Form UKF - DNA Test/Proof of Paternity - Complex

[mercuree]

Hi Everyone,

I am applying for "Registration as a British citizen by a person born before 1 July 2006 whose parents are not married" (section 4G of the British Nationality Act 1981).

I have filled in the application form https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... e-2015.pdf to the best of my ability. I have read the Guide https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... h_2017.pdf a few times now and I still have a few questions.

I would appreciate it if anyone could give me some insight on the following:

• Questions 1.21-1.23 Citizenship Ceremony Address:
  I cannot find any information on where my ceremony would be held if my application were accepted.
  I assume at a British Consulate? As far as I can see, the only one in South Africa is in Pretoria?
  Would I have to go all the way there to do this?
  My understanding of those questions is whether one wants to state a specific area in the United Kingdom. So what of us in other countries? Leave blank?
• Question 1.7 National Insurance Number:
  This question is just in the middle of everything so it looks like it applies regardless of my nationality (South African). We don't have anything like this in South Africa. Can I leave it blank?
• Questions 1.32,1.36,1.41 Certificate Numbers:
  I have my father's, grandfather's and grandmother's birth certificates. They were all born in the UK. Would this count as registration or naturalization or should I leave blank?
• Section 4 Good Character:
  I have a Police Clearance Certificate that shows that I have a clean record.
  However in the past (probably at least 2 years now, I have received a traffic fine or two. I don't know dates and the traffic department has no historical record of them (I have official printouts from them showing no fines under my name).
  So for all intents and purposes, I have nothing to declare - on paper at least.
  Would a traffic fine be a caution or a civil penalty? I know I got one, once, for not carrying my license on me (left it at home) it was paid timeously. I don't even know the dates involved anymore. SO not sure what to do here at all.
• Section 4 Biometric Information:
  I have applied for a visa and plan to submit my application while in the UK. As part of the visa application, I did submit biometric information. All of the questions appear to relate only to Biometric Residency Permits or past immigration applications (Question 4.12).
  Shall I just leave this whole section blank?

Also can anyone suggest the cheapest, UK Home Office approved, DNA testing facility? The DHA in South Africa lost my vault copy birth certificate, so I had to re-register my own birth. As such I have a stamped application form that is now my birth certificate. I have been told that this should suffice. But I don't want to chance it!

TIA for any info!

[CR001]

What visa have you applied for to the UK?

Don't you have your unabridged birth certificate (yellow printed one)??

[mercuree]

What visa have you applied for to the UK?

Don't you have your unabridged birth certificate (yellow printed one)??

A "Family Visitor Visa" which is actually a "Standard Visa" but valid for less than 6 months.

I plan to go visit my father over my birthday for 3 weeks in September (first time going to the UK).

I have no birth certificate other than this one. The Department of Home Affairs literally lost all records of my birth. Hence me having to re-register my birth.

This is technically a vault copy, as it would have been when it was filled in at the time of my birth, however it was filled in last year.

The UK guidelines stipulate that the BC needs to be a vault copy (which this is) and that it would have had to have been filled in within a few months of my birth (which this isn't).

I emailed the Home Office some time back and they replied that this may be accepted, if I provide a cover letter explaining the circumstances. Also I have the original application for my original certificate to prove that I did indeed apply for it and that it was lost.

So I just feel that doing a DNA test would add that much more credibility to my application.

[JAJ]

British government information on DNA testing. Although- no guarantee that the Home Office will have an identical process.
https://www.gov.uk/get-dna-test

They would normally be concerned about late registration/re-registration of birth, especially in a country with a real or perceived high risk of immigration to the United Kingdom. Loss of birth records is also a concern- do you have any correspondence from DHA on the subject, or evidence that the same date of birth was used on your prior ID documents. How did you obtain a South African passport or ID book/card beforehand? Could there be a copy of your former birth certificate on file somewhere?

[mercuree]

British government information on DNA testing. Although- no guarantee that the Home Office will have an identical process.
https://www.gov.uk/get-dna-test

They would normally be concerned about late registration/re-registration of birth, especially in a country with a real or perceived high risk of immigration to the United Kingdom. Loss of birth records is also a concern- do you have any correspondence from DHA on the subject, or evidence that the same date of birth was used on your prior ID documents. How did you obtain a South African passport or ID book/card beforehand? Could there be a copy of your former birth certificate on file somewhere?

Thanks. There is a list of approved centres. I know exactly what needs to be done in that regard. I was asking "if anyone knows of the cheapest" one. I will contact them all for quotes anyway.

That aside, my issues are mainly with the questions that I have posted. The DNA thing is ancillary. Would really appreciate it if anyone could speak to those?

