My Citizenship Journey

[Dave M]

Wut? According to who? Is that a legal stance or your personal stance? Seems bonkers to me.

My Dad was born in the UK to a Polish father and a British/Indian mother, but he's always had a British passport, and there's no question of his nationality.

Why are you German? This may sound daft, but you are not your mother

Not filling the right forms at the right time I'd guess, we don't automatically become citizens for being born on UK soil, unlike the USA for example (boris johnson was, until recently, a US citizen because he was born while his parents were over there).

 

[marmalade]

Good idea to get Brit Cit always useful to have the odd extra passport. I suppose as a child you traveled on your Mothers passport. School paper work should be very useful and your GP (National Health records) Good luck. Check the forms over religiously before posting.

 

[BusError]

I'm also french, living in the UK for 16 years; I also ponder getting a UK passport. My life is here now, family, property and so on, so I'd have less problem giving up my french passport, given the choice!

I haven't looked very hard into the citizenship exams, but I've heard dreadful things about it.. :/

 

[sanaxe1]

Sounds to me like we've had a German spy within our ranks the whole time!

 

[Freefaller]

I'm also french, living in the UK for 16 years; I also ponder getting a UK passport. My life is here now, family, property and so on, so I'd have less problem giving up my french passport, given the choice!

I haven't looked very hard into the citizenship exams, but I've heard dreadful things about it.. :/

I like having both - besides do you want to give up on your rights to vote on things in France? Or do you have nothing left in France at all?

I still have things in France which I'd like to be able to make a decision on and be able to exercise my rights.

Did you do national service? I wonder how it affects things if at all.

 

[Kutter]

If that's how you feel fine, go ahead and become a US citizen, but you are going to stand in a room, raise your right hand and swear allegiance to a new country, forsaking loyalty to your country of birth.

From the oath you would take:

..so why should you get the right to keep British citizenship after swearing you no longer have any loyalty to the country?

What happens in 10 years time if we decide to move back to the UK? And you still didnt answer my question?

 

[Destination]

Swearing allegiance is not a requirement of UK citizenship.

Not quite right.
For those born 'British' they have to say and do nothing, and make no oath or pledge.
Those who acquire citizenship have to take an oath and a pledge.

Oath
I, [name], [swear by Almighty God] [do solemnly, sincerely and truly affirm and declare] that, on becoming a British citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs, and successors, according to law.

Pledge
I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen.


Do think it is odd to be born with citizenship and not have to qualify in some way.

 

[Burnsy2023]

Not sure if this has been asked before, but where was your birth registered? I'm assuming that it wasn't the UK but Germany instead?

I was born in the UK and have a British birth certificate.

Wut? According to who? Is that a legal stance or your personal stance? Seems bonkers to me.

My Dad was born in the UK to a Polish father and a British/Indian mother, but he's always had a British passport, and there's no question of his nationality.

Why are you German? This may sound daft, but you are not your mother

That's the legal stance. No father was entered onto the birth certificate and so I only inherit my mother's nationality.

Not filling the right forms at the right time I'd guess, we don't automatically become citizens for being born on UK soil, unlike the USA for example (boris johnson was, until recently, a US citizen because he was born while his parents were over there).

My mum would have to have applied for settled status for me to have avoided this, like you say, being born here isn't enough.

 

[Strife212]

How on earth did you get a passport in the first place?

This was a genuine question by the way, I thought having a British Passport was proof in itself that you were a British Citizen?

 

[Burnsy2023]

This was a genuine question by the way, I thought having a British Passport was proof in itself that you were a British Citizen?

It is. I don't have a British passport.

 

[Jae-So]

Good luck. I actually did that citizenship test years ago. Can't remember a thing from it but hey got my passport

 

[The_Abyss]

Not quite right.
For those born 'British' they have to say and do nothing, and make no oath or pledge.

Precisely. The vast majority of the population have not sworn allegiance.

 

[datalol-jack]

Precisely. The vast majority of the population have not sworn allegiance.

Therefore the Queen can only call upon her naturalized subjects! Who's more loyal -- you decide! I guess that alongside our unwritten constitution, the allegiance bit is likewise implicit hanging upon some dusty convention a few sagely lawyers hold stashed away in their mental attic.

 

[Jokester]

I was born in the UK and have a British birth certificate.

This is what I don't get, I always thought, if you were born in the UK and it was registered here, you were a British citizen?

 

[datalol-jack]

This is what I don't get, I always thought, if you were born in the UK and it was registered here, you were a British citizen?

It varies from country to country. As in, the law decision about whether you inherit the nationality of your parent(s) or the one assigned to citizens of your place of birth isn't unambiguous. I imagine there are cases where ending up in the wrong sort of place, with the wrong sort of woman, may make one a world citizen .

 

[Bickaxe]

My missus brought this up the other day as she's thinking the same as you.

She has an Irish passport but was born in Northern Ireland (I think her dad has dual nationality and her mum just has Irish) and is concerned about the whole work visa thing. I'm pretty sure she has a British birth certificate though.

I don't think its much to worry about as both you and her have a work and school history that dates back to your early years. I haven't read up on the whole thing yet though.

Having said that, I told her she should be deported at the earliest opportunity....

 

[dowie]

they're not likely to do anything re: Irish citizens... that is a massive can of worms, they'll likely retain special status regardless of what happens... a big chunk of NI are Irish citizens after all

you'll notice that they're allowed to vote in the referendum but other EU citizens aren't*


*(aside from Cyprus and Malta AFAIK)

 

[bledd]

Send Burnsy back

 

[Bickaxe]

they're not likely to do anything re: Irish citizens... that is a massive can of worms, they'll likely retain special status regardless of what happens... a big chunk of NI are Irish citizens after all

you'll notice that they're allowed to vote in the referendum but other EU citizens aren't*

*(aside from Cyprus and Malta AFAIK)

That what I'm thinking too.

But then I remember that when it comes to politics, our politicians don't always use common sense....

 

[drakioned]

Should have been clearer, the referendum has no bearing on my decision, they were two unconnected points. I'd not switch my British passport.

I agree that Taiwan would be an odd one to choose, what with it not being recognised as a real country by most of the world I don't personally know anyone who's done it, even those who have been here 20+ years. Aside from being able to vote or buy property, it would make no difference to my life at all.

Though, I do find it kind of unfair that Taiwanese nationals are allowed to take on a second nationality, but foreigners have to renounce their existing one before getting citizenship here.

To be fair, there's nothing stopping you from reclaiming your British citizenship after you become Taiwanese... it's just more paperwork.