Nicci73

I first posted this in the Welcome forum and was advised to post my question here.....

Hi All:

I am new to the forums so here is a little background on me and my family.

I am a U.S. citizen born and raised in NYC and moved to Philadelphia, PA in 2004 where I met my husband who was born and raised until 10 years old in the UK. He was born to an American mother and British father. He has been living here for 25 years as a permanent resident with a green card. We now have 2 beautiful children ages 4 and 1. So my question is this:
Do my children have entitlement to British citizenship?

It would be useful to know and I think it would not hurt if I gave them dual citizenship.

Thank you all in advance for your replies!

Nicole

Manc

register them at the embassy.
can't hurt to try.


http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...-registration/

SanDiegogirl

What year was your husband born? Was his mother and father married at the time of his birth?

JAJ

If he lived in the U.K. for 10 years and has been in the U.S. for 25 years, then he should be at least 35. In that case, he was born before 1983 and he's a British citizen regardless of whether his parents were married or what their status was.

What's curious is that he apparently has an American mother, and yet isn't a U.S. citizen. Did his mother not spend enough time in the U.S. before he was born?

SanDiegogirl

So, if we presume that the husband has a UK passport, then his children are eligible for British citizenship by descent.

As you say, it sounds as though the husband himself should be eligible for dual citizenship too.

jeffreyhy

Might be. Not enough information has been given to know if he should be.

Regards, JEff

Nicci73

Thank you for all your replies. My husband does in fact hold a UK passport. I have too wondered with regards to my husband's dual citizenship status. His mom moved to the U.K from Philadelphia with her husband when she was 17 and gave birth to my husband 10 years later in Liverpool. I am not sure why she never registered him as a baby. I doubt that he will pursue it any further since he only really identifies with being British.

SanDiegogirl

Then your children sound as though they are British by descent and can apply for a British passport.

JAJ

Probably because since he was born before November 14, 1986, the rules were different. At the time, if only one parent (assuming parents married) was American, the U.S. parent had to have spent 10 years in the United States, including 5 years after age 14. So if mother left the U.S. at age 17, she didn't pass on her American citizenship.

Why?

He's been in the U.S. for 25 years, has an American wife and American children, his ties to the United States are much closer than anything he could have to Britain. He should strongly consider becoming naturalized as a U.S. citizen, and if he really wants to keep a British passport, he can do so.