[mercuree]

Hi All,

My application is basically complete bar this one matter.

Guide UKF states:

Proof of Paternity
If your natural father was named as your father on a birth certificate issued within
12 months of your birth, this will be acceptable evidence of paternity. If not, you
must provide other evidence. This could include:

• DNA test reports we will accept test results from a company that is on the
  government’s accredited list, or
• a court order, or
• other evidence that proves you are related as claimed.

So for the above:
Birth Certificate:
The Dept. of Home Affairs in SA lost my vault copy birth certificate. I had to re-register my own birth to obtain such. So I now have a "vault copy certificate" issued nearly 28 years after my birth.

I did email the Home Office and they said this might impact my application but that they will possibly consider the certificate, given a covering letter.

Paternity Test:
I seriously cannot afford to order a paternity test. I checked all the UKBA accredited providers' prices and they start at 325 GBP which is nearly 50% of my monthly salary! Never mind all the courier fees involved as I am in SA. I got one quote for 600GBP including all that! I doubt that my father would be keen to pay for such either. He doesn't really see why I consider getting my passport more important than just finding a job there and getting my immigration "sponsored".

Court Order:
My mother did sue my father for maintenance payments over the years. So I am trying to obtain documentary evidence of such from the courts. However I have a feeling that the chances of obtaining such are slim. Our government departments are not the most helpful.

Other Evidence:
What "other evidence" might I provide in order to strengthen my case?

I was thinking of getting signed affadavits from each parent. Might not be worth much in the long run but it costs nothing and may just show a little more effort, if anything.

Also I have seen mention of DNA tests being mandatory due to a new change in the law? Does anyone know any more about this?

[mercuree]

Anyone?

[CR001]

Do you have any evidence from HA in SA stating they have lost the birth register containing your birth record??

What year were you born?

Were your parents married?

[mercuree]

British government information on DNA testing. Although- no guarantee that the Home Office will have an identical process.
https://www.gov.uk/get-dna-test

They would normally be concerned about late registration/re-registration of birth, especially in a country with a real or perceived high risk of immigration to the United Kingdom. Loss of birth records is also a concern- do you have any correspondence from DHA on the subject, or evidence that the same date of birth was used on your prior ID documents. How did you obtain a South African passport or ID book/card beforehand? Could there be a copy of your former birth certificate on file somewhere?

I have full email correspondence with the director of Home Affairs himself. I kicked up a huge stink and that's how I finally got the certificate.

I obtained my ID document at the age of 16, using my abridged birth certificate. Which my mother helpfully lost as well. If there would be a copy on file that would be of the abridged certificate. One almost never presents vault copies for anything. UK specifically demands vault copies from South Africans due to high risk of forgery, AFAIK.

[mercuree]

Do you have any evidence from HA in SA stating they have lost the birth register containing your birth record??

What year were you born?

Were your parents married?

I was born in 1987 to a British father and South African mother. They were never married. Hence using form UKF.

I have a full log of emails between myself and various home affairs officials regarding the matter. The certificate I now have is signed and stamped, in it's original form.

[CR001]

Only asking as HA will simply state they don't have it because they are too lazy to look for it in the Pretoria records office.

I got mine (born in 1973), my mom's (born in 1950) without any issues, took long though (vault copies and unabridged). Even managed to get a full copy of my mother's adoption file from 1953, but it took a lot of effort and many trips to PTA.

Do you have a baptism certificate or anything like that?

[mercuree]

Only asking as HA will simply state they don't have it because they are too lazy to look for it in the Pretoria records office.

I got mine (born in 1973), my mom's (born in 1950) without any issues, took long though (vault copies and unabridged). Even managed to get a full copy of my mother's adoption file from 1953, but it took a lot of effort and many trips to PTA.

Do you have a baptism certificate or anything like that?

Oh no it took nearly two years to procure the document they finally sent me. I had the director of home affairs himself replying to my emails. I kicked up a huge stink until they got on it. So what I have now is all I will ever have unfortunately.

Nope. I literally have an ID, passport and Driver's License. And now this birth certificate. We lost a ton of personal documents in a move some years back. So I am kinda stuck.

Do you think, if I applied, with what I have now -they would ask for a follow up dna test? Or would they reject my application outright?

[CR001]

They might ask for DNA proof yes.

[mercuree]

They might ask for DNA proof yes.

Ok. thanks. So it should be safe to submit without DNA test and only do one if they request it?

I contacted a few of the accredited testing centres and two of them said I need to have a letter requesting a test, before having one done. Others apparently will do the test prior to the fact.