UK born children of EEA national applying for citizenship

[Shlumaan]

Hello there,

I'm a German national holding a PR since 5th of October 2015. I'm about to apply for citizenship (having passed the life in the UK test). My childrens DOB are as follows: 25.1.14, 27.9.15 and 2.8.18. My husband is an Israeli national who obtained his PR last year (September 18). Here are my questions:

1. The citizenship is a really expensive application. Is there a cheaper route such as applying for settlement in the UK first or any other option?

2. My three children hold a German passport but I would like to issue them a British passport as well. Do they have to pay the full amount (if I understand correctly my youngest one is eligible for British citizenship by birth but not the older two?)

3. Do I apply for them at the same time as my own application?

I hope my questions are clear and hope someone can give some some clarity on the subject.

Many thanks in advance,

Ania.

[oOCasperOo]

Hi regarding fee no there is no cheaper option only if you life is in danger then you can apply to have fee reduced but then you have to apply and submit your spending and what you earn.

Regards to your last child this is how it is at the moment

Children born in the United Kingdom to parents who are not British Citizens and do not have indefinite leave to remain do not acquire British Citizenship by birth. ... If one of the parents have Permanent Residency then yes, the child will be a British Citizen.

Good luck

[CR001]

Hi regarding fee no there is no cheaper option only if you life is in danger then you can apply to have fee reduced but then you have to apply and submit your spending and what you earn.

Incorrect!!! There is NO fee 'reduction' or 'fee waiver' for British Citizenship applications!!! Everyone has to pay the same fee regardless of personal circumstances.

[oOCasperOo]

Hi regarding fee no there is no cheaper option only if you life is in danger then you can apply to have fee reduced but then you have to apply and submit your spending and what you earn.

Incorrect!!! There is NO fee 'reduction' or 'fee waiver' for British Citizenship applications!!! Everyone has to pay the same fee regardless of personal circumstances.

When I rang up and spoken with UK Visas helpline when I wanted to know about the fee. ( as I'm disabled and unable to work because if my disability ) they said I can apply for fee waiver if my wife is in slavery or in danger for her life and other things which I dont remember but they told me to go to this link

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nd-refunds

And I can apply there but only severe cases get this grant

So if you say there is no fee waver for citizenship I'm assuming you must be correct I was just advising based on my personal experiance.

Thanks

[CR001]

Hi regarding fee no there is no cheaper option only if you life is in danger then you can apply to have fee reduced but then you have to apply and submit your spending and what you earn.

Incorrect!!! There is NO fee 'reduction' or 'fee waiver' for British Citizenship applications!!! Everyone has to pay the same fee regardless of personal circumstances.

When I rang up and spoken with UK Visas helpline when I wanted to know about the fee. ( as I'm disabled and unable to work because if my disability ) they said I can apply for fee waiver if my wife is in slavery or in danger for her life and other things which I dont remember but they told me to go to this link

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nd-refunds

And I can apply there but only severe cases get this grant

So if you say there is no fee waver for citizenship I'm assuming you must be correct I was just advising based on my personal experiance.

Thanks

There is not. The fee waiver only applies to Visa applications under the UK Immigration rules, as the document you linked clearly states and not to British Citizenship applications which comes under British Nationality Law.

[Shlumaan]

Thanks for your replies so far. So I see that fee reduction isn't an option. Do you mind if I narrow down the discussion to my children. If I understand your answer correctly: my youngest who was born after I've obtained my PR is eligible for citizenship at no major cost? And my two others who were born before my PR will have to apply at the full fees?

[CR001]

If I understand your answer correctly: my youngest who was born after I've obtained my PR is eligible for citizenship at no major cost?

Yes, you can apply for a British passport directly.

And my two others who were born before my PR will have to apply at the full fees?

Correct yes.

[Shlumaan]

Thanks now it's clear. Do I apply in one application to all of us?

[CR001]

For citizenship yes I believe it is possible

For British passport for younger child that is a separate application. Note you might be required to send your original documents with passport app so do that first perhaps using the one week fast track service.

[secret.simon]

Where were the children (particularly the youngest) born?

[Shlumaan]

Sorry I thought I mentioned. They were all born in the UK. Does it change anything? I'm praying not to need to pay for them...

[CR001]

Sorry I thought I mentioned. They were all born in the UK. Does it change anything? I'm praying not to need to pay for them...

You need to pay the fee for the children born before you attained PR.

[Shlumaan]

Clear. I have to ask though, is it the sort of fee people in my situation pay in most European countries and elsewhere? I mean, its not £250 for admin and handling fees, its £1400 per adult and almost a £1000 per child. What is the justification and are they looking to change it?

[alterhase58]

Clear. I have to ask though, is it the sort of fee people in my situation pay in most European countries and elsewhere? I mean, its not £250 for admin and handling fees, its £1400 per adult and almost a £1000 per child. What is the justification and are they looking to change it?

