StarlaLorien

Hello,

My 21 month old son Alistair has a US passport and has been to the UK twice now.

His dad is British, born and raised, and I'm American.

We are returning to the UK for one year. I'm going on a student visa to graduate school....next month!

We have NOT registered Alistair has a British citizen yet, as that involves mailing off passports which we need. I understand we can register his birth in person in the UK and it's quicker.

My question/concern is getting him into the UK. He will be entering as a visitor (and we will have a return plane ticket for him for December). But I will be entering as a student. His dad will be entering as a British person on a British passport.

Will they question this? He won't be working or going to school obviously. And by the time we return again in January after coming back to the US for Christmas, he should have his proof of British citizenship/British passport.

Thank you!

SanDiegogirl

Should not be any problems. He WILL enter on a visitor's visa, but as long as you show that he is returning to the US in December, cannot see an issue.

Be aware that as a visitor he is not eligible for the NHS except for emergency treatment.

While, with a UK father with him, no-one may question his status it might be safer to get him medical insurance should he need hospital treatment.

StarlaLorien

Okay, thanks SanDiego girl.

He will turn 2 while there in November and miss his well child checkup and vaccinations...but we can get them when we come home for Christmas, I suppose.

Once we get him a consular birth certificate in the UK, would he be allowed NHS treatment? As it will 'prove' he is British?

When we return in January we will do so using his British passport so all will be well at that point.

StarlaLorien

I just know that most US students need to get visas for their dependents, but I don't want to do that if I don't have to since he will be British soon enough.

And since he won't be doing anything like schooling or working....I mean, there's not much a 1 one year old would need a visa for.

SanDiegogirl

The NHS is for permanent residents of the UK. Strictly speaking since you are only there for 12 months yours is a temporary stay and you should obtain medical insurance for all of you, especially in the case of hospitalisation.

To be British is not the guiding factor for the NHS - its being a permanent resident.

The following is from the UKBA website:

If you are a visitor to the UK or have temporary permission to live here (known as 'limited leave to remain'), you may be able to register with a GP in your area and receive free treatment. The GP can decide whether or not to register you. You may not be able to receive the full range of hospital treatment, because you must be a permanent resident or have lived here for a year to qualify for it. This applies even if you are a British citizen or have lived or worked here in the past.


http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/vi...es/healthcare/

Since you have a young child best to make sure you have adequate cover.

JAJ

Except that you don't need to mail off passports. They will accept copies. They would also have to accept it if you didn't have passports ...

BritInParis

Consular birth registration isn't mandatory to become a British citizen - Alistair is already British by descent through his father - and, although the official advice requests you to submit his father's original British passport, the truth is that a photocopy would have sufficed. Incidentally it isn't quicker for Alistair's registration to be done in the UK - in fact it's slower as the FCO in London have to forward his application to the embassy in Washington DC by diplomatic bag. Target time for registrations are about five working days if you apply from the US.

That aside if you're going to be in the UK from September till December then you can apply for both - the passport and the consular birth certificate - from the UK and the passport will be considerably cheaper than it would've been applying in the US. You can apply for the consular birth certificate first and then use that to apply for his passport if you prefer not to send off your original documents twice.

As for entering the UK he can do so on his US passport. As SanDiegogirl mentioned it won't be a problem if you have a return ticket to the US in December. Just make sure that Alistair enters and exits the US on his US passport - it's against US law to do otherwise. If you have his British passport when you leave in December then take that with you so he can re-enter the UK as a British citizen on your return.

NHS treatment is based on residency rather than citizenship per se. So long as you will be resident for more than three months it won't be a problem. Alistair will need to apply for a NHS number since being born in the US meant he wasn't given one automatically at birth like British-born children. This can be done when you register with your local GP.

StarlaLorien

Okay, so if it's only taking 5 working days to get a consular birth registration and I do NOT have to submit original passports, we may as well do that in the month before we leave. Or will border patrol not even care? If we enter with a US passport and no British birth registration ,or with a registration?

The place I was thinking about applying in the UK is called and NCS.
"Applying through the Nationality Checking Service (NCS)

The nationality checking service is provided by local authorities (for example your county council or city council). A local authority can accept and forward your application to us. They will ensure that your form is correctly completed, and they will copy your documents and return them to you. They will ensure that your application is validly submitted and that the unwaivable requirements for citizenship are met. However, they will not give you nationality advice.

This service has been very popular since its introduction in 2005 as there are a number of advantages:
last year only 2% of applications made this way were unsuccessful. This compares with 10% refusals for other applications;
you can keep hold of your documents (like your passport) - we can, however, request the originals if we need them."

And right below that it says if you apply via post and don't submit original documents, you need a certified copy. What does that entail?

RE: the NHS. We'll be in Scotland if that makes any difference? From what I understand I will be eligible with my student visa. How do I get an NHS number for my son Alistair? I've never even heard of one!

Thanks for all of your help.

JAJ

That's for people applying to become British citizens. Like you may do some day if you settle in Britain. However, it's not for those who are already British citizens (it appears), such as your son.



It's a little different in Scotland - called the "CHI number" - but function is similar. Similar too, is the process to obtain one. Google and similar search engines are recommended to find out more.

BritInParis

You can do it before you leave and take the certificate with you. It may allow your son to enter the UK as a British citizen but it would be at the discretion of the Immigration Officer. A British birth certificate, consular or otherwise, is not proof of identity.

Apply for it here from the US:

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth/...s/same_country
(Change the answers if necessary)

As JAJ pointed out, the Nationality Checking Service is for foreign nationals wishing to naturalise as British citizens which does not apply to your son. If you decide to apply for Alistair's consular birth certificate in the UK, you will need to make your application to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in King Charles Street in London.

https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth/.../yes/in_the_uk
(Change the answers if necessary)

If you are looking to apply for Alistair's passport in the UK with or without the consular birth certificate then you can use the Post Office's Check and Send service.

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/passport-check-send

They may baulk at Alistair's US birth certificate so it may be worth applying for the consular birth certificate first, either in the US or the UK, and then using that to apply for the passport.

I'll defer to JAJ on this one as I'm not familiar with the procedures in Scotland but I imagine they are broadly the same as England and Wales. Normally you are given a NHS number automatically at birth and it follows you from cradle to grave. For instance mine is written on my birth certificate (although the format has changed since then). It's somewhat similar to a US social security number although it is only used for NHS purposes. If Scotland is anything like the rest of the UK, then you'll be given one for Alistair when you register him with your local GP for the first time. You can find a GP by entering your post code on this website after you arrive in Scotland.

http://www.nhs24.com/FindLocal

StarlaLorien

Thanks again for the helpful information!

StarlaLorien

Went to apply for the consular birth registration and the website clearly says it has to be original documents of passports.

Someone here said it could be certified copies? How do I get them certified and do you think that will really work?

JAJ

The website information is wrong, as you have already been told. Anyway - what do you think would happen if you didn't have a passport?

StarlaLorien

JAJ,

We're leaving in 4 weeks for the UK and I'm just worried about it getting lost.

StarlaLorien

Thank you.

Do you know how I would certify a copy?