French citizenship delay

[Linaok]

Hello, I am a newbie with my first post :)

Has anyone encountered this delay-

My husbands mother renounced her French nationality years ago (at the time dual citizenship was not allowed in their country- Guinea) - she was born to French parents and had citizenship. Although she was born outside of France, she DID have French citizenship.

Recently she has been trying to re-instate/re-apply for her French nationality so that her children (including my husband) can apply for citizenship as well. She sent the final application package circa two years ago through the French embassy in Guinea. For close to over Two years she has been calling with no real reason for the delay. She even traveled to France to chase the issue and is going back this summer.

What could the delay be? Is this normal?
How long can they possibly make one wait? She is not a young woman and we worry about her doing all this back and forth thing.
Should we hire a lawyer or is it too late/worthless now?

Please offer any helpful experience/advice/opinions about this. I almost feel that if they are going to deny it they should just do it so that we can stop waiting in baited breath for nothing!

Thanks to everyone

[Wanderer]

I wouldn;t have thought she can pass on her French Nationality anyway, if she wasn't born in France herself.

[Linaok]

Thanks for you reply, but in my post, I did mention that she was indeed a french citizen as were her parents.

Her parents are citizens. Her brothers are citizens. They all still live in France.

She is the only one out of her family (siblings/parents) who gave up her citizenship to live in Guinea. She had to make a decision of which nationality to keep and she chose Guinea.

Now she wants her French nationality back.

I guess my main question/concern relates to why it is taking so long, what could the problem be and how can we speed it up if at all.

[Wanderer]

Thanks for you reply, but in my post, I did mention that she was indeed a french citizen as were her parents.

Her parents are citizens. Her brothers are citizens. They all still live in France.

She is the only one out of her family (siblings/parents) who gave up her citizenship to live in Guinea. She had to make a decision of which nationality to keep and she chose Guinea.

Now she wants her French nationality back.

I guess my main question/concern relates to why it is taking so long, what could the problem be and how can we speed it up if at all.

I think you need a specialist immigration lawyer for this, an expert in French Nationality Law, to be honest I'm superimposing the UK model on top and assuming the same basics.

I still think it's unlikely tho that she not being born in France can pass on her then French nationality, but as a matter of interest was she French when ur husband was born? Might give a clue for others more expert if there are any here.

[Linaok]

Yes, she happened to be born in Guinea but family moved back to Nantes, France where she grew up. She received all her legal French documents. So again, yes, she actually had French Nationality/citizenship. I am not sure but I think she still held the citizenship when my husband was born.


N.B Just because someone wasn't born in their home country doesn't mean they are not considered citizens. It happens everyday:) For example, a child born to Britons outside of the UK is still considered a UK citizen by birth and parental origin correct? Her situation mirrors that. I would think it's the same all over the world.

Anyway. We will keep looking for information and help on this frustrating matter.

[Wanderer]

Yes, she happened to be born in Guinea but family moved back to Nantes, France where she grew up. She received all her legal French documents. So again, yes, she actually had French Nationality/citizenship. I am not sure but I think she still held the citizenship when my husband was born.


N.B Just because someone wasn't born in their home country doesn't mean they are not considered citizens. It happens everyday:) For example, a child born to Britons outside of the UK is still considered a UK citizen by birth and parental origin correct? Her situation mirrors that. I would think it's the same all over the world.

Anyway. We will keep looking for information and help on this frustrating matter.

Yes but those who are citizens by decent cannot (usually) pass on their citizenship to their children, unless French Nationality Law is different, which is why you need an experience lawyer and not a forum of laypersons like this.