Canadian Applying for his first British Passport

Thunderstick
New Member



Joined: 05 Aug 2008
Posts: 7
Location: Calgary

Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 12:48 pm

 

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I originally put this message on the General Discussions board and got an answer to one of the questions. Namely that I will probably have to go for an interview even though I live half way across the country from the Passport Office in Ottawa. I would like answers to my other questions, if someone would please take some time.

I am in the process of filling out the application form (form C1) for my first British Passport. At this time I have a 'Right of Abode' certificate in my Canadian passport because my father was born and raised in the UK. I will have to renew my Canadian passport soon, and because of the changes in the British visa rules, I will have to reapply for my 'Right of Abode'. I have therefore decided to apply for a British passport as the documentation needed for my 'Right of Abode' seems to be the same needed for a passport. Looking at the form, the very first statement on the form reads:

'Use this form if you are applying for a United Kingdom passport and are a British citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen, British Overseas citizen, British subject or British protected person.'

So, here are my questions.


* Is this statement telling me that I must first apply for British Citizenship before I can apply for a British passport?
* I understand that I may be required to go in for an interview. How likely will this be? The passport office is in Ottawa and I live on the west coast of Canada.
* The documentation I send with the application (Father's birth certificate, Parent's marriage certificate, my birth certificate, etc.). Will the passport office accept properly notorized copies, or will I have ot send the originals? You have no idea what I went through to get this documentation.
* If I send the originals, will they be returned?



Look forward to hearing your comments.

Cheers,
TS
_________________
I asked my mother once if I was a gifted child. She said, "Well, we certainly wouldn't have paid for you!"

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Jausman
CanuckAbroad Regular



Joined: 07 Jun 2008
Posts: 50
Location: Ottawa

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 5:30 am

 

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Yes, you always have to be a citizen of a country before you can get its passport.

By "passport office", I assume you mean British consulate. There are UK consulates in both Calgary and Vancouver.

You probably have to show original copies, and of course you will get them back. You can always call to ask about notarized copies just in case, but in all likelihood they will want to see the originals. They will not be mailed to the UK or anything - just inspected locally by the British consul - so there is no risk of their being lost. John

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Thunderstick
New Member



Joined: 05 Aug 2008
Posts: 7
Location: Calgary

Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 11:14 am

 

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Thanks for getting back to me. I'll do some more checking around, but I think I've pretty much got what I need.

Cheers,
TS
_________________
I asked my mother once if I was a gifted child. She said, "Well, we certainly wouldn't have paid for you!"

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Artful_Dodger84
New Member



Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Posts: 4
Location: Winnipeg

Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:50 pm

 

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Hey Thunderstick. I know just what you're going through! I am Canadian born to a British mother and I just applied for my British Passport this summer. I hope I can help, cause I know the HELL I went through!

To answer your questions.

-Yes, you do need to send ORIGINAL documents and YES they WILL be returned back to you. I sent them my Birth Certificate with my parents names on it. My mums birth certificate with her parents names on it (I had to call Liverpool and go through hell to get it!) and I sent them my Canadian Passport.

-They do note that first time applicants need an interview. I was worried about this too as I live in Winnipeg. But the good news is, they did not give me an interview. So chances are they might not interview you either, or they may do it randomly. Im not sure, but I did not have to go or have an interview. Also, Im sure they wanted one, they would do it over the phone, expecting you to fly to Ottawa is ridicules.

-WRITE A COVER LETTER! Sounds tacky, BUT IT WORKS! You write when applying for a job right? Well you're applying for a Passport to another country, so it's a good idea to write one. Half a page is perfect. Explain why you are applying for it, what you want to do with it in Britain and explain to them how your British heritage is important to you. Those are the things they want to hear. And, also, I cannot stress this enough.when you write your cover letter, make sure you let them know atleast twice in your writing that you want to be a WORKING MEMBER OF THE BRITISH COMMUNITY, they will want to know you plan to work and not sponge.

-Depending on what year you were born in you may not need to apply for British Citizenship before you apply for a UK Passport. You may ALREADY be a British Citizen since birth. However, if you have the Right of Abode in the UK, that can only work in your favour.

-The best was to send your application, documentation is by express registered mail. You're sending VERY important documents MAKE SURE YOU SEND IT REGISTERED SO IT DOESNT GET LOST! I even set it so they had to sign for it when they received it. Also, if you're like me and are just fed up and want the damn thing already and don't want to wait any longer.you can print off the Authorization of Payment form on the High Commissions webpage. It lets you write your crecit card info on it which gives them authorization to use it and pay for it as soon as they get it without sending cheques or money orders etc.

-Last but not least, they say it takes roughly about 3 months. Mine took two weeks. So after months and months of forms and waiting for birth certificates to arrive and getting passport photos taken. It was a nice surprise when I received my UK Passport in record time!

-Secondly, if you haven't already got UK Passport photos taken, make sure when you do you let them know it's for a UK Passport because the sizes are different then from a Canadian. And they say they must recieve the pictures within a month of them being taken.

Hope this helps! If you have ANY other questions at all, feel free to ask me! Trust me! It feels damn good when you get that envelope back and that passport falls out!

DALLAS

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Thunderstick
New Member



Joined: 05 Aug 2008
Posts: 7
Location: Calgary

Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:16 pm

 

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Hi Dallas,

Thanks for all the info. I know what you mean by all the trouble you went through getting birth certificates and such. The biggest hassle and what took the longest for me was getting my long form birth certificate for the Ontario Government, as I live in Alberta now and they are really anal about releasing records out of province. Getting my father's birth certificate was a breeze. I ordered it online on the GRO website.

Anyway, I've just renewed my Canadian Passport so I will be sending it along with my other documentation. My Right of Abode certificate is in my previous passport so I'll be sending it along with my new one. It used to be that a Right of Abode was good indefinitely, and it only cost you $12.00 to have it transfered into your new passport. However, now you have to reapply for Right of Abode when you renew your Canadian passport and that costs a lot more money.

I'm not all that sure what I'll put in a cover letter. I'm not actually planning on moving to the UK to work any time soon. My British Heritage is important to me and that's one of the reasons I'm doing this. Also, if I ever do move to the UK I definitely plan on working. Another reason I'm doing this is that I work for an international company who's parent company is in Spain. With a British passport, I'll be able to work anywhere in the EU. But, I don't think I should put that in my cover letter.

Anyway, thanks for the info!

Cheers,
TS
_________________
I asked my mother once if I was a gifted child. She said, "Well, we certainly wouldn't have paid for you!"

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