British Nationality

Dear,

I am trying to figure out my British Nationality possibilities.My situation is as follows:

1) My grandfather was born in India in 1929.
2)He moved to Singapore. In my knowledge, he had a Singapore passport.
3)He was employed in Her Britannic Majesty's department (1954-1972).
4)He married my grandmother in 1958. Grandmother was an Indian.
5)My mother was born in Singapore in 1961(During the period of my grandfather's Crown Service). We have a copy of her Duplicate birth certificate from State of Singapore, in which her father's nationality is mentioned as Singapore citizen.
6)In 1971, my grand father registered as a Citizen of United Kingdom and Colonies under 6(1) of BNA 1948 as amended by s.12(2) of Commonwealth Immigration Act 1962 from Singapore high commission.
7)Grandfather renounced his Singapore citizenship and moved to UK. Grandmother and children moved to India.
8)When my mother wads 18 years old, her younger brother moved to UK and now living there as a British Citizen.
9) After my mother's marriage, her other two younger sisters along with their mother moved to UK. Her two younger sisters are also UK citizens. My mother told me that, she couldn't join them because she was over 18 years of age at that time.
10)My grandfather and Grandmother were deceased in India, in our place.

I have checked BNA 1948, BNA1981 and various web posts. I really got confused with the eligibility for my mother and I.

Could anyone here please help me to sort out this:

1. Is my mother automatically British or she have any British nationality status? If yes, can she pass that to her next generations? If not, how she lost that?
2.Can I apply for British Nationality based on the above details. I mean Ancestral Visa.


Thanks.

The chances of being able to claim British nationality through such a route are relatively low, but not impossible. In what capacity did your grandfather work for Her Britannic Majesty's service? And where was he recruited (generally Crown Service only counts if the person was recruited in the UK and sent abroad)? Was your mother registered or naturalised as a CUKC in the UK (not in a colony) at any time? What nationalities has your mother held throughout her life?

Go through the links I have linked to in this post and also see the rest of the the thread to see just how complex it can be to claim British citizenship in this manner.

As for the Ancestry visa, that is not an option as that requires one of your grandparents to have been born in the UK.

@ secret.simon

Thank you for your valuable reply.

My grandfather worked in Her Britannic Majesty's Department for Environment Far East Region. In his job certificate,it indicated as Electrician, Overseer and Artisan mate (various periods). It was not a high position job. I don't believe that he was recruited in the UK and sent abroad. My mother told me that 'her maternal-grandfather' was born in India and moved to singapore. Then he brought her father(my grandfather) to Singapore from India.Then he married my grandmother in 1958.
But my grandfather got citizenship under 6(1)(b), BNA-1948, that says,
he is in Crown Service under His Majesty's government in the United Kingdom.
Also there is a right abode paper on my grandmother's indian passport that says 'Certificate of entitlement to right of abode 2(1)(b)[1981]'.

My mother doesn't know, was she registered or naturalised. They moved from Singapore to India, when she was in 3rd standard or so. She lost her old passport. She doesn't know whether it was Singapore or CUKC. Her relatives took admission for her in Indian school as she was born in India. In her school certificates her birth place is in India. So, she got an Indian Identity.

We only have a declaration paper typed and signed by Grandfather in 1980,UK. It was a sponsorship declaration or so.  In that, my mother's name is listed under the section(Name, address and relationship of dependents in India who are being sponsored:). The purpose of stay is typed as: Permanent stay with parent in England. But my mother's age was 19 on those days. I don't know what happened next. Mother told me that she was over 18, so her father couldn't bring her to the UK (I am not sure at this). So she got married in India and stayed here.Her younger siblings moved to the UK.  

How can I check if my mother's registration was done or not ?  I requested the National Archives, UK for checking my mother's registration. But they don't have such details. Also they don't have details of overseas registration too.

My mother is now an Indian citizen. Maybe before that, she was a Singapore citizen or CUKC. She was born in 1961, in Singapore. I learned from the internet  that, during 1959 to 1963, Singapore was partially independent (as a crown colony). Citizens born during that period have a Singaprean version of British Subject passport- British Subject: Citizen of Singapore. The other was British Subject: Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, which was my grandfather's first UK passport. So, what was my mother's status if she has a Singapore version of British passport.

