Vegasmum

We have been living in the USA for 3.5 years now and our son was born here, we're planning to move back to the UK next year as our visa will expire and I just wondered exactly what I need to do for our son to be able to live there with us. I've already registered his birth at the Embassy in DC and have his UK passport, is this all there is to do??? Grateful for any help

Rete

Well if the child is a citizen of the UK then what else do you think might be needed for him to live in a country that he is a citizen of? Perhaps you can answer your own question!!!!

Vegasmum

I wasn't sure whether there was anything else I had to do with him having joint nationality, and thought perhaps someone else would have experience of this. I know there have been cases in the UK of people who have been born abroad and years later they face being deported because their parents haven't completed all the necessary paperwork when they were born. I didn't want that to be the case and was hoping for some friendly advice here.....

sibsie

Have a look through this page.

Vegasmum

Thanks Sibsie

callé

Hi vegasmum. Yes thats all you have to do. and welcome to the forum.

Sarah

That was a bit harsh Rete, surely you can understand the confusion seeing as her child was born in the USA?

Philgr

Vagasmumm - you should probably check your child's medical innoculations as well - when we moved the other way with toddlers we found out that US and UK practices are different in what is innoculated against and when. I can't remember the details but if I were you I would find out what shots a UK 3.5 year-old will have already had (by asking a GP) and making sure your kid has had them all.

JAJ

That won't be a problem as it sounds like you *have* completed the paperwork by getting him a British passport and a consular birth certificate.

Long term your son (and you in the meantime, before he's older) need to be aware of a few things:

1. There's no problem having dual US/UK citizenship but he needs to enter and leave the US on a US passport. He can keep both US and British passports.

2. As a US citizen he will need to file federal tax returns when older, even if he's living in the UK. He'll also need to register with Selective Service when he's 18, even if living in the UK. http://www.sss.gov
Laws can change in the meantime, so keep up to date.

3. When he's older you'll need to make sure he's aware that as a British citizen by descent, any children he had born outside UK (ie your grandchildren) will not automatically be British unless he applies for them to be registered (or they are British based on the mother). Children born in Britain will automatically be British.

4. Similarly, he needs to know that children he has born in the UK (or elsewhere outside the US) will not automatically be US citizens without further requirements being met. Current laws are described at http://travel.state.gov

5. He won't be able to sponsor you for a green card until he's 21, as far as I know.


Jeremy

kevntrace

Very timely question Vegasmum. We've just been through the embassy passport/registration process for our 6 month old (actually 7 month old now I think of it).

I had assumed that was all we needed to do to make our daughter legit., but you went the extra step and decided to double check - very smart.

We applied for our daughter's passport with the hope she would be able to use it on our vacation to England last month. Unfortunately the passport didn't arrive in time (I think it arrived the day we left, but since we left at 6am we missed Mr FedEx - it was waiting on our doorstep when I got back 2 weeks later). So we used her US passport which was no bother. Just had to fill in a customs form for her at UK passport control.

Anyway, good luck with your move back to the UK. What visa are you on over here - and how have you enjoyed your time?

Patrick

I'm on Rita's side, I have an adopted child who I registered at the embassy and,as such, is as British as me now (the fact she has zero british blood in her is irrelevant). If she is british she can do what I do, and I don't need anything to go home. Dual means dual, equally a citizen of both countries.

Remember there is no such thing as a dumb question, just dumb people.

Patrick

Sarah

Wow your response really is a shocker. Not.
No wonder you've got a reputation of being in a perpetual bad mood and being about as friendly as Goebbels to a Jew.

Patrick

Strangely I am in a perpetual good mood and an immensly friendly person. But I'm glad I have an unfreindly reputation, it may stop people making asses of themselfs. I really dont see how agreeing with Rita makes me a Nazi - your concept of reality is a bit strange - Goebels oversaw the murder of 5 million people, I agreed with Rita that the guy answered his own question - can you see that may be a slight over reaction on your part? Can you see where I might think your reality is warped. Do you see that your comparison negates any credability you have. I may not be afraid to tell the truth, I do, however, feel that a comparision with a Nazi for doing so may be a tad silly on your part.

If anyone wants me I shall be invading Poland

Patrick

Sarah

Yes I was being reactionery, which is regrettable yet understandable.
Listen, the woman who came on here wanted some help, some advice from fellow expats. I felt that in the replies I addressed, she was met with dismissiveness, condescension and arrogance.

How you can be proud of being unfriendly I have no idea. Unless your sole intention of coming on here in the first place is so you can look down your nose at other people, tut at those who ease their worries and patronise those new to this site.

I do not understand that if you don't have any words of advice, solace, empathy or knowledge then why post at all?
Does it make you feel better to look down your nose at people who come on here for the first, second or 40th time asking a question that from your high horse and in your infinite wisdom you deem to be an uncessary one?

Good grief how dare anyone ask a question on here lest they don't already have a Masters in visa administration. What with the endless forms, paperwork, checkpoints and interrogations most of us expats have been through is it not understandable to check, and check again that you have all the information correct, rather than assume, especially when a child is involved? Surely, being a parent yourself, you can understand the level of anxiety and desire to get things 100% correct here?

fatbrit

Godwin's_law