Any experts on nationality around.
Discussion
Way back in the 1980's I worked in Zimbabwe. In 1983, we had a son born out there and his birth registered, and him added to my passport. At the time ,I got several copies of his BC, which back home went missing (we suspect he had taken them and lost them). The last one went with him when he set up home with a partner. They parted on bad terms and I suspect suspect this last copy got destroyed. Over the years he'd been a tearaway, but now he's settled down and at last has a chance of a job. He's impressed his future employer, but he needs a BC to prove his right not to need a work visa.
We returned home circa 1984, on my passport with no entry problems. I've still got my old passport which states "Holder has right of abode in UK", so by no adverse entry in my passport would mean he has equal status.At one time he was considering Army and Zimbabwe consulate said he's no citizenship .
Jobcentre knows of his problems and have been of little help . I've tried several agencies promising to get him a BC, BUT to no avail .
Any ideas .And please don't suggest FCO- AS FOR A FEE OF £75 they will ATTEMPT to get him a BC. I'd suggest this will fail as my daughter has a friend on a social media site who would like to help, but as a national trying to help a UK citizen, it's not safe for her .
We returned home circa 1984, on my passport with no entry problems. I've still got my old passport which states "Holder has right of abode in UK", so by no adverse entry in my passport would mean he has equal status.At one time he was considering Army and Zimbabwe consulate said he's no citizenship .
Jobcentre knows of his problems and have been of little help . I've tried several agencies promising to get him a BC, BUT to no avail .
Any ideas .And please don't suggest FCO- AS FOR A FEE OF £75 they will ATTEMPT to get him a BC. I'd suggest this will fail as my daughter has a friend on a social media site who would like to help, but as a national trying to help a UK citizen, it's not safe for her .
Obvious question perhaps. Have you contacted the UK immigration authorities and birth registration bureaucrats to ask the question? I would have thought with the history it must be possible to get the document. Has he got a National insurance number and if not then DHSS are the next lot to call. It ui what they are there for. Good Luck.
A couple of questions
Did you register him at the time as a British citizen with the UK embassy in Zimbabwe?
UP to this point how has he/you proven his age?
does he have a drivers license? ( this in particular because he will needed to have shown some form of ID to get it, and they must still have copies)
Did you register him at the time as a British citizen with the UK embassy in Zimbabwe?
UP to this point how has he/you proven his age?
does he have a drivers license? ( this in particular because he will needed to have shown some form of ID to get it, and they must still have copies)
santona1937 said:
A couple of questions
Did you register him at the time as a British citizen with the UK embassy in Zimbabwe?
As said, his birth was registered with a copy of his BC ,on my passport ,as "child added ", NAME =XX, DOB =YY and stamped with an official stamp. I even had an e mail from High Commission Harare, that a child of his name was born at a certain maternity hospital on his DOB. Did you register him at the time as a British citizen with the UK embassy in Zimbabwe?
santona1937 said:
UP to this point how has he/you proven his age?
My old passport shows his date of birth. As a child we got child allowance for him, and the British Army had a copy of his BC. santona1937 said:
does he have a drivers license? ( this in particular because he will needed to have shown some form of ID to get it, and they must still have copies)
This is part of the problem . IF he'd applied for a provisional when he had his BC, then DVLA would still have a copy. No agency we have tried has kept a copy of it.Jensen- Zimbabwean consolate- with a UK NAME- FORGET IT. As I said, we have multi national friends out there and they'd be frightened to try and help. It's said not to be a safe place to try and help a UK resident. When he was a baby out there , folks could vanish for saying the wrong thing.
Just noticed that you have got no help from the Jobcentre. These organisations are lazy. I would contact your local MP in writing formally by recorded delivery immediately and seek a formal meeting with a senior member of staff at the Jobcentre again in writing by recorded delivery. Whatever happens then I would institute a further formal recorded written complaint if satisfaction is not obtained.
Written complaints recorded will have the required effect. It becomes easier for the employees to solve the problem than to be seen to be failing repeatedly to address the problem. Written complaints are undoubtedly more effective that verbal complaints particularly if call centre are involved. Good luck again.
Written complaints recorded will have the required effect. It becomes easier for the employees to solve the problem than to be seen to be failing repeatedly to address the problem. Written complaints are undoubtedly more effective that verbal complaints particularly if call centre are involved. Good luck again.
I did try a request to last MP .All it got was the standard FCO minister reply to follow the standard procedure to apply and PERHAPS with £75 in the balance, some how/ sometime my son MIGHT get a BC via an application to FCO office in HARARE. But with Zimbabwe in it;s present state, has his birth records survived?