The Home Secretary has stated a while ago, in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee, that the fee is made up of around £350 for processing and the remainder supporting the operations of the Home Office. And that applies to most applications. That's the justification and I doubt very much the Home Office themselves will propose a reduction. It certainly is questionable that for the right to register as a British citizen a big fee has to be paid.

[secret.simon]

is it the sort of fee people in my situation pay in most European countries and elsewhere? I mean, its not £250 for admin and handling fees, its £1400 per adult and almost a £1000 per child.

It depends on your point of view.

Most non-EEA migrants pay a small fortune (a 2.5 year spousal visa costs about £1250. Every nonEEA visa application is also charged an additional £400 per year of visa as an Immigration Healthcare Surcharge) during their immigration journey.

So, just to get to ILR (the equivalent of PR), a non-EEA family of four will likely be looking at fees of about £8800 every 2.5 years. followed by about £10,000 for the four of them for the ILR application. Note that these fees have increased at about 20-25% per annum in the recent past.

A non-EEA family of four will have easily spent about £30,000 (in just Home Office fees and Immigration Healthcare Surcharges) just to get ILR, which costs an EEA citizen and equivalent sized family (£520) or less.

If you have already spent £30,000 and there is no alternative to spending that amount, an extra ~£5000 (£1300*2 + £1000*2 + £75*4 for the passports) for citizenship can be considered as par for the course in the grand scheme of things.

As an aside, it is currently much cheaper and more advantageous to be sponsored as the spouse of an EEA citizen than that of a British citizen in the UK.

What is the justification and are they looking to change it?

The aim of the current UK government is to make the immigration system as a whole self-financing, though there is an argument to be had as to whether citizenship applications (and in particular, registration of children who are entitled by law to British citizenship) should be considered as a part of the immigration system.

EDIT: I came across this illustrative chart on Twitter. I don't think that the authors have included the Immigration Health Surcharge (which goes to the NHS) into the fees, hence the difference with my calculations above.

[Shlumaan]

Hi there, I've tried to open another thread but no one seems to pick it up. I wonder if you could clarify something that is anyway relevant to this post.

I am a German national who attained my permanent residency in the UK in 2015. My son was born in 2018 and my understanding is that he is eligible for a British passport as he was born after I acquired my PR. I have not yet acquired my British citizenship but that is underway. I have started the application for my son's passport from this link: https://www.gov.uk/get-a-child-passport .... At no point during the application am I being asked about my Permanent Residency in the UK, and instead I'm being asked questions about my son's grandparents who were born in Israel and Poland. At the end of this application I am being asked to submit a whole list of documents regarding mine and my husband's parents which are in foreign languages and seem to be completely irrelevant if my son is entitled by the fact of my being a PR in the UK. Could someone please clarify if I'm attempting to complete the wrong application?

Many thanks for your thoughts and assistance.

Ania

[alterhase58]

You probably need to do a manual application rather than online - the details requested are not relevant to your case as you say.

Check the following link for the requirements:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... plications

[Shlumaan]

Hi Alterhase_58, at last an answer!. Could you explain:
1. Is it and why is it different to EU settled in the UK? in other words why isnt' there an online option?
2. I read the link and it seems relevant, but where do I download the application from?
3. since i've got the PR at the time of my son's birth last year do I still need to submit all the documents that show finances, p60, employment etc? the PR application already dealt with that.
4. does my husband need to do the same or is it only me as I was the one with the PR at the time of my son's birth?

thanks a lot for your time. Ania

[CR001]

1. Is it and why is it different to EU settled in the UK? in other words why isnt' there an online option?

Likely due to HMPO not necessarily having done the updates as yet.

2. I read the link and it seems relevant, but where do I download the application from?

You cannot 'download' a form. Go to the Post Office to get the paper form.

3. since i've got the PR at the time of my son's birth last year do I still need to submit all the documents that show finances, p60, employment etc? the PR application already dealt with that.

No.

4. does my husband need to do the same or is it only me as I was the one with the PR at the time of my son's birth?

Only ONE parent needs to provide settled status, i.e. PR.

[Shlumaan]

Much appreciated.

Can you please write the [u]title[/u] of the form I need to pick up from the post office? I'm sure this is going to help many others facing the same issues as it is made so vague and unclear. Thank you.

[CR001]

You simply ask for a passport application form!!

[Shlumaan]

I hope I didn't upset you. I thought it was a specific one for children born to parents who exercise their 'treaty rights'. So I am correct in understanding that it is the same application to the one online, with the exception that the online application isn't updated to ask regarding the PR status?

[CR001]

The same form is used for everyone.

[Shlumaan]

I get it, thanks a lot for clarifying!