First British Passport application - options

[huqqapani]

Hi, my wife has her ceremony booked on 08.08.19, she needs to travel back home for her remaining pregnancy asap, what is the quickest processing option that is currently available please. I see in the processing timelines thread that the average turnaround for June applications has been between 10 to 14 days. Is this the normal service?
Also, what is the benefit of check and send service, does this improve the processing times? What is the benefit of check and send. Please share with me all available options. Many thanks in advance.

[CR001]

I see in the processing timelines thread that the average turnaround for June applications has been between 10 to 14 days. Is this the normal service?

There is only normal service. There is no fast track service for first British passports. Note also that the closer it gets to summer holidays, the risk of delays become more of a possibility.

Also, what is the benefit of check and send service, does this improve the processing times? What is the benefit of check and send.

No extra benefit other than the Post Office checking your form (paper form). No difference on processing times.

[huqqapani]

I see in the processing timelines thread that the average turnaround for June applications has been between 10 to 14 days. Is this the normal service?

is it possible to apply for British passport abroad i.e. at British Embassy/ies abroad, after attending the ceremony in UK.

[CR001]

is it possible to apply for British passport abroad i.e. at British Embassie/s abroad, after attending the ceremony in UK.

Yes it is. It can take very long though.

Don't forget that she won't be able to return until she has a passport as she has to send her ILR BRP card back to HO once she attends her ceremony.

[huqqapani]

I mean what processing times are we talking here, like 6 months or less or more. For British embassy in Saudi for example?

[CR001]

Anywhere between 16 weeks and 1 year.

British passports are all processed in Liverpool. They are no longer done by the embassies in other countries.

[secret.simon]

I would be cautious about applying from abroad for your wife's first British passport. Remember that one of the requirements of naturalization is the intent to reside in the UK. If she leaves the UK immediately after naturalisation and applies for her British passport from abroad, the HMPO and HO may misinterpret her intention to reside in the UK.

Also see this (admittedly two year old) thread, where the HMPO unilaterally withdrew the passport application in a similar scenario.

[huqqapani]

I would be cautious about applying from abroad for your wife's first British passport. Remember that one of the requirements of naturalization is the intent to reside in the UK. If she leaves the UK immediately after naturalisation and applies for her British passport from abroad, the HMPO and HO may misinterpret her intention to reside in the UK.

Also see this (admittedly two year old) thread, where the HMPO unilaterally withdrew the passport application in a similar scenario.

after reading the suggested thread, i have decided for wife to attend a private ceremony (in 3 days time), which now gives her over 6 weeks for passport application processing, fingers crossed on that now.

[huqqapani]

i have a semi related question on this. A friend said that any child born abroad of naturalised citizen, they will be classed at BC from birth HOWEVER their children may be not classed at BC. Is there any such rule, can someone please shed some light on this?

[CR001]

i have a semi related question on this. A friend said that any child born abroad of naturalised citizen, they will be classed at BC from birth HOWEVER their children may be not classed at BC. Is there any such rule, can someone please shed some light on this?

A child born abroad to a naturalised British citizen makes the child British by Descent yes and they cannot pass their citizenship on automatically to any of their children born abroad.

However if a British by descent person has a child WITHIN the UK, then their children will be British born.

[huqqapani]

i have a semi related question on this. A friend said that any child born abroad of naturalised citizen, they will be classed at BC from birth HOWEVER their children may be not classed at BC. Is there any such rule, can someone please shed some light on this?

A child born abroad to a naturalised British citizen makes the child British by Descent yes and they cannot pass their citizenship on automatically to any of their children born abroad.

However if a British by descent person has a child WITHIN the UK, then their children will be British born.

im confused, so even if the child was born in UK (to naturalised parents), would the child be able to pass on the citizenship?

[CR001]

Yes, regardless of where their children are born and if their children are born abroad, they would be british by descent and can't then pass it onto their future children if their children are born abroad.

[huqqapani]

CR001, lets try to make it simple (for this layman please), me and wife are both Naturalised, 2 of our children were born in the UK. What kind of BC are these 2 children, would they be able to pass on the citizenship automatically?

Coming to the 3rd Child, if this child is born abroad then;

1) would he/she be British Citizen or not? If yes what type?
2) Would he/she be able to pass on the BC?
3) If not in point 2, what would he/she need to do to pass it on?

i apologise but i just cant get my head round this thing.

[Nerazzuri]

The 2 children born in the UK are British citizens by birth if one of the parents had ILR or citizenship when they were born. If they only gained their citizenship later (when the first of the two parents got ILR) then they are British citizens by registration. For those 2 children, it doesn't matter where their children are born. Those children will be automatically British.

If your 3rd child (let's call this child Tom) is born abroad, Tom will be a British citizen by descent. But if Tom has a child abroad whose only link to UK is through parents that are citizens by descent, then Tom's children will not be British at birth. They'll have to move to UK on a visa and then after several years, apply for citizenship. If Tom however had the child in the UK, the child will be a British citizen by birth.

What you need to understand is that you can't have more than 1 generation born abroad claiming citizenship through descent.

[CR001]

What kind of BC are these 2 children, would they be able to pass on the citizenship automatically?

British otherwise than by descent and can pass citizenship on to child born anywhere.

Coming to the 3rd Child, if this child is born abroad then;

1) would he/she be British Citizen or not? If yes what type?
2) Would he/she be able to pass on the BC?
3) If not in point 2, what would he/she need to do to pass it on?

1. British by descent.

2. Not if their children are born abroad.

3. Have their children in the UK.

[huqqapani]

What kind of BC are these 2 children, would they be able to pass on the citizenship automatically?

British otherwise than by descent and can pass citizenship on to child born anywhere.

Coming to the 3rd Child, if this child is born abroad then;

1) would he/she be British Citizen or not? If yes what type?
2) Would he/she be able to pass on the BC?
3) If not in point 2, what would he/she need to do to pass it on?

1. British by descent.

2. Not if their children are born abroad.

3. Have their children in the UK.

for 2) If the children of his/her were born abroad, how could they apply for BC (assuming they can)?

[CR001]

What kind of BC are these 2 children, would they be able to pass on the citizenship automatically?

British otherwise than by descent and can pass citizenship on to child born anywhere.

Coming to the 3rd Child, if this child is born abroad then;

1) would he/she be British Citizen or not? If yes what type?
2) Would he/she be able to pass on the BC?
3) If not in point 2, what would he/she need to do to pass it on?

1. British by descent.

2. Not if their children are born abroad.

3. Have their children in the UK.

for 2) If the children of his/her were born abroad, how could they apply for BC (assuming they can)?

Residence in the UK and potentially ILR for the children.

[huqqapani]

i didnt think about these issues at all i must admit. This is surely going to be complicated further down the line.

[Nerazzuri]

The simplest thing is avoid 2 consecutive generations being born abroad. If your child were born abroad and remained settled in the UK, they're not likely to have any issues for their children. If that child were married to someone who is British otherwise than by descent, your grandchild would be British regardless of where he/she were born.

You really don't need to worry too much about it.