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Does anybody here know anything about British Nationality Laws?

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freddy47

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Oct 26, 2011
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Dunno if this belongs in CE&P but I couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

So I was just curious. My parents were both born in Hong Kong. Therefore they were British subjects. My grandfather served in the British Royal Navy (don't know if that matters) and I think he was a British citizen. I however was born in the States and I am a United States citizen but I also hold permanent residency status (effectively making me a Hong Kong citizen as well) in HK and I got that before 1997 when HK became Chinese again.

My question is this. Could my parents still become British citizens? And if they can could I also apply for British citizenship? Just wondering because my parents have talked about the possibility of moving there because they have some relatives there. And they are tired of living in HK. And I wouldn't mind going over there myself.

Just curious. Thanks.
 
^Well I have been reading up on it but so far have not been able to make much sense out of the laws concerning Hong Kong residents and such.

British Nationality laws are really complex concerning Hong Kong residents. For example there are specific laws for British subjects, and British Overseas citizens. And then there are British Overseas territories citizens and British Nationals. It gets kind of confusing.

I was just wondering if anybody had a clearer understanding of it.
 
I guess I could always go to the British consulate here in Hong Kong and ask but can I even enter the consulate without a British passport?
 
^ i can't imagine why not. why not call them: (+852) 2901 3000

alasdair
 
^Well I remember going to the American consulate here in HK and I forgot to bring my US passport and they wouldn't let me in.

Figured the British consulate would be similar.

But yeah I think I'll give them a call tomorrow.
 
i've been admitted to the u.s. consulate in london with no us passport (i was not a u.s. citizen at the time). that was a few years ago so obviously mileage varies...

alasdair
 
^Interesting. So now I'm confused as to why they didn't let me in at the time, being that I am an American citizen.
 
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Short answer, no I doubt it. Hong kong was part of the commonwealth but I'm unsure if it was considered a British city or some grey area in between. If your grandparents were British born then your parents would be able to apply for ancestry residency, which means they could work and live with no problems in Britain. Eventually they could apply for British citizenship/passport but that does not then allow you to then ride off them to do the same. This is the situation for the rest of the commonwealth but hong kongs obscure history may be slightly different.

I'd imagine the British government wouldn't make it easy for anyone born in hong kong to gain a British passport for the simple reason that many would not be white. I'm sure the policy is not so blatantly racial but like many colonial laws there is a strong Anglo bias to them to "protect" the mother country from being over run by darkies
 
^Thanks for that. I appreciate it. Just a few things though.

Short answer, no I doubt it. Hong kong was part of the commonwealth but I'm unsure if it was considered a British city or some grey area in between.
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Well it was a British Crown Colony if that makes any difference.

If your grandparents were British born then your parents would be able to apply for ancestry residency, which means they could work and live with no problems in Britain. Eventually they could apply for British citizenship/passport but that does not then allow you to then ride off them to do the same. This is the situation for the rest of the commonwealth but hong kongs obscure history may be slightly different.
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Well I thought that British Citizenship can be inherited through the father. My Grandfather (like I said) was a British citizen and served in the British Royal Navy during WWII. So wouldn't that allow my father to inherit British citizenship and therefore me as well?

I'd imagine the British government wouldn't make it easy for anyone born in hong kong to gain a British passport for the simple reason that many would not be white. I'm sure the policy is not so blatantly racial but like many colonial laws there is a strong Anglo bias to them to "protect" the mother country from being over run by darkies
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Lol well are ethnic Chinese considered "darkies"? I know that a lot of Hong Kong Chinese left for other parts of the commonwealth before 1997 (mostly Canada and England) but I can understand how colonial laws can be slightly racist.
 
If your dad didn't have a "proper" citizenship ie he had to apply through his fathers links then I doubt they will give it to you. There is a limit of the number of generations it can be passed onto, despite you father now holding a passport. Things have tightened even more since the gfc too so what I have described is likely to be out of date.

I'm sorry but Anglo Saxons don't use chop sticks ;)
 
^ he could apply for asylum, then he'd definitely get in =D
 
If your dad didn't have a "proper" citizenship ie he had to apply through his fathers links then I doubt they will give it to you. There is a limit of the number of generations it can be passed onto, despite you father now holding a passport. Things have tightened even more since the gfc too so what I have described is likely to be out of date.
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Bummer. Well thanks for the advice I plan to look into it more in detail.

I'm sorry but Anglo Saxons don't use chop sticks
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Well they should. Fucking barbarians the lot of yah. Stabbing and cutting your food like a bunch of heathens! =D

he could apply for asylum, then he'd definitely get in
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I guess I could start passing out anti-revolutionary propaganda. That should get some blood boiling on the Chinese side of things. Maybe start bad mouthing Chairman Mao. But then I might get run over by a tank before I make it to the British embassy :\
 
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