Immigrationboards.com

michali · Newbie Joined: 25 Oct 2012 Posts: 5

I have been reading the boards with interest particularly as posts pertain to the new rules. However, it has made me wonder about my daughter's status! She was born in 1974 in a Commonwealth country (which became independent but remained in the Commonwealth) to me, a UK citizen and her father, a commonwealth citizen. In 1976 an official in the British High Commission told me that, as her mother, I could pass on British citizenship to her by a patriality stamp, which I did and she obtained a British passport. She has lived in the UK since 1990 and in 2000 married a British citizen. Just reading this board, I wonder if she is in fact a British citizen or one of the other categories, all of which I find very confusing. Could someone clarify this for me please?

JAJ · Moderator Joined: 23 Oct 2005 Posts: 3641

Depending on the answer, she could have Right of Abode but not be a British citizen (despite having the passport, sometimes passports are issued by mistake). Or she may not have any British immigration status.

What Commonwealth country is it? Normally, if she became a citizen of the new country on independence she would have lost her U.K. & Colonies citizenship unless she retained links to the U.K. or another colony. And normally those links were through the paternal line.

However there were some exceptions in the later independence cases - eg Antigua.

Or was she registered as a U.K. & Colonies citizen at the British High Commission after independence, this also occurred at times, prior to 1983. In that case there should be a certificate evidencing it.

michali · Newbie Joined: 25 Oct 2012 Posts: 5

It was Guyana which became independent in 1966. I know she was given a Patrialty stamp and that children of mothers who were UK citizens could get it as long as they were under eighteen years of age. In fact when I came here to The Bahamas, I told a few other people here whose children were still under eighteen years of age and they were also able to get the certificate and passport for their children.

I think it likely that she comes under the last category that you mentioned.