Mother previously married - will my application be rejected?

[debrajones]

Hi everyone,

I was born in Canada in August 1992, my father was born in Sri Lanka and my mother was born in Philippines. My father gained British Citizenship through registration before 1983 having lived in the UK for 10+ years and has a British passport. After which, he moved to Canada where he met my mother who then gave birth to me.

My father and my mother got married 3 months after I was born.

I have sent in my application and they have come back to me saying they need a CENOMAR from the Philippines verifying my mother was single.

Do you think my chances of getting a British passport are strong? Would they have rejected me already instead of asking for this document?

Thanks for any help

[CR001]

I stand corrected on this, but it is likey due to them wanting to check your mother was not married to someone else at the time of your birth.

[debrajones]

I stand corrected on this, but it is likey due to them wanting to check your mother was not married to someone else at the time of your birth.

Thank you for clarifying this, I thought this would probably be the case. I will be sending the CENOMAR over in the next couple of weeks to Her Majesty's Passport office. Other than this, do you think my case is fairly simple? I'm not sure where else I can check for a peace of mind.

[JAJ]

Send it to them (but use a secure method to send and always keep a certified copy)- if they are still not satisfied then you would need to apply for a Certificate of British Nationality Status from the Home Office using form NS.

[debrajones]

Hi,

The only thing holding back my British passport application is the fact they have asked for a CENOMAR from my Phillipine mother. It has come back and said she was married and the marriage wasn't annulled. I wasn't born at this point though. Since, she has married my father.

Will my application now be rejected? Are there any other ways to get through this as it is my father who is British, not the mother.

[JAJ]

She was married before and never told you that?

In any case- if she was married already then her marriage may well be void -at least under British law- and your British passport application may be rejected as a result- due to lack of British citizenship. However, you may wish to consider applying for registration as a British citizen under the UKF provisions.

Regarding the status of her marriage wherever she lives, she may wish to seek advice from a locally qualified family law practitioner.

[debrajones]

Thanks for the response, could you clarify what exactly are the UKF provisions?

[CR001]

Thanks for the response, could you clarify what exactly are the UKF provisions?

UKF is the application you use if born to a British father not married to your mother. It costs £80.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... n-form-ukf

[debrajones]

Thanks so much! Is it worth applying WHILST I have my ongoing application still pending? Or wait to see if I am rejected and then apply?

[debrajones]

Hi - me again!

I believe my passport application is going to be rejected as my Filipino mother was previously married and wasn't divorced. In order to not waste time, I am wondering if I can apply via UKF as my father is a British Citizen. Can I do this at the same time? Or do I have to wait for my passport application to be rejected first?

Also, does holding a British passport come with British Citizenship? I am worried I have originally applied to the wrong thing. Thanks for any help.

[debrajones]

My father became British by registration and was born in Sri Lanka, and I was born in Canada in 1992. I have been told to apply through the UKF application, however I've also been told that to apply through that route I had to have been born in the UK? Is this true?

THANKS FOR ANY HELP! Really want this to be clarified

[CR001]

however I've also been told that to apply through that route I had to have been born in the UK?

No you don't. The whole purpose of form UKF is for children born in the UK or born abroad to unmarried fathers.

[CR001]

Please keep all your questions in one topic (this one).

[debrajones]

Hi everyone,

I sent my application off on the 28th August, however, they asked me for my mothers CENOMAR on the 22nd September. I sent this off and they received it at the end of September. Are they worth ringing? Or would they get annoyed at this? How long does it take normally to get a response from them?

Thanks!

[JAJ]

Who is "they"? The Passport Office?
Regardless of the outcome, you need to seek your own legal advice as to whether you are really a British citizen or not. If you are not a British citizen, then any British passport issued to you will not be valid and could be revoked (or renewal denied) at a later date. If in doubt, registration as a British citizen under UKF is generally a much safer option.

[debrajones]

Hi,

'They' are the passport office yes. Well my father is British otherwise than by descent and therefore it seemed simple enough that I was a British citizen naturally. However my mother has been married twice and the passport office asked for her CENOMAR as she is Filipino. I am wondering, if this application gets rejected, then I apply through the UKF route afterwards because I am definitely British citizen through this route. However I just want to know how long it will take the passport office to review my situation with my current application - and whether its worth ringing them?

Thanks

[debrajones]

(my current application is through the UKM route).

[CR001]

(my current application is through the UKM route).

On what basis have you applied for UKM?

[debrajones]

Hi, really sorry my mistake I have applied through the UKF route, however they've asked to see my mothers CENOMAR. Which confused me at first because the application has nothing to do with her, my father was naturalised otherwise than by descent.

I sent in the CENOMAR mid September and haven't heard back yet. Do you think it is worth ringing the passport office for this?

[CR001]

The reason your mothers CENOMAR was asked for is to confirm she was not married to someone else at the time of your birth as I stated already in September.

I stand corrected on this, but it is likey due to them wanting to check your mother was not married to someone else at the time of your birth.

[debrajones]

Hi CR001, under the UKF route, this wouldn't matter though surely? As she was married before my father and the marriage wasn't annulled. Therefore the marriage is void under UK law. But I was told this was fine under the UKF route as it has nothing to do with her anyway.

But my question is, how long does it normally take for them to come back after requesting a CENOMAR?

Thanks for any help provided in advanced

[CR001]

An application on UKF can take a few months.

[debrajones]

Hi everyone,

So in September I applied for a passport directly. My father was naturalised otherwise than by descent and married my mother 3 months after I was born. She if filipino, and had previously been married.

HM passport office in Durham asked for a CENOMAR and my original birth certificate, which I provided. The CENOMAR said that the previous marriage of my mother was never annulled.

I went in today, and they said 'the CENOMAR has been verified and all details agreed' - which I assume is positive news as I wasn't sure how her previous marriage would affect things? However, they've somehow lost my birth certificate, and so can't process my application at the moment. Does anyone know if you can reorder a new birth certificate and they accept it as the original? I can't believe they've lost it....

thanks for any help

[debrajones]

Hi all,

I am near the end of my tether with my application now. I have applied for a passport directly as my father was a British citizen otherwise than by descent. However, my mother's previous marriage was never annulled (Philipinnes), and therefore the marriage between my mother and father looks to be illegitimate.

I have explained this to the examiner, and I am just frustrated because I don't know why my mothers marriage status has anything to do with it if I am applying through my father? I have asked to do a DNA test to prove I am my fathers daughter.

Has anyone got any suggestions? Feeling pretty low now :/

[CR001]

For the purpose of determining your citizenship, your mothers previous husband would be considered your father (you born while mother was in wedlock) as this is clearly stated in the rules/laws.

Why are you not doing the UKF form as already advised and still trying for the passport??