Request for guidance on best visa route

[Rubab Mughal]

Dear All,

Posting on behalf of my mother.

I am a resident of Pakistan. I’m 64 years old. The reason for writing this message is to seek help and guidance on to what are the best options for me to apply for a UK visa.
Both my parents had a British Nationality (by naturalisation) and i also lived in Uk with my parents during 1970s for a period of 4-5 years.
After that i came to Pakistan and got married at a young age. Since my husband and his family was settled in Pakistan i never had a thought of moving to the UK.
But now my children have convinced me to see what options do i have available in order to acquire citizenship either through ancestry visa route or anyother option.
I currently have a 5 year visitor visa due to expire end of this month.

Please can someone who has knowledge about the different visa routes help us?

Any advice/