feelbritish

This is a long shot but my niece's father was born to British parents who came out to South Africa in the 60's. The rest of his brothers and sister were born in UK while he was born shortly after arriving. They never bothered registering his birth. In the late 1980's he went over to England as a young man for a year and traveled and worked being issued a tax number and NI. He then returned to SA and eventually had kids of his own. His British passport says he is British Citizen but not how he became one. Would his children be able to apply for British Citizenship or is their only hope Ancestry Visa?

Pulaski

My understanding is that if the father was born in South Africa, he would be British by descent, and his children would not be British. As South Africa is a Commonwealth country his children are eligible for an ancestry visa.

If the father's father was on crown service in South Africa, e.g. worked at the embassy, or was in the British military on secondment, then the father would be British other than by descent and his children would be British, by descent.

Hopefully BiP will be along soon as he is a wealth on knowledge on the intricacies of British citizenship.

BritInParis

If he had spent three years in the UK rather than just the one before his children were born then they would be eligible for registration as British citizens. Unless his father was in Crown service when he was born in South Africa then it's likely that an ancestry visa is the only option for his children.

feelbritish

Thank you, it is what I thought they can only apply for ancestry.

BritInParis

That is unless there's a Northern Ireland connection in which case Irish citizenship is a possibility.