British through Descent?

Diamond007

New Member
My grandmother was born in Canada in 1922 which was then a British colony. In 1923 she moved to the U.S. and had a daughter born there in 1948. I was born in the U.S. in July of 1981. Could I claim British citizenship by descent or any citizenship for that matter such as Ireland?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
Hi,
I'm sorry to say my guess is probably "no". British citizenship descends only one generation abroad, meaning that your mother might be British, but you likely are not.

Whether or not your mother is British depends upon whether or not her mother lost her UK citizenship when she immigrated to the US.
 

Diamond007

New Member
Ok assuming my mother is able to claim British citizenship then once she has it would I be able to apply under her?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
No, sorry. For you to inherit her citizenship, she would have had to have been born in the UK or naturalized in the UK.
 

Travel Bound

New Member
Hello I will like to know if I’m eligible for a British passport or citizen by descent. I was born in the US Virgin Islands - US citizen. My dad born in 1935 on the island of Nevis was a British citizen up to his passing in 1985. My Mom born on the island of St Kitts in 1942 a British citizen, later became a US citizen in the early1980s.
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
Sounds like you are British. Apply for a passport with their birth certificates, their marriage certificate and your birth certificate listing their names.
 

TonyB

New Member
My mother was born in Blackpool England in 1944. My grandmother brought her to America at age 2 on the Queen Mary without her father. My grandmother was not married to my mother's father and married a US service member. I have a passenger list from the Queen Mary that list my mom but I know nothing about her father, how to look for a birth certificate etc. My questions are:
1) Am I British by descent?
2) If yes, do you have any idea of what type of firm could help me research for the necessary documents?

Thank you in advance!
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
Your mother is British, to the best of my knowledge, because the restrictions on citizenship by birth in the UK didn't come in for another 40 years.

So that means you are indeed British.

We help with British passports and citizenship registration. Email us at [email protected]
 

Travel Bound

New Member
Can I use a US passport holder with a US residence to confirm my identity when I apply for a British passport? Or a Jamaican passport holder with a US residence? What if I don’t have any uk citizens to confirm my identity because I live in the US?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
You need to find someone in a "recognised profession". Here is the British list:
  • accountant
  • airline pilot
  • articled clerk of a limited company
  • assurance agent of a recognised company
  • bank or building society official
  • barrister
  • chairman or director of a limited company
  • chiropodist
  • commissioner for oaths
  • councillor - local or county
  • civil servant - permanent
  • dentist
  • director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
  • engineer with professional qualifications
  • financial services intermediary, for example a stockbroker or insurance broker
  • fire service official
  • funeral director
  • insurance agent of a recognised company - full time
  • journalist
  • Justice of the Peace
  • legal secretary - fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs
  • licensee of a public house
  • local government officer
  • manager or personnel officer of a limited company
  • member, associate or fellow of a professional body
  • Member of Parliament
  • Merchant Navy Officer
  • minister of a recognised religion including Christian Science
  • nurse - registered
  • officer of the armed services
  • optician
  • paralegal - certified, qualified or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals
  • person with honours - OBE or MBE
  • pharmacist
  • photographer - professional
  • police officer
  • Post Office official
  • president or secretary of a recognised organisation
  • Salvation Army Officer
  • social worker
  • solicitor
  • surveyor
  • teacher or lecturer
  • trade union officer
  • travel agent - qualified
  • valuer or auctioneer - fellow or associate member of the incorporated society
  • Warrant Officer or Chief Petty Officer
So if you can know someone in the US who is in one of these professions (or its American equivalent) and is a member of a professional body, this can substitute for not knowing any British passport holders.
 

sabryp84

New Member
hi everyone, i have a question.
my mother was born in england from italian parents, the all moved back to italy when she was 18. she should have the citizenship automatically, but she doesn't have a uk passport. given this...could i apply for the uk passport or should she apply first?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
Yes, you can apply for a passport. You need her birth certificate, your parents' marriage certificate and your birth certificate listing your names (and any translations necessary).
 
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