British passport for grandkids of UKC
Nov 29th 2010, 9:59 pm
#1
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British passport for grandkids of UKC
I'm looking for some advice on getting british passports for my USC nieces and nephews.
I am a UKC and hold a green card through marriage to USC. It turns out that my USC husband also has a British passport because his USC father was born in the UK (although I don't think that his father ever actually applied for a British passport, he just has a British birth certificate). I'm therefore assuming that my husband's brother and sisters can also get British passports. Do you know if my nieces and nephews can also get a British passport once their parent has applied for one?
They're thinking that it might be nice to be able to have the flexibility to live and work in Europe more easily and the idea of getting a British passport came up in conversation over Thanksgiving.
I know that this forum is supposed to be for UKC trying to come over to the US but I know there are some very knowledgeable people on here.
I am a UKC and hold a green card through marriage to USC. It turns out that my USC husband also has a British passport because his USC father was born in the UK (although I don't think that his father ever actually applied for a British passport, he just has a British birth certificate). I'm therefore assuming that my husband's brother and sisters can also get British passports. Do you know if my nieces and nephews can also get a British passport once their parent has applied for one?
They're thinking that it might be nice to be able to have the flexibility to live and work in Europe more easily and the idea of getting a British passport came up in conversation over Thanksgiving.
I know that this forum is supposed to be for UKC trying to come over to the US but I know there are some very knowledgeable people on here.
Nov 29th 2010, 10:07 pm
#2
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 35,082
Re: British passport for grandkids of UKC
I recommend that you subsitute "citizenship" for "passport". Your husband, for example, is what's called a dual citizen. Citizenship doesn't depend on passports, but passports depend on citizenship.
Many countries limit how far down citizenship can be passed. For example, your husband's siblings should also be dual citizens (they may need to document this) but if they never lived in the UK, they might not be able to pass that to their own children.
In my case, I am a Canadian citizen through my mother, but I can not pass it to my own children unless I go live in Canada (with my non-existent children, I guess. Our non existent apartment is divine!).
Many countries limit how far down citizenship can be passed. For example, your husband's siblings should also be dual citizens (they may need to document this) but if they never lived in the UK, they might not be able to pass that to their own children.
In my case, I am a Canadian citizen through my mother, but I can not pass it to my own children unless I go live in Canada (with my non-existent children, I guess. Our non existent apartment is divine!).
Nov 30th 2010, 12:19 am
#3
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34,649
Re: British passport for grandkids of UKC
USC husband and siblings are British citizens "by descent".
Which means that unless they either have lived in the UK/territories at some point, or plan to do so, or plan to be in UK Crown Service, the next generation won't have options for British citizenship.
Any chance the UK-born American was born in Northern Ireland?
Which means that unless they either have lived in the UK/territories at some point, or plan to do so, or plan to be in UK Crown Service, the next generation won't have options for British citizenship.
Any chance the UK-born American was born in Northern Ireland?
Nov 30th 2010, 2:00 am
#4
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Location: Herts to CA for nearly 10 years and now MD
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Re: British passport for grandkids of UKC
I recommend that you subsitute "citizenship" for "passport". Your husband, for example, is what's called a dual citizen. Citizenship doesn't depend on passports, but passports depend on citizenship.
Many countries limit how far down citizenship can be passed. For example, your husband's siblings should also be dual citizens (they may need to document this) but if they never lived in the UK, they might not be able to pass that to their own children.
In my case, I am a Canadian citizen through my mother, but I can not pass it to my own children unless I go live in Canada (with my non-existent children, I guess. Our non existent apartment is divine!).
Many countries limit how far down citizenship can be passed. For example, your husband's siblings should also be dual citizens (they may need to document this) but if they never lived in the UK, they might not be able to pass that to their own children.
In my case, I am a Canadian citizen through my mother, but I can not pass it to my own children unless I go live in Canada (with my non-existent children, I guess. Our non existent apartment is divine!).
Do you by any chance know how long you have to live in the UK in order to activate being able to pass citizenship by descent down to your own kids?
None of my 3 siblings-in-law have ever live in the UK so it looks like they will be able to get passports but will not be able to pass them down to their kids unless they move to the UK. Our immediate family is obviously different since I lived in the Uk for the first 30 years of my life. Our daughter is a dual-y and, if I have anything to do with it, she'll spend at least some time living in the UK.
@ Jaj - father-in-law was born in Reading so no Northern Island connection there.
Any idea where I find the official details on this situation so I read some more and can forward this to the in-laws?
Nov 30th 2010, 2:53 am
#5
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Posts: 34,649
Re: British passport for grandkids of UKC
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/br...ritishcitizen/
Look especially at the requirements for section 3(2) registration, also section 3(5).
Bear in mind that the restriction on passing on citizenship only applies if the next generation is also born outside the UK. For example, if a British citizen (by descent) has children born IN the United Kingdom, the children are automatically British (otherwise than by descent).
