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Hi, all! I am going to be in the UK this summer for a work-related trip (really! ). Unfortunately I'll only be there for about 10 days, then I move on to Paris for another work-related trip (great job I have ). Right now I THINK my 10 days in the UK will be spent as follows: 3 days in London (work), 3 days in Derby (work), and 3 days in Hull (personal -- see next paragraph!), with 1 extra day for travel. I MIGHT be able to stretch it out for a few more days, but that's pushing it for this summer -- in 2019 I will be back for a longer period.
Years ago I found out that I have the right to UK citizenship through my mom, who was born and raised in England (mostly in Hull) and left only because she met and married my father, an American GI. I would like to start the citizenship process by talking to someone in the UK, probably in Hull where I still have relatives (including my mom's brother and his wife & family); my mom sent me her old passports and lots of other old documents and I was thinking of taking them with me. Does anyone know WHOM I should contact? Is there a central office (e.g. in London) for citizenship questions, or would I go to Hull's city hall?
I realize I may not be able to accomplish anything on this while I'm there, but it seems like a good opportunity to talk to SOMEONE in person! The citizenship forms ask for original documentation to be mailed (U.S. to U.K.) which is a bit scary to me, since the documents are irreplaceable.
Thanks in advance! I'm really looking forward to my trip, and I'll be back (with students) in May 2019!
Karen, I'm sorry I can't help you but I just wanted to say that I do envy you. I would love to live in England but I don't qualify. My grandfather was born in Hull and my aunts and uncles were all born over there, but my Dad was the youngest and was born here. I can't even get in through my English husband because they have tightened up the rules for immigration.
Someone here will know the procedures for obtaining citizenship. I think I had to send original certificates when my English husband came here to live but they really did send them back to me.
Hi Karen, I would get certified copies of all important documents before sending them. I believe the UK post office has, in effect, a pretty low cost notary service for this.
If you are sending the documents from the US, use a courier not USPS! It may cost as much as $100 but it's the only way to be sure of safe arrival. I think it is also possible to arrange for the documents to be returned by courier as well.
Karen, I'm sorry I can't help you but I just wanted to say that I do envy you. I would love to live in England but I don't qualify. My grandfather was born in Hull and my aunts and uncles were all born over there, but my Dad was the youngest and was born here. I can't even get in through my English husband because they have tightened up the rules for immigration.
Someone here will know the procedures for obtaining citizenship. I think I had to send original certificates when my English husband came here to live but they really did send them back to me.
Best of luck. Lucky you!
Thank you! What are the rules for non-UK citizens who marry a UK citizen? I am really surprised that you and your husband can't go back to England to live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brontosaurus
Hi Karen, I would get certified copies of all important documents before sending them. I believe the UK post office has, in effect, a pretty low cost notary service for this.
If you are sending the documents from the US, use a courier not USPS! It may cost as much as $100 but it's the only way to be sure of safe arrival. I think it is also possible to arrange for the documents to be returned by courier as well.
Thanks for the info! I didn't even know you could get certified copies of things like passports. I will check to see if we have that service over here -- it would make me feel a lot better to have those copies, just in case.
If a non-UK citizen and a UK citizen marry, there are rules about how much the U.K. Citizen must earn before they can bring their partner permanently there. They are trying to clamp down on marriage fraud as well as welfare dependency. You could google the details.
Thank you! What are the rules for non-UK citizens who marry a UK citizen? I am really surprised that you and your husband can't go back to England to live.
I can't get into England even though I am married to a UK citizen because we are retired and don't make enough money. I guess I can spill the beans here--the proceeds from the sale of his house in England were stolen by a dishonest lawyer who handled the transaction. She finally was apprehended and lost her license but he never was able to recover his money. That would have been his retirement money.
The rules have changed so that in order to immigrate by marriage, you now need to have a considerable sum. That was supposed to keep the undesirable types out but it is keeping us out too. We both want to go and live there and he now has three grandchildren there. It's a depressing and hopeless situation.
Quote:
Thanks for the info! I didn't even know you could get certified copies of things like passports. I will check to see if we have that service over here -- it would make me feel a lot better to have those copies, just in case.
I see your question has not been answered and although you may since have found out I thought I would give you some info:
You are able to claim UK citizenship if your mother was British. The process you are likely to want to follow is this: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...tizen-form-ukm
You need to essentially prove that you are your mother's child, prove she was born there and then you would be able to register as a British citizen and thereafter apply for a passport etc.
In the past citizenship was only allowed to be passed down through the father and the UKM process is now an amendment to that "sexist" way.
One can also claim ancestry if you have at least one British grandparent but better to use the UKM avenue if possible. Good luck.
Hi, all! I am going to be in the UK this summer for a work-related trip (really! ). Unfortunately I'll only be there for about 10 days, then I move on to Paris for another work-related trip (great job I have ). Right now I THINK my 10 days in the UK will be spent as follows: 3 days in London (work), 3 days in Derby (work), and 3 days in Hull (personal -- see next paragraph!), with 1 extra day for travel. I MIGHT be able to stretch it out for a few more days, but that's pushing it for this summer -- in 2019 I will be back for a longer period.
Years ago I found out that I have the right to UK citizenship through my mom, who was born and raised in England (mostly in Hull) and left only because she met and married my father, an American GI. I would like to start the citizenship process by talking to someone in the UK, probably in Hull where I still have relatives (including my mom's brother and his wife & family); my mom sent me her old passports and lots of other old documents and I was thinking of taking them with me. Does anyone know WHOM I should contact? Is there a central office (e.g. in London) for citizenship questions, or would I go to Hull's city hall?
I realize I may not be able to accomplish anything on this while I'm there, but it seems like a good opportunity to talk to SOMEONE in person! The citizenship forms ask for original documentation to be mailed (U.S. to U.K.) which is a bit scary to me, since the documents are irreplaceable.
Thanks in advance! I'm really looking forward to my trip, and I'll be back (with students) in May 2019!
Karen. You are likely ALREADY a British citizen - you will just need to apply directly for a passport.
You can call HM Passport Office helpline and they'll tell you what you need to send. I have just completed the process for my son (born in the US - American dad, British mum - me - ). He was considered to be automatically a British citizen at birth because I was born in the UK. So, if your mum was born in the UK, you should be in the same position. All I had to send with the passport application was his birth certificate, along with my original birth certificate and to provide my British Passport number. It might be hard for you to find some of these things for your mum, but there are other documents you can use: just call the office and see what they say.
There is the possibility of doing a fast track application - where you bring all your documents to the HMPO office in central London, having booked an appointment time. I tried this when I was home last summer and it didn't work out as planned. It's much easier to send the application - you can get a certified copy of your US passport to include - and then send the original birth certs - and you can mail it before you go. It might even be issued before you leave for the UK.
I can't get into England even though I am married to a UK citizen because we are retired and don't make enough money. I guess I can spill the beans here--the proceeds from the sale of his house in England were stolen by a dishonest lawyer who handled the transaction. She finally was apprehended and lost her license but he never was able to recover his money. That would have been his retirement money.
The rules have changed so that in order to immigrate by marriage, you now need to have a considerable sum. That was supposed to keep the undesirable types out but it is keeping us out too. We both want to go and live there and he now has three grandchildren there. It's a depressing and hopeless situation.
I am in this boat also - but at the other end of the age-scale: I'm a student with precarious income and don't earn enough to sponsor my husband (who is the main breadwinner). It's so depressing to be essentially locked out of your own country. We have a one year old and I wish he could see his grandparents more often.
I see your question has not been answered and although you may since have found out I thought I would give you some info:
You are able to claim UK citizenship if your mother was British. The process you are likely to want to follow is this: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...tizen-form-ukm
You need to essentially prove that you are your mother's child, prove she was born there and then you would be able to register as a British citizen and thereafter apply for a passport etc.
In the past citizenship was only allowed to be passed down through the father and the UKM process is now an amendment to that "sexist" way.
One can also claim ancestry if you have at least one British grandparent but better to use the UKM avenue if possible. Good luck.
I don't think so, but I wish so. My grandparents came from England but you get entry through your parents, not your grandparents. My dad, being the youngest, was born in the USA, unfortunately. Unless this is something new? Grandparents?
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). Unfortunately I'll only be there for about 10 days, then I move on to Paris for another work-related trip (great job I have 