The problem is that companies are that frightened of the repercussions of a BA case & fine, that they will turn down a suitable applicant if there's any doubt on their visa status. Recently our local MP is having panic pre election attacks, so perhaps it might be worth asking him to get involved ,with our evidence to get Jobcentre to show he has been resident for long enough to be considered eligible.
The problem is that companies are that frightened of the repercussions of a BA case & fine, that they will turn down a suitable applicant if there's any doubt on their visa status. Recently our local MP is having panic pre election attacks, so perhaps it might be worth asking him to get involved ,with our evidence to get Jobcentre to show he has been resident for long enough to be considered eligible.
Do not waste time pursuing the Jobcentre, as this is not within its remit. The Jobcentre is run by the Department of Work and Pensions (there has not been a DHSS for many years). Nationality is a matter for the UKBA, an agency of the Home Office.
Also, do not fixate on the birth certificate of the child. His nationality is derived from yours, so proof of the relationship is the key issue.
NHS numbers and NI numbers are not evidence of citizenship.
Have a look at this:-
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/appl...
Also, do not fixate on the birth certificate of the child. His nationality is derived from yours, so proof of the relationship is the key issue.
NHS numbers and NI numbers are not evidence of citizenship.
Have a look at this:-
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/appl...
If the parents registered the birth with the UK registry office, then a British style birth certificate would be issued in addition to the local one. The OP may have done this.
https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth
https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth
Skin colour is not relevant to nationality. British nationality can be transmitted to one generation born outside the UK, but if the relevant parent is him or her self born outside the UK, he or she can not usually transmit British nationality to his or her child.
This contrasts with, for example, Irish citizenship, which can be transmitted to successive generations born outside Ireland so long as the birth is registered with the Irish Government.
I add that birth within the UK does not automatically confer citizenship on a person not otherwise entitled to it. If the child's parent is not a British citizen or lawfully settled in the UK, then the child does not become a British citizen by virtue of birth in the UK.
This contrasts with, for example, Irish citizenship, which can be transmitted to successive generations born outside Ireland so long as the birth is registered with the Irish Government.
I add that birth within the UK does not automatically confer citizenship on a person not otherwise entitled to it. If the child's parent is not a British citizen or lawfully settled in the UK, then the child does not become a British citizen by virtue of birth in the UK.
Edited by anonymous-user on Thursday 5th December 10:46
When you say you registered the birth, I presume you mean with the Zimbabwe authorities? Did you also register the birth with the British Embassy/High Commission?
If you did register the birth with the British Embassy/High Commission, you will be able to get a copy of the embassy birth certificate (not Zimbabwe version) from the ONS/GRO in this country. My sister in law was born in Cape Town (British parents), and lost her original South African birth certificate. Thankfully her birth had been registered with the British Embassy there, so was able to get a copy of the embassy certificate easily.
If you did register the birth with the British Embassy/High Commission, you will be able to get a copy of the embassy birth certificate (not Zimbabwe version) from the ONS/GRO in this country. My sister in law was born in Cape Town (British parents), and lost her original South African birth certificate. Thankfully her birth had been registered with the British Embassy there, so was able to get a copy of the embassy certificate easily.
Edited by jbswagger on Thursday 5th December 13:32
jbswagger said:
When you say you registered the birth, I presume you mean with the Zimbabwe authorities? Did you also register the birth with the British Embassy/High Commission?
If you did register the birth with the British Embassy/High Commission, you will be able to get a copy of the embassy birth certificate (not Zimbabwe version) from the ONS/GRO in this country. My sister in law was born in Cape Town (British parents), and lost her original South African birth certificate. Thankfully her birth had been registered with the British Embassy there, so was able to get a copy of the embassy certificate easily.
That is an interesting question. I suspect the answer is no because if the birth was registered in this way then there would not be a problem. I wish the OP well. As Breadvan says addressing the correct UK agency must be the next move.If you did register the birth with the British Embassy/High Commission, you will be able to get a copy of the embassy birth certificate (not Zimbabwe version) from the ONS/GRO in this country. My sister in law was born in Cape Town (British parents), and lost her original South African birth certificate. Thankfully her birth had been registered with the British Embassy there, so was able to get a copy of the embassy certificate easily.
Edited by jbswagger on Thursday 5th December 13:32
The birth was registered both with High Commission and local registry office(hence the passport entry and BC). I recently got in touch with BHC to be told that a record of a birth of a child with his name and DOB was registered with them, but other records are destroyed after a couple of years . Knowing the state of the country I would suggest that the records don't exist in local registrar any more. BHC did suggest that if we had any friends out there to ask them to get one.I was hoping ,given the wexpertise in PH, that someone could suggest how to convert a passport "child added " entry to some form of ID, as potentially son could be considered as illegal ,with no paper proof of his right to be in UK.
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