Getting UK Passport question

Hello everyone I hope this hasn't been asked too many times. It wasn't covered in the earlier citizenship thread I found.

I've heard a few stories about this, so I thought I'd ask here.

My grandmother was born in the UK, lives now in Canada, but still holds her UK citizenship.

Is it true that once my father (born 1952) gets his UK passport, that I can also get a UK passport (I was born 1982)? I'm trying to get over there to work for a bit, and trying to figure out the best way to do this.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about this? My dad is lazy lazy lazy, so I have to do all the footwork for him.

Thanks so much!

I'm not sure. I know that my Mother was born in the UK and me, being born in 1984 got citizenship. I think it is largely to do with wether or not your Father was born in the UK. I would consult the British embassy.

Hi. You are correct that your parent would get a British passport, but you are not elligible. Under the current system you are only allowed to have an ancestry visa - though that may soon change for the worse if the current government goes ahead with it's immigration reforms.

I would say that it will change regardless because immigration is a very sore point with the Brits at the moment, and they seem to want some major reforms to their current systems.

My advice.....get your application for your ancestry visa in as soon as possible.

I just read in the paper today that the government is thinking about/going ahead with reducing the length of stay for a working holiday visa from 2 years to 1 year. I guess we'll see what happens.

You are eligible for an Ancestry Visa via your Grandmother, but not eligible for citizenship via your father (I'm in the same situation!)

Currently, Ancestry Visas are valid 4 years and after the 4 years you can apply for leave to remain, and then apply later for citizenship I think.

If they are about to change the rules, as above posts indicate, you'll want to get this done quickly. When I inquired they said it could take only about 7 weeks or less to complete, depending how long it takes you to get all required documents together. You'll need a copy of your Grandmother's birth certificate.

btw...if you are married, at the same time you apply for the visa, you can sponsor your spouse so that both of you can go and be eligible to work and stay in UK.

Hi I have just found this site and i found people talking about dual nationality, I'm having a nightmare trying to find out how to go about it. I've been to both UK and Canadian gov web sites can't make head nor tail of the info!! Someone posted a web address and i can't remember what it was. I was born in Canada to British parents, my father has become Nationalized Canadian my mother came back to England with us three kids. I have a Canadian passport but would like to get British one also. Is this possible with English mother not father? my mind is about to explode with the jargon on web sites i've gone to, please help!!

Lindy,
If you were born between 1961 and 1983 you can register as a citizen.
You can get that info here:
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en ... ation.html?

Did your father give up his UK citizenship? If not you should just be able to apply for a UK passport.

Good luck.

Michelle

Hi Michelle, thanks so much for the reply i'll be looking into whether my father gave up his citizenship, but thanks for the address, hopefully i'll understand it!!

my situation is slightly different.
my grandfather was british, so my grandmother and my mom hold british passports. my mom was NOT born IN england.
(although she was concieved there! )
at the age of 19 i tried to apply for a british passport, but i was told i was only eligible for one until the age of 18.
i was born in 1978. recently i have read in the papers that things have changed in favour of people who were born before 1981. would any of you know if ill be eligible for a british passport now?

If your mother was not born in Britain, you are ineligible. Citizenship by descent can only pass from parent to child. UK ancestry via a grandparent can qualify you for a visa only. The change in the law benefitted people like me. My mother was born in England. I was born in 1962. I was not eligible to get citizenship. Were my father born in England, I would get a passport. They changed the law and I did get a passport.