kym_james

Hi folks

Just looking for experience or opinions on our scenario. My bf is in the process of applying for his Spouse Visa to go to Australia with me as I am Australian (hopefully know in the next couple weeks).

We will probably stay in Australia long enough to get his Australian passport (4/5 yrs or something??) But then I want to apply for a similar visa to move back here and get my british passport...

Can we both have a british passport and australian passport each?

I was also looking at the requirements for spouse visa's to the UK and it seems like we can only apply for a partner visa if we are married. Is this true? It seems a bit outdated to me that's all... And I was wondering if it has changed recently and I have come across old information.

I want the opportunity to travel and work in the EU with my bf on a british/EU passport without either of us giving up our Australian passports, as we will definitely settle in Australia once the travelling is done...

To recap the questions (if you are confused, coz I am):
1) I was wondering if it is possible for both of us to keep both passports and how often we need to travel between the countries to keep them valid (if at all)..?

2) Can we both have a british passport and australian passport each?

3) Is it true that a partner visa only applies if you are married, for residency in the UK?

BKate

Hi Kym,

Yes you can have an Australian and UK Passport, my boyfriend has both.
Have found the UK link for you, it tells you about de facto, spouse and fiance visas;

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Fr...=1018721067257

Good Luck

saraliz

1. Once you both have passports, you are considered citizens - there is no need to travel back and forth to keep the passports valid.

2. Yes, no problems.

3. No, as detailed in the link given by BKate, you can get an 'unmarried partner' visa for the UK. This requires two years of cohabitation (rather than the 1 year that Oz requires). Currently, the evidence they want as proof of the cohabitation is either 5 joint bills for each of the two years, or 3-4 bills to one person & 1-2 bills to the other at the same address for each of the two years (although they will accept other evidence). I've just been through the whole process, and it's fairly straightforward.

Don

Cart before horse?

Once you are a citizen, you can get a passport.

baronj

Sorry if i am appearing dumb here, but have I got it right that its perfectly possible to get dual citizenship??

I am a UK citizen and am applying for a PR visa (sponsored by my sister). I may well settle in Oz, but I don't want to give up my ability to travel throughout the EU without restriction. So I was under the impression that every 5 years I would have to renew the right of return to Oz on my PR visa.

But if I understand the above correctly then I can, after living in oz for 2 years, apply for Oz citizenship without renouncing my British citizenship - is this really correct?! If it is, you lot have just made my week!!

Britishaussie

Yes, Britain allows you to have more than one citizenship without giving up your rights to British citizenship. I am a dual national with both British and Australian passports. We have a friend in Australia who emigrated some years ago and is now the proud owner of an Australian passport as well as keeping his British one. So you shouldn't have any problems so long as you keep up your British citizenship and passport once you get out there.

marco121068

Is it possible to have TRIPLE citizenship?? I currently have dual citizenship - would I have to renounce 1 if I wanted an Aus Passport?

saraliz

Marco, it depends on each country you have citizenship in. Some countries do not permit their citizens to obtain citizenship in another country - if one were to take a new citizenship then they would be considered to have 'given up' their old citizenship. If each country allows 'dual citizenship', then having triple citizenship won't be a problem ('dual citizenship' can also be considered 'multi-citizenship').

[UK, Australia & USA all allow dual citizenship]

max kilby

I guess that this will sound like a dumb question, but I've heard a lot about dual citizenship - can anyone name the benefits?

Does the expense of maintaining two passports justify the benefits?

Thanx

MAX

BKate

The benefits of having dual oz/uk citizenship is that you can work and live in either country and are entitled to the same benefits as everyone, in the uk NHS, NI contributions etc.
You only have to renew a passport every ten years so yes it's definitly worth it and you avoid all those immigration hassles

Jacko1

Hi there,

Re; Item oneI have both Australian & British Passports, and as long as you keep them upto date you will have no trouble. There is no need to reenter each country etc, once you have each full passport.

PJ

marco121068

Thanks Saraliz.

CPW

Among the benefits are that you are free to live and work in either country, that you could (in theory at least) sponsor a spouse or partner to immigrate to either country, and that you can visit either country without worrying about visas and immigration restrictions. In the case of Australia and the UK, neither country makes particular demands on its citizens who are outside the country (e.g. there is no national service, there is no requirement to return to the country periodically to retain citizenship, and so on).

There's actually no requirement to have a passport either. It's worth remembering that the possession of a passport doesn't confer citizenship - it is of course an indication that one is a citizen, but the truth of the matter is really the other way around: namely, that being a citizen of a country makes one eligible to hold a passport of that country.

Neither Australia nor the UK, for example, insists on a citizen (either inside or outside the country) maintaining a valid passport to retain his or her citizenship. It is true that citizens of some countries (such as Australia) need a passport of that country to enter and leave the country. However, if, for example, an Australian citizen was living outside Australia and never intended to visit Australia, or was living inside Australia and never intended to leave, even on holiday, there would be no requirement for that citizen to have an Australian passport. But as an Australian citizen, that person would be able to apply for an Australian passport should the need ever arise.

For a British citizen naturalising as an Australian citizen to lose his or her British citizenship, he or she would have to make a formal renunciation of citizenship to the British authorities. So, unless that is done, such a person retains his or her British citizenship, regardless of whether or not the person keeps up a valid British passport.