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British marries to a husband holding HKSAR passport,does the husband get British Passport too?

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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Feb 2010
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    This issue is very simple, I have personal experience. I am British, one of my kids was born here, the other in the Philippines, my wife is Filipino. Passports for the kids was very easy indeed. My wife was given indefinite leave to enter the UK.She can now apply for British citizenship having stayed in the UK continuously for 3 years( she has had the status for 5 years, but spent more than the allowed time outside the Uk during the first 2 years). But she will still need to take the citizenship test, which is not as easy as it seems, but just a matter of studying a set of facts and figures, most of which UK people have no idea about, the test really just showing the applicant is able to study in English.

    hullexile likes this.

  2. #12

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    May 2006
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    Yep cmercer, spot on. I am currently waiting for the ILR for my Filipina wife and eldest daughter. Don't suppose the floods are helping to speed things up at the moment.


  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by emmie:
    Yep, first off: 'Careline' phone enquiries won't care a jot till you hand over full credit card payment details for which they charge you 72 pence a min (on top of the initial call charge?)... AND then you find out their pleb hasn't full and clear info re individual circumstances and more specific cases. Instead they couch replies to one's tentative scenario suggestions with 'you need to further check that' or 'as far as I know'... Ah, Careline... careful - coz all's recorded (As Hull, and others I know, have found out a while back.)
    Yes, and if you don't have a credit card, as I don't, then you are unable to access this basic government service. It's a disgrace.

  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gruntfuttock:
    Sadly, the British Government has outsourced all such enquiries to commercial entities who charge a huge amount of money for the privilege of talking to their agents on the phone, and, from what I've read, the agents are pretty useless anyway.
    I have heard they are very useless, reading from a script in a slow monotone and un-able to answer anything except stuff that could easily be posted on FAQ's board.

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Jun 2011
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    371
    Quote Originally Posted by cmercer:
    she will still need to take the citizenship test, which is not as easy as it seems, but just a matter of studying a set of facts and figures, most of which UK people have no idea about, the test really just showing the applicant is able to study in English.
    Agreed most of us Brits will have no idea about British history, facts or figures.

    The issue I think most amusing is that those who try to obtain a legitimate visa for Britain have to jump through hoops (and sometimes fail) whereas they are shockingly bad at keeping illegal immigrants out of the country.

    Happened to a friend who had studied in the UK for 7 years (college, BSc and MBA) only to be told she could get deported luckily she got a visa!

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Hong Kong/ Australia
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    Thanks all for the useful info! So I suppose my spouse wont be able to obtain a UK passport unless he stays in the UK continuously for 3 years....For my children as well? Is that right? Or if both me and my husband lives in UK for continuously 3 years, then my children will be eligible to UK passport?

    And for "continuously", does it mean I cannot get out of UK at all during that 3 years? or short trips are OK?

    BTW, I'm surprised how efficient this forum is! lots of replies, really appreciated


  7. #17

    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Pampanga, Philippines
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    Your children should be able to get passports no problem (but only British by descent I think).


  8. #18

    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Hong Kong/ Australia
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    4

    I was born in HK but lived in the UK for a couple of years, I inherited the UK passport from my father. Is that British by descent?


  9. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by De Macaron:
    I was born in HK but lived in the UK for a couple of years, I inherited the UK passport from my father. Is that British by descent?
    Check your naturalisation certificate.
    If it says British by descent, your kids are not eligible to get a British passport unless they were born in the UK or naturalised there from living continuously for 3 years.
    If your passport states British Other than by descent, then your child born inside or outside of the UK are eligible for British passport.

    As you were born in HK and inherited the passport from your father, I think you are a British by descent in which case your kids born outside of the UK are ineligible for the UK passport. They will need to stay there for 3 yrs continuously to get naturalised.

    As for your husband getting the British passport because of you, thats not possible and he will need to get naturalised there by staying for 3 years.

    The British Consulate here are rubbish.

    Good Luck !!!

  10. #20

    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Pampanga, Philippines
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    Not sure if there is such a thing as a naturalisation certificate. My kids don't have them. On the British Passport it just says British Citizen with no mention of whether it is by descent or otherwise. I know it is but it is not recorded on the passport as far as I can see.