redindia

Hi all,

Greatly appreciate if anyone could shed some light on my circumstance:

Please can you advise if I qualify for an automatic British citizenship? (since the forum wont let me post a weblink, if you could please google "british citizenship british parent born before 1983" and click on first link, thanks)

My father (now deceased) was born in Aden Colony in 1938. He held a British Passport with "British Subject: Citizen of UK and Colonies". In 1983 that changed to "British Overseas Citizen". In 1987 is renounced his BOC and took up Indian Citizenship. I was born in 1974 in India and my father and mother were married at the time. Am I automatically a British Citizen?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

BritInParis

If your father became a British Overseas Citizen in 1983 instead of a British Citizen, why do you think you have a claim, automatic or otherwise?

redindia

Hi BritInParis, appreciate your response, many thanks. I was going by the below excerpt from http://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-...rn-before-1983


##########################################

You were born before 1983

You may automatically be a British citizen if you were born before 1 January 1983 and:

• you were born outside the UK
• your father is British

When you were born, your father must have been all of the following:

• a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies
• married to your mother
• able to pass on his citizenship to you

Your father could pass on his citizenship to you if he was one of the following:

• born or adopted in the UK
• given citizenship after applying for it in his own right (not based on having a British parent)
• working as a Crown servant when you were born (for example in the diplomatic service, overseas civil service or armed forces)

#####################################

In my case, I think I 'tick' these conditions at the time of my birth in 1974 ...

• I was born before 1 January 1983
• Born outside of UK
• My father indeed had "British Subject: Citizen of UK and Colonies" on his British Passport (which turned into "British Overseas Citizen" in 1984)
• He was married to my mother
• I believe he can pass on his citizenship to me as he received his British Citizenship by birth in Aden, a British Colony, in 1938 (i.e. he did not receive his citizenship by descent)

redindia

http://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-...rn-before-1983

BritInParis

Your father wasn’t born in the UK - that’s why he became a BOC in 1983 not a BC - so while you may well have been a CUKC from the time of your birth until 1983 neither of you would’ve become a British citizen in 1983 if your only tie to the UK was your father’s birth in Aden. BOCs with no other citizenship can now apply to register as ‘full’ British citizens but since you and your father both hold Indian citizenship you don’t qualify for this route.

redindia

BritInParis - many thanks again and much appreciate!

Do my circumstances still qualify me for a BOC?

BritInParis

BOC was a ‘mop-up’ category for those CUKCs who didn’t become BCs in 1983 but weren’t entitled to any other citizenship. As an Indian citizen it doesn’t apply to you.

redindia

Ok, thank you for all the responses. Cheers.

redindia

Hi BritInParis,
I was born in 1974 and my first Indian passport was obtained in 1987. That means I was (1) a CUKC between 1974 and 1983 same status as my father, (2) a BOC from 1983 until 1987 again same status as my father and (3) I became an Indian Citizen in 1987 and not at the time of my birth.

At the time of my gaining Indian Citizenship in 1987 I was a minor and unaware of my British Citizenship. Under this circumstance is there no way I can apply for "my old citizenship rights" .. or whatever equivalent of CUKC/BOC the British Government provide now a days?

Many thanks in advance

BritInParis

You were an Indian citizen by birth and a CUKC by descent at the time of your birth. You ceased to be a CUKC on 1 January 1983. If your only tie to British citizenship was your father’s birth in Aden then you have no more claim to British citizenship than anyone else born in a former colony.

scot47

With decolonisation steps were taken to ensure that colonial subjects did not acquire entitlement to citizenship of the UK.