Reply to: UK Citizenship, should you bother?

[petergriffin]

A Referendum wont change this, as UK would still be part of EEC

You probably mean EEA. The EEC ceased to exist in 1993.

[istvan]

A Referendum wont change this, as UK would still be part of EEC, meaning anybody in EU can still live and work in UK on the same level as any UK/EU citizen.

Thanks, I am relieved. I am an EU, but not a UK citizen (not eligible- not yet at least), so I do not have to go home (hmmm, I am not sure anymore where that would be anyway - the EU citizenship is only one year old). By the way, I do not need to give up my US citizenship, they accept multiple citizenships.

[cailin maith]

Did you get to keep your other nationality?

Yep but the other nationality is only Irish & there are funny rules around it all.

[Zippy]

When I had to go and do the swearing allegiance to the Queen thing, the solicitor had a moustache. She was supposed to be a she

Did you get to keep your other nationality?

[cailin maith]

Soliciting, moustaches and Queen; do you often visit Soho's bars?

Only on special occasions

[Mich the Tester]

The ones I looked at weren't for MI5

I think it's one of those things - it might come in handy one day or it might just be a total waste of time.

When I had to go and do the swearing allegiance to the Queen thing, the solicitor had a moustache. She was supposed to be a she

Soliciting, moustaches and Queen; do you often visit Soho's bars?

[cailin maith]

I found that those roles that were of some interest to me (MI5 were hiring forensic phoneticians last year for example) tend to also be closed to anyone who wasn't born to at least one British parent or parents with 'significant links to the UK' (or something to that extent).

The ones I looked at weren't for MI5

I think it's one of those things - it might come in handy one day or it might just be a total waste of time.

When I had to go and do the swearing allegiance to the Queen thing, the solicitor had a moustache. She was supposed to be a she

[vetran]

Did either of your parents work for BMW?

In which case tell the Immigration authorities that your Dad's firm bought BL Mini.

sorted.

[Mich the Tester]

Dual citizenship is allowed in EU if the citizenships are both EU ones.

Under EU law, yes, but most countries in the EU pick and choose their EU laws, as is the case in NL, where they've made it almost impossible to get Dutch nationality while keeping your original nationality. I won't give up by British nationality for two reasons;
1. I need to be certain that if at some time in the future Britain is outside the EU and I need to live in Britain (for example to look after my aging parents), that I can go to live in Britain with no immigration problems.
2. British law allows me to hold other nationalities, and effectively that makes me more free as a British citizen than a Dutch citizen. The Dutch government introduced legislation to pacify their own population, and ended up taking away their own people's freedom.

[stek]

UK Citizenship, should you bother?

Im in the same situation.. I've been here for over 17 years, but it does not make any difference what so ever if I got a UK passport. And as most countries don't allow dual citizenship I would lose my original passport, which is out of the question. My kids got dual citizenship, but I believe they will lose one of them when they reach the age of 18, unless we can convince them we've got ties to both countries.

Dual citizenship is allowed in EU if the citizenships are both EU ones.

[formant]

It's handy to have if you want to apply for roles that are closed to non UK nationals.

I found that those roles that were of some interest to me (MI5 were hiring forensic phoneticians last year for example) tend to also be closed to anyone who wasn't born to at least one British parent or parents with 'significant links to the UK' (or something to that extent).

[scope]

I'd tell him why bother (unless he is Romanian or Bulgarian ). Also, till David Cameron's EU Referendum by 2015 he has time to decide.

A Referendum wont change this, as UK would still be part of EEC, meaning anybody in EU can still live and work in UK on the same level as any UK/EU citizen.

[scope]

Im in the same situation.. I've been here for over 17 years, but it does not make any difference what so ever if I got a UK passport. And as most countries don't allow dual citizenship I would lose my original passport, which is out of the question. My kids got dual citizenship, but I believe they will lose one of them when they reach the age of 18, unless we can convince them we've got ties to both countries.

[cailin maith]

It's handy to have if you want to apply for roles that are closed to non UK nationals.

[stek]

"he's been working (paying NI etc) and living in the UK for 8 years now and he is well eligible to apply for citizenship."

Sounds like me (if I was male).

Yeah, I've been thinking about it. Done all my degrees here, only ever held proper (graduate) jobs in this country, got kid here now, getting married to a Cornish bloke in August and ditching the German last name. Even considering anglicising the spelling of my first and middle name by deed poll (cause they get misspelled all the time anyway). Have never had a German accent, as I've been speaking English most of my life and lived in a few English speaking countries as a teenager. I'd like a British passport. It would sort of complete things. And it would fit into all these pretty passport covers (German passports are slightly too big for those). But somehow, I just can't be arsed. It seems like an utterly pointless expense.
Maybe, someday....

John McEnroe is German, born in Wiesbaden, you're not his sockie are you?

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