[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac]
Well, for a real-life example, look at **Giles’**s post above. It can be fiendishly complex, which is why I have the impression that there are a lot of judgment calls made – particularly in the not-so-rare case where people might have a legitimate claim, but are missing documents.
[/QUOTE]
Yes. I’m actually pretty straightforward, though my situation is affected by UK citizenship law being gender-biased when I was born. (If my mother had been my father, I would be a UK citizen). But there are plenty of cases, especially in the aftermath of war or oppression, of people being born without any citizenship, e.g., if their parents are refugees in country which doesn’t give citizenship simply because you were born there, and they don’t inherit their parents’ citizenship.
I have to go faaarr back to find British ancestry–back to 1600 something. Irony is I’m all British–Scots, English, (protestant) Irish, heck there may be some Welsh as well. We just came early to this country and stayed. I look English. I like the climate there (truly!). I like the towns and the people (except that one guy at the Chunnel crossing-never mind, he was a jerk).
But American I am and will stay–I’ll just visit a lot.
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie]
If he’s very lucky, they’ll include a lovely big jar of Marmite!
[/QUOTE]
Over here, the only place I’ve seen that is in the cleaning-supplies section of the Dominion grocery store near Ryerson University.
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac]
Yesterday I learned that my application for citizenship in the UK had been accepted. Without having left the cozy confines of New-and-Improved-England, I now find myself a citizen of Merry Olde England as well. So how did this transubstantiation occur, you ask? Well, it happens that my mother, though she’s been a citizen of the U.S. for nearly half a century, never actually lost the British citizenship of her birth. Through her, I was able to apply. And now I’m a thousand dollars lighter, but richer by one additional nationality.
So there it is… I’m a newbie Brit. I’m just hoping at this point to avoid a full-scale identity crisis.
[/QUOTE]
Congrats my good fellow, just one thing.
It’s “Merrie” not merry
Oh and you have to learn to positively love the following culinary delights.
Curry
Mushy peas
Tripe and Onions
Liver and Onions
Cowheel.
There are others of course but I guess you’ll discover those for yourself.
An addiction to “real” football is mandatory I believe
And having a great-grandfather who was a well-known player doesn’t seem to help, unfortunately. I was hoping there was some sort of genetic predisposition or something, but no such luck.
I am a touch concerned about calling yourself a ‘Briton’, though. The correct nomenclature is ‘English’ if England win something and ‘British’ if another part of the Union does well. :smack:
Here is your essential guide to fitting in. You will need to be able to recognise and converse about the following:
Does taking an oath to be loyal to HM The Queen (God bless 'er and all who sail in 'er) affect your American citizenship?
[/QUOTE]
Apparently not. It’s considered a “routine” oath, and the default assumption is that by taking this kind of oath, you are not renouncing your original citizenship. Now, if I were to enlist in the Gurkhas, maybe it’d be a different story.
[QUOTE=glee]
Congratulations and welcome to the old country.
I am a touch concerned about calling yourself a ‘Briton’, though. The correct nomenclature is ‘English’ if England win something and ‘British’ if another part of the Union does well. :smack:
Here is your essential guide to fitting in. You will need to be able to recognise and converse about the following:
Marmite
the weather
cricket
Manchester United
Roman Abramovich
Jose Mourinho
Sherlock Holmes
Bertie Wooster and Jeeves
James Bond
Discworld
Monty Python
Fawlty Towers
Blackadder (especially the closing scene)
George and Ben Cohen
chicken tikka marsala
Trafalgar Square
Waterloo (especially the sunset)
the relief of Mafeking
battle of Stamford Bridge
Bletchley Park
Ladybower reservoir
[/QUOTE]
Thanks, glee. I’m at least semi-familiar with most of the things on the list (as a matter of fact, I was watching Fawlty Towers just the other day). Ladybower Reservoir is a new one on me, though.
I’m also figuring I’ll need an accent, a subculture, and a football team. Maybe I can get some recommendations.
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus]
Didn’t you have to learn how to spell the name of the country before they gave you citizenship?
[/QUOTE]
I was under the impression he was declaring himself to be “a Briton”, rather than saying he was “from Britain”.
None of this much affects me, mind you. My closest european ancestry is via Germany in the late 1800’s.
[QUOTE=Giles]
… I am entitled to a Right of Abode as a result of that, and one of my children is now living in the US on an Ancestry Visa as a result of that too.
[/QUOTE]
What benefits (or obligations) come with a Right of Abode and/or an Ancestry Visa?
[QUOTE=Ponder Stibbons]
I was under the impression he was declaring himself to be “a Briton”, rather than saying he was “from Britain”.
None of this much affects me, mind you. My closest european ancestry is via Germany in the late 1800’s.
[/QUOTE]
My most recent is from about 1800 (I think). My Dutch ancestry, reflected in my surname, is from 1640 or so. I was told at one point that immigration was impossible, and presumably it still is; absent marriage or membership in some preferred group. Not that I could now anyway; I can barely speak Dutch, but at the time I investigated it my Dutch was better.
[QUOTE=Encinitas]
What benefits (or obligations) come with a Right of Abode and/or an Ancestry Visa?
[/QUOTE]
I think that Right of Abode lets you live and work there indefinitely, and a UK Ancestry Visa lets you live and work there for five years. But I could be wrong. Every time I look at the rules, they seem to be squirming around and changing like drawings on the monitor after you’ve been looking at them all day.
