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Second citizenship question

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 6:42 pm
by ericsal
Hi, I have a bit confusing situation. My wife has a second citizenship certificate from another country through ancestry route, but never had the passport or any other official paper from that country. She tried in the past to apply for a passport from that country at a local Embassy but the embassy refused to process her application saying she can only apply from that country by travelling to it and apply locally. Of course she didn’t persuade that any further and forgot about it. However, only one of my kids has obtained that country’s citizenship and passport.

We came to U.K. on T2G. In my wife’s application the lawyer who did our T2G, didn’t mention second nationality and just in the notes said she holds a citizenship certificate. Of course, my kid dual citizenship was declared.
When we applied ILR, I didn’t use a lawyer and followed the info in T2G applications, not clicking second citizenship for me wife, but I forgot to mention it in the note. I was about to notify the caseworker but got ILR approved before that.

Now I am filling the naturalisation application and very confused how to answer my wife’s application. If I add a second citizenship it will mismatch ILR and T2G, and if I don’t add it, I am worried it might be considered as hiding information. I am thinking to follow exactly the T2G application and just add a note - but again it might be thought as a mismatch from ILR.

Sorry for such long post, and thanks in advance for your advise.

Re: Second citizenship question

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:21 pm
by alterhase58
You should disclose all facts as required by the naturalisation application - naturalisation as you will probably know is not an immigration application, but has a separate legal framework and different requirements from immigration.

I would think that for her prior applications the fact that she has another nationality probably wasn't a material fact. That being said, for peace of mind you are free to add an explanation. In terms of dual/multiple nationalities the UK has no rules as to how many a UK citizen can hold. On the face of it I can't see any issues here.

Re: Second citizenship question

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:53 pm
by ericsal
Ok, thank you for your advice!
I am going then to add the second nationality, but I am thinking not to add anything in the notes related to that so I don't amplify the issue. what do you think experts?
Would they require any evidance of the second citizenship? as I said earlier, she doesn't have any passport, just a paper copy of citizenship certificate.

Re: Second citizenship question

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 8:08 pm
by alterhase58
Your choice whether to add any explanation - main thing you have declared it.
There is no requirement to provide evidence for the other citizenship(s).

Re: Second citizenship question

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 8:15 pm
by ericsal
Thank you! If you were me, would you add that as a note at the end of application as additional information to be considered, or not? If so, what note would you put? I have certificate but not passport? Or that it was missed in previous applications by lack of knowledge that citizenship certificate is a citizenship even without a passport.

Re: Second citizenship question

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2021 8:50 pm
by alterhase58
You are overthinking.
Declare the second nationality where asked in the appropriate box, with any details requested - not having a passport is no issue, it's normally the certificate that confers but as said you won't have to provide proof.