If I leave UK now will it affect my ROA status in future?

[AussieJo]

Hi there

I am an Aust. national and have been working in the UK for around 18 months under my right of abode status as my mother is a British citizen. However, I cannot obtain a British passport as unfortunately I was born just before Feb. 1961!

It looks as though I may have to return to Aust. because of my elderly mother's health situation. Under the new proposed changes to UK immigration laws I'm just wondering if I leave the UK soon but want to re-enter later to reside and work here again will I be able to? All the information I've read about the proposed changes, the ROA category may be reviewed to become something like granting 'permissions' which is very vague.

Any thoughts / information out there?

Thanks.

[Christophe]

The Green Paper is delightfully vague about the situation of non-British citizens with the right of abode in the UK, as you say; indeed, the reference to it reads almost like an afterthought that someone added just before the paper was published. No one can know for sure what will happen, but I'd make the following observations:

• - it would be extraordinary if people with the right of abode were deprived of that right, or something akin to it
  
  - there may be changes to the details and/or the semantics of the entitlements of people with the right of abode
  
  - having said that, the Green Paper is really concerned with purely immigration matters for those who require leave to enter the UK, and the right of abode is not really a purely immigration matter
  
  - the fact that the Green Paper is so vague makes one suspect that no major changes will occur to the present situation with respect to the right of abode

They are merely my thoughts, based on nothing in particular. Others may well have different thoughts...

[Dawie]

You cannot lose your right of abode by living outside the UK so you can go back to Australia for as long as you like without fear of losing it.

[Christophe]

You cannot lose your right of abode by living outside the UK so you can go back to Australia for as long as you like without fear of losing it.

That's the case now, absolutely. I think the OP as wondering if things might change with an immigration shake-up - it won't in essence, but the present Green Paper (The path to citizenship) makes vague allusions (well, actually one vague allusion) to the right of abode, and that is what has caused the OP to be concerned.

[JAJ]

You cannot lose your right of abode by living outside the UK so you can go back to Australia for as long as you like without fear of losing it.

No longer relevant for most Australian citizens, but a citizen of some other Commonwealth countries can lose ROA if they lose that country's citizenship.

For example a Singapore citizen with ROA who becomes a U.S. citizen loses Singapore citizenship and also loses ROA at the same time.

(however the same person becoming an Australian, New Zealand or Canadian citizen would keep ROA).

As Christophe suggests, the concern really relates to a change in the immigration laws.

[Christophe]

As Christophe suggests, the concern really relates to a change in the immigration laws.

JAJ, I wonder: do you think that there will be material changes to the situation vis-à-vis people with the right of abode?