Citizenship Various Questions

[garethemarc]

My parents were told in 1953/4 that there was no need to return to UK for my birth I was automatically a full normal British Citizen.
Now when my grankids want to come in they are not regarded as British as they are the second generation born outside UK.
When did this change in legislation come into effect and how come it is backdated to take away from me the ability to hand my citizenship to them as one could always hand citizenship to grankids. For proof look no further than Zola Budd!
thank you
Gareth

[alterhase58]

You have posted on an old thread, unrelated I think to your query.
To help forum members give feedback it would be helpful to state your and your grand kids' history in terms of British citizenship.

[garethemarc]

hi,
Sorry, I did not find another like subject. As I said I was British by birthright but sometime after 1954 the law was changed to amend my status to British by descent. This has no impact on me. But it does impact my grankids who are now regarded as being the third generation born outside the UK. They were born in South Africa
I wanted to know which legislation this was and how come it could be backdated
thanks
Gareth

[CR001]

Posts split to your own topic.

See point 12 in the forum rules FAQs (click)

[secret.simon]

When and where were your parents born? When and where were you born? What gender are you (only relevant if your children were born abroad before 1983)? When and where were your children born and when and where were your grandchildren?

Broadly (and the answer may vary based on the specifics of your case), before 1983 British citizenship could be transmitted in the male line if the birth was registered with the local British diplomatic mission (something like what the Irish have nowadays). Since 1983, British citizenship can only be transmitted one generation outside the UK.

The main laws that you want to look at are the Immigration Act 1971, which restricted the right to reside in the UK even for UK citizens who had no familial link going back two generations in the male line, and the British Nationality Act 1981, which redefined British citizenship and restricted it to one generation (in exceptional circumstances two) outside the UK.

Also see this brief (out-of-date as it does not include the Immigration Acts 2014 & 2016) history of the Immigration Acts, of the history of British nationality and British Nationality Acts through the ages on the Gov.UK website.