Can my wife, the USC, apply for a UK passport? We're about to begin the CR1, and I was wondering if she is entitled to a UK passport?

Any ideas at all?

Thanks

Only if she has actually resided in UK.

Nope, not at this time.

You would both have to reside in the UK full time and after three years she would be granted a UK passport. She isn't entitled to a passport because she married a UK citizen, just like you aren't entitled a US one because you married her - you'll earn that through LIVING here.

The nice thing about the UK is you have the option a few years down the line, once you have your US citizenship, to return with your wife to the UK to live if you both choose to. And it's pretty quick and painless for a spouse to gain entrance to the UK. Then after three years of residence in the UK she would get her UK passport.

Sorry, she has to live there to get it.

Also, if it was true for USC who had not resided in UK earlier, that would open DRUMS of worms (as those with Indian, Pakistani, Guyanese, Nigerian, etc. spouses would now want to apply).

Looks like you are going to have to decide which country you are going to live in and then actually live there.....

Kezzie

hey Richi,
Back in the good old days, a foreigns spouse of a UKC could get an automagic UK passport, but alas, no more.
If your wife wants to get UK citizenship, she has to immigrate there and be a permanent resident for 3 years before applying. Sounds like it might be a plan down the road, but not for now.

Hope you're feeling well!

Hey there Meauxna thanks for that, yes, Im at the hospital tomorrow...in the UK
I did think that a USC automatically is entitled to to a UK passport...guess I was stuck in a timewarp!

Kezzie, no question as to where we want to live, I was just inquiring as to if my wife was entitled to a UK passport.

????????????What??

you only need to reside in the UK for a british passport??
I would think that the person would need to be a CITIZEN of the UK also.

damn, I thought so too. Or at least hoped so. Oh well!

Well, app for UK passport is (according to my cousin who lives in London) the same as the app for citizenship. What I was saying was that it would be impossible for a foreigner to get UK citizenship without actually residing in UK (basically analogous to what it is in US and Canada; admittedly, the citizenship and passport apps are separate in these countries--the passport app can only be filled by a citizen).

Not automatically granted simply based on time either. Moh'd al-Fayed (the chopf#ck Egyptian owner of Harrod's) was denied UK passport (a fact about which he complained royally).

Or not, as the case would seem to be!

while I understand governments needs to do things this way all this beurocracy really does make it much harder for 2 people looking to merge their lives....... sigh!!!

Admittedly, I could have used the words profusely, too much, grossly (there's a plethora of words which would work)



Considering that ONE government (in this case US) can make life miserable through marginally-shoehorned antiquted immigration laws, no surprise.