Applying for a British passport for my baby

[RayandCam]

Hi All,

I suppose I am not the first person asking but can't find detailed information on this anywhere. I want to apply for a British passport for my baby who was born in UK in 2014. I myself am from EEA, Lithuania to be more specific. I have lived and worked in the UK since 2008 and have all of my P60 to prove that. However, my employer only asked me to register for Work Registration Scheme in 2011 which I did. I didn't know I need to when I moved here as it was never a requirement of the company I worked for. Does it mean that my baby wouldn't qualify for a British passport now? If they count the years that I have lived and worked here from the day I obtained a WRS document it wouldn't make 5 years...Please help :/

[noajthan]

Hi All,

I suppose I am not the first person asking but can't find detailed information on this anywhere. I want to apply for a British passport for my baby who was born in UK in 2014. I myself am from EEA, Lithuania to be more specific. I have lived and worked in the UK since 2008 and have all of my P60 to prove that. However, my employer only asked me to register for Work Registration Scheme in 2011 which I did. I didn't know I need to when I moved here as it was never a requirement of the company I worked for. Does it mean that my baby wouldn't qualify for a British passport now? If they count the years that I have lived and worked here from the day I obtained a WRS document it wouldn't make 5 years...Please help :/

You need to have acquired PR and then your child is entitled to be registered as a British citizen;
ie when you are settled (or have naturalised as a BC yourself).

If due to WRS reasons your PR clock only started in 2011 you should still acquire PR automatically sometime in 2016, (assuming you remain in UK & are exercising treaty rights).

When you have acquired PR you can apply to register your child under section 1(3) of BNA;
(use form MN1).

Applying for a British passport is a separate step once the child has been registered as a citizen.

Ref HO guidance on this matter:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... ations.pdf

Good luck.

[RayandCam]

Thank you so much for your reply! But I get a PR automatically because I have lived here for 7 years now no? If I will acquire a PR only in 2016 but I need the passport now is there anything I can do? If I apply to get a PR card now and get it will I be able to get my baby a British passport right away?

[vinny]

But I get a PR automatically because I have lived here for 7 years now no?

No.

[noajthan]

Thank you so much for your reply! But I get a PR automatically because I have lived here for 7 years now no? If I will acquire a PR only in 2016 but I need the passport now is there anything I can do? If I apply to get a PR card now and get it will I be able to get my baby a British passport right away?

Living here is not good enough. You have to have been exercising treaty rights continuously for 5 years as a qualified person (in UK) to acquire PR.

Based on what you have said your PR clock started in 2011.
(The previous years since 2008 have not counted towards your PR).

If you child needs a passport for travel or other reasons (ie before you can register child / apply for British passport) suggest looking into acquiring a Lithuanian passport.