Portuguese/Canadian citizen married to a Brit - question about passports
May 18th 2012, 12:09 pm
#1
Concierge
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Oakville, ON, CA
Posts: 8,320
Portuguese/Canadian citizen married to a Brit - question about passports
Hi all,
I apologise if this isn't the right forum... hoping someone can help.
I'm a Canadian by birth and have a Canadian passport. In 2008, I obtained a Portuguese Passport as my mom was born there, and used that passport to enter the UK. I've been here now for just short of 4 years with no absences other than a few short holidays and weekend city breaks.
Last month I got married, and my husband is British. I was reading on the Home Office website about naturalisation and whether I'm eligible for citizenship. This is the link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...tnerofcitizen/
It first says that if you marry a Brit you need to be resident for 3 years, which I am, but then further down in the EEA section it mentions having 5 years of unbroken residency, which I don't have.
So I'm confused as to whether or not I'm eligible... any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!
I apologise if this isn't the right forum... hoping someone can help.
I'm a Canadian by birth and have a Canadian passport. In 2008, I obtained a Portuguese Passport as my mom was born there, and used that passport to enter the UK. I've been here now for just short of 4 years with no absences other than a few short holidays and weekend city breaks.
Last month I got married, and my husband is British. I was reading on the Home Office website about naturalisation and whether I'm eligible for citizenship. This is the link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...tnerofcitizen/
It first says that if you marry a Brit you need to be resident for 3 years, which I am, but then further down in the EEA section it mentions having 5 years of unbroken residency, which I don't have.
So I'm confused as to whether or not I'm eligible... any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!
May 19th 2012, 8:47 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Paris
Posts: 84
Re: Portuguese/Canadian citizen married to a Brit - question about passports
I'm a Canadian by birth and have a Canadian passport. In 2008, I obtained a Portuguese Passport as my mom was born there, and used that passport to enter the UK. I've been here now for just short of 4 years with no absences other than a few short holidays and weekend city breaks.
Last month I got married, and my husband is British. I was reading on the Home Office website about naturalisation and whether I'm eligible for citizenship. This is the link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...tnerofcitizen/
It first says that if you marry a Brit you need to be resident for 3 years, which I am, but then further down in the EEA section it mentions having 5 years of unbroken residency, which I don't have.
So I'm confused as to whether or not I'm eligible... any advice would be appreciated!
Last month I got married, and my husband is British. I was reading on the Home Office website about naturalisation and whether I'm eligible for citizenship. This is the link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...tnerofcitizen/
It first says that if you marry a Brit you need to be resident for 3 years, which I am, but then further down in the EEA section it mentions having 5 years of unbroken residency, which I don't have.
So I'm confused as to whether or not I'm eligible... any advice would be appreciated!
Clearly you meet the first criterion, but you don't meet the second criterion because you've not yet acquired permanent residence under the EU rules. I'm not aware of any way for an EEA/Swiss citizen to obtain indefinite leave to remain quicker than five years, so as far as I can tell you'd need to wait another year before applying for naturalisation.