I have been researching and checking in various documents, studies, reports and blogs the last 3 months. I couldn't conclude my mother's status yet.
I have seen some helpful people here. So please help me to sort this out.


Thank you.

When were you born?

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:37 am

Also there is a right abode paper on my grandmother's indian passport that says 'Certificate of entitlement to right of abode 2(1)(b)[1981]'.

When was this Indian passport issued?

@ secret.simon,

It was about my grandmother's Indian passport. She got her first Indian passport in 1960. In her other passport, issued in 1979, there is an entry certificate-settlement- accompanying Husband 6(1), which was on date Jan-1980.
Then her other passport issued by High Commission of India, London in 1990, the certificate of entitlement is pasted. as,
certificate of Entitlement to Right of Abode 2(1)(b)[1981] signed on date: 10th-May-1993.

I was born on 1989 in India. My other siblings were in 1954 and in 1990 in India.

Thanks.

As I have mentioned in that other thread, it all depends on whether your mother was registered as a CUKC in the UK (or at the UK HIgh Commission in Singapore) herself OR if she had resided in the UK herself for five years before 1983.

If either of these conditions are met, she would have become a British citizen on 1st January 1983 and her children born after that date would be British citizens by descent themselves.

But you will need proof that she was registered as mentioned above or proof that she resided in the UK for five years as mentioned above.

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:37 am

my grandfather got citizenship under 6(1)(b), BNA-1948, that says,

Was your mother born before or after the date on this registration certificate? If after, were her parents married at the time of her birth? Where was your mother herself born?

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 11:32 am

My other siblings were in 1954 and in 1990 in India.

DId you mean 1984 or 1954?

@secret.simon

My mother born in 1961in Singapore, grandfather's CUKC registration was in 1971.

Yes, her parents are married before her birth. They were married in 1958 in India. It was a religious registration held in 1958. So my grandfather took a witness certificate from that religious institution(1979) and registration certificate from Indian Government (on 1980) with marriage date on 1958.

I am sorry, it was a typo, I mean 1984.

My mother's other siblings are with the same conditions. All of the siblings were born before grandfather's registration in Singapore. Only the difference is, they moved to UK, before they are turned 18 years of age.They got the British citizenship.

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:07 pm

they moved to UK, before they are turned 18 years of age.

If they moved to the UK and then resided in the UK for five years before 1983, it is quite likely that they will be full British citizens.

Did you mother live in the UK for five years before 1983 or did your grandfather include her in the registration process (she would have got a separate registration certificate)?

@secret.simon

My mother's siblings moved in1985. They had some sort of interview process in Mumbai, India before moving to UK. My mother never visited UK. She only lived in Singapore and India.

How can I find that my mother's registration was done or not? Which office I have to contact for that? I already contacted the national Archives, UK. they don't have such copy. Could you please help me.

Thanks.

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:24 pm

How can I find that my mother's registration was done or not? Which office I have to contact for that? I already contacted the national Archives, UK. they don't have such copy.

The only department on the UK side that I know would have such records would be the National Archives. And of course, your grandparents would have the original copies. It is worth checking if the family has a copy of any registration certificates or not.

The fact about your mother having been 18 years or older at the time the family moved to the UK may be significant.

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 09, 2020 12:27 pm

My mother told me that, she couldn't join them because she was over 18 years of age at that time.

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:07 pm

Only the difference is, they moved to UK, before they are turned 18 years of age.

Ani1989 wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 12:24 pm

My mother's siblings moved in1985. They had some sort of interview process in Mumbai, India before moving to UK.

It sounds like your mother siblings were registered later on, which could be done as they were minors. But as your mother was not a minor at the time, she could not have been registered as a British citizen.

If that is the case, there is no pathway to British citizenship for either her or you (or your siblings).

The way to check for this is to ask your mother's siblings if they have their registration as British citizen certificates and if they do, when were they issued and under which section of which Act were they issued.

@ secret.simon

My grandparents were deceased. All the documents they hold are with us now. no such registration papers except that sponsorship declaration paper signed by grandfather.

I will ask my other family members for the details. All the information get from you are really valuable. Thank you very much.

Thank you for reply