alex jb

I got the forms printed out to get my daughter a UK passport, but I'm worried about getting it back in time.

I am moving the family back to UK mid June and I only knew this for sure a week ago, I'm now left with 8-10 weeks to sort everything out.

I have to be out of the US on 21st June (I94 expires as another childs passport runs out then), but do I dare to send off her US passport and birth certs etc?

Is there an alternative?
I know we can walk out of Heathrow on her US passport. Can we then apply for a UK passport?
Will there be problems in the future if we do this, then try to go to the US as tourists?

any advice appreciated, thanks.

Bob

There have been passed threads on this scenario, so you might be able to find the answer. A lot of these threads came around during last summer.

If you're moving to the UK, as a UK citizen, you can't be denied entry but the problem isn't the theory, it is the practice of being allowed on the flight, so speak to the airline.

Looking at all the current passport threads going on at the moment, it seems that renewals are taking around the 6 week mark from sending in the application to receiving the new passport.

Jerseygirl

She can enter the UK using her US PP but she will then be entering as a visitor and not as a UK citizen. You will then have to have her status changed to UK citizen so that she is entitled to benefits, ie child benefit, NHS service etc. Plenty of old threads in the Moving Back To The UK Forum on this subject.

Yes you can apply for a UK PP from the UK.

MarylandNed

What passport the child enters the UK with has no bearing on citizenship. The child is either already a UK citizen or it isn't. There's no obligation to enter on a UK passport. My wife and I moved back to the UK with 2 kids using Canadian passports. We didn't have to go back to correct immigration entry records to obtain services.

MarylandNed

US citizens are legally required to leave/enter the US using US passports. UK citizens do not need to use UK passports to enter the UK. I'm a UK citizen and I moved back to the UK using a Canadian passport. I've also visited the UK using Canadian and US passports.

Jerseygirl

I didn't say it did. I said that if it enters using a US PP it will be admitted as a visitor.

MarylandNed

See your above statement above in bold.

You said: "You will then have to have her status changed to UK citizen so that she is entitled to benefits, ie child benefit, NHS service etc."

That's what I'm talking about. You don't have to have status changed to UK citizen after entering as a visitor. The kid's already a UK citizen. Like I said, I moved my kids back to the UK on their Canadian passports and we didn't do anything special to obtain services e.g. NHS, child benefits, etc.

frrussre

So what did you tell the immigration agent, in the UK? They always ask "Why are you visiting, who are you visiting & how long will you be staying?"
Frank R.

Jerseygirl

What was entered in their Cdn PPs when they entered the UK? As frrussre posted...what did you say when the IO asked questions as to their visit to the UK.

Elvira

Seeing that I got only one reply to my related question*, I'd be interested to know as well

* http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=753908

alex jb

This is great discussion, many thanks.

I have the photo signed and forms complete, I can send it out today if I get home in time.

Anyone applied recently? did you send the childs US passport with the application?

I am reading the ukinusa.fco.gov.uk website and it says...

If the child was : Born outside the UK
You must include:

The child's travel document (if applicable); AND
The child’s full foreign birth certificate and the mother’s original UK long version birth certificate

However, looking at centralcontent.fco.gov.uk...formC2 notes...
it does not state to send 'the child's travel document'

I am concerned about sending the US passport.
If I can send all the other stuff (originals) and as required, copies of the parents passports, I would be a lot happier.
I would do this just incase I need to travel within the next 2 months.

Jerseygirl

You do not send her US PP...it means nothing to them.

alex jb

That's great!
I was hoping that was the case.

MarylandNed

Ok - I keep all old passports and I've just looked at them all and spoken to my wife to try to figure out exactly what happened.

My wife and I moved back to the UK from Canada in 1996. I believe my wife and I must have entered on UK passports because we had valid UK passports at that time (we also had valid Canadian passports but I'm guessing we probably entered on the UK passports). We are ALWAYS 100% truthful when answering immigration questions so if we were asked, we definitely told them that we were moving back to the UK.

Our 2 daughters were born in Canada and only had Canadian passports at that time - of this I am 100% certain. We got their Canadian passports shortly after they were born and the passports were valid for 5 years. Both girls were under 5 when we moved (2 yrs and 1 yr old). I've just checked both passports and there are no entry stamps for that trip. I asked my wife if she can remember what happened when we entered the UK. She can't remember being asked about the kids (it was 1996 after all) but she said that we would have been able to show their full birth certificates if we had been asked to prove that we were the parents and that the kids had UK citizenship.

Also, since we were moving back to the UK, this was likely a one way ticket. It's possible that a return ticket was cheaper (sometimes that happens) and that we bought returns instead - but I don't have the plane ticket and so I don't know for sure. We do not remember being asked questions by the airline at check-in about kids on Canadian passports travelling to the UK on a one way ticket.

Anyway I hope this info is useful. It was a long time ago and I can't remember all the facts. I do know for a fact that the kids entered the UK on their Canadian passports. Since there are no entry stamps for that trip (there was a visitor stamp on the oldest daughter's Canadian passport for a previous visit to the UK), I guess that means they were not admitted as visitors and we must have had to satisfy someone of their UK citizenship and the fact that they were our kids. For the life of me I do not recall that happening. If it did happen, it must have been over with very quickly because I always remember traumatic immigration events!

We stayed in the UK for 2 years (obtaining services such as NHS, child benefit, etc) before moving to the US. We obtained UK passports for the kids while in the UK (which is a lot cheaper than getting them outside the UK).

alex jb

That is very interesting, thanks.
We may have to do it that way.

If I do appply for the UK passport, I really need to decide what address to put onto the C2 form as if we apply for the passport, we need to have it in 8-9 weeks or we will be moved out from our US address.
I could put friends address down, but if the package has to be signed for, that may look funny.