My baby will be born in Mexico

[loquilla]

Hi. I am a British citizen but my girlfriend is Mexican. She recently came to England to visit me and got pregnant. Since we are not married and she only comes on a visitor visa, the baby will be born in Mexico.

My question is, will I have problems when the child is born and I want to bring both of them to live with me? Does the baby need to be registered in the british embassy in mexico?.

I would appreciate the help.

Douglas.

[Lucapooka]

The child will be a British citizen by descent. If there is an intention to settle in the UK your partner will need a settlement visa but the child can apply for a British passport and forego the need for an entry clearance.

You can register the birth at the British Consulate but there is no mandatory requirement to do this. By doing so you will be issued a consular birth certificate but this, with regard to passport applications, has no benefits over or in addition to the Mexican equivalent when it is translated.

Registering a Birth
There is no requirement for a consular birth registration to be done for any birth that has occurred overseas. The original birth certificate issued by the authorities in the country in which the birth took place, along with a notarised translation if necessary, is sufficient for all purposes in the UK (including passport applications).

[loquilla]

thank you for your response.
Another thing we are looking into is she coming here as a visitor and having the baby here, but then she would have to go home and apply for the fiancee or spouse visa from there correct?

[Lucapooka]

She will likely be billed by the NHS for the cost of the birth. If you want to apply for a special visit visa for private medical treatment that would be okay. Or, she can apply for settlement now and then enter the UK.

What about family assistance after the birth? She would be much better to have her mother around her. I speak from experience!

[loquilla]

Yes, she is feeling that way as well, family support, my family is here and would help us out but I think she would feel more comfortable with her mum around.

We've just been brainstorming on what is best for her and the baby. The other idea we had was to apply for the fiancee visa now, get married when she gets here and have the baby here, her mum can always come for a period of time when the baby is born. We are at a dead end as to what to do.

She worries about immigration and not being able to be together. I think she has good chances, her English is perfect, she went to college in Canada, so it's not like she is coming here and not being able to adapt.

[Lucapooka]

Well clearly you and your partner have a lot to think about. With regard to Latin cultures, I can't stress enough the value that women place on having the family (particularly their mother) in close proximity when the baby is born. It's a huge amount of work for a new mother and it offers a great deal of comfort and security to have this benefit. Obviously some people cope better than others and if she has been living an independant life outside Mexico then it may not be of much concern to her. But, even if she has only mild baby blues or post-partum depression, you alone may not be sufficient to support her in her strange new country. Good luck.

[loquilla]

[quote="Lucapooka"]She will likely be billed by the NHS for the cost of the birth. If you want to apply for a special visit visa for private medical treatment that would be okay. Or, she can apply for settlement now and then enter the UK.

Thank you. We have to make our minds up soon though. As for the settlement visa that you mentioned, isn't that for couples who already lived together for 2 or more years?

[Lucapooka]

There are several different type of settlement visas. Fiancee-settlement are for those in your situation, who are not married or have not lived together for two years. It's issued with validity of six months, in which the immigrant is expected to marry and then make another application to settle.

[Greenie]

Hi. I am a British citizen but my girlfriend is Mexican. She recently came to England to visit me and got pregnant. Since we are not married and she only comes on a visitor visa, the baby will be born in Mexico.

My question is, will I have problems when the child is born and I want to bring both of them to live with me? Does the baby need to be registered in the british embassy in mexico?.

I would appreciate the help.

Douglas.

where were you born? Have you been British since birth

[Greenie]

There are several different type of settlement visas. Fiancee-settlement are for those in your situation, who are not married or have not lived together for two years. It's issued with validity of six months, in which the immigrant is expected to marry and then make another application to settle.

but to clarify - she will not be granted settlement after you have married, after you marry she can apply for further leave to remain as your spouse and would have to complete two years in this category before being eligible to apply for settlement (ILR). Note these rules may be subject to change in the future.

See also guidance