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Thank you all so much for your advice. I will start the process soon. I've been thinking about it for a while but just didn't know where to start. Thank you all again.
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Old Jul 12th 2014, 2:10 am
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Sorry about posting in the wrong section. I was doing it all through my phone and just didn't notice. Whoops. Thanks for moving me to the right place.
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Old Jul 12th 2014, 5:48 am
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Originally Posted by jpwojo
Sorry about posting in the wrong section. I was doing it all through my phone and just didn't notice. Whoops. Thanks for moving me to the right place.
No worries - glad you've managed to get some answers
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Old Jul 12th 2014, 10:01 am
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Originally Posted by jpwojo
Both of our kids 15 and 13 yrs old are American born.
With kids growing up quickly you might want to "plan ahead" a bit as in order for your kids to be able to pass on British nationality, their own future children will have to be born in the UK.

Worth keeping in mind...
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Old Jul 12th 2014, 1:54 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Originally Posted by astera
With kids growing up quickly you might want to "plan ahead" a bit as in order for your kids to be able to pass on British nationality, their own future children will have to be born in the UK.

Worth keeping in mind...
If the OP's children spent three continuous years in the UK before their own children were born then they would be eligible for registration as a British citizens even if they too were born overseas. Studying as a undergraduate at a UK university would fulfil this requirement although you'd need to make sure it was three full years (e.g. September 2017 to September 2020), not two years and nine months (September 2017 to June 2020).

Having Commonwealth citizenship together with a UK-born grandparent would make them eligible for an ancestry visa though this would likely involve giving birth in a Commonwealth country with jus soli nationality law like Canada or having children with a Commonwealth citizen. I wouldn't however recommend picking a future spouse based merely on the fact they hold a Commonwealth passport
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Old Jul 17th 2014, 7:18 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

I have the same questions as the OP and just want to make sure I absolutely understand. Our family situation is as follows. My sister is married to a UK/Britsh citizen. He was born in the UK to parents who also where born in the UK. BIL was born in about 1968. BIL moved to US when he was 12 and has never become a US citizen.
They have 2 sons age 3 & 6. Are these boys UK Citizens (dual UK/US) automatically and now only need to apply for UK Passports?

And I have searched several UK.GOV official websites trying to clarify what "Official" documents need to be submitted that these boys are eligible for UK Citizenship (UK Citizenship by Decent?? Is that correct).

BIL has an expired UK passport...

Help, they gave up getting this accomplished because they just could not figure out where to start...
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Old Jul 17th 2014, 7:28 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Originally Posted by Nanna of 3
I have the same questions as the OP and just want to make sure I absolutely understand. Our family situation is as follows. My sister is married to a UK/Britsh citizen. He was born in the UK to parents who also where born in the UK. BIL was born in about 1968. BIL moved to US when he was 12 and has never become a US citizen.
They have 2 sons age 3 & 6. Are these boys UK Citizens (dual UK/US) automatically and now only need to apply for UK Passports?
It appears that the sons are British citizens by descent. Best way to document it for the long term is a consular birth certificate. A British passport acts as a travel document and will be required if moving to the U.K., not necessarily otherwise.

BIL has an expired UK passport...
Not a good idea to let his passport expire, since he doesn't have a U.S. passport (or any other, it appears). Sometimes it is necessary to travel at short notice, especially if he still has family or other ties outside the United States.

Incidentally, even if he had become a U.S. citizen it would make no difference to whether he is or is not a British citizen.
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Old Jul 17th 2014, 7:49 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Thanks for the reply... Still need to know what documents we need to gather together as I'm sure the British Gov is not going to take our word for it....
Or because BIL has a UK passport (even expired) they will be able to do this without proof.
Certainly they will want Marriage Cert and Birth Certs for the boys. Do they need anything else and where can I get the list of docs needed???
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Old Jul 17th 2014, 7:54 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

Originally Posted by Nanna of 3
Thanks for the reply... Still need to know what documents we need to gather together as I'm sure the British Gov is not going to take our word for it....
Or because BIL has a UK passport (even expired) they will be able to do this without proof.
Certainly they will want Marriage Cert and Birth Certs for the boys. Do they need anything else and where can I get the list of docs needed???
Isn't there a relevant link in post #3?

You need at least the parent's U.K. birth or naturalization certificate + children's birth certificates + parent's marriage certificate. Copy of children's U.S. passport should be acceptable. Parent's original passport shouldn't be needed if the parent was born before 1983.

Is the intention to apply for consular birth certificates first? If so, the the consular birth certificate normally stands on its own as evidence for a passport.
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Old Jul 17th 2014, 7:56 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

The list of documents for applying for a British passport or British consular birth certificates are broadly the same. Check the respective official websites for a full list and how to make an application.

http://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth

http://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

NB: A consular birth certificate acts as a standalone piece of evidence when applying for a British passport - you don't need to include any other birth or marriage certificates.
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Old Jul 17th 2014, 8:06 pm
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Default Re: How to get my US born children British citizenship and passports

So something about my BIL being born before 1983 is a good thing?? From a paperwork prospective?
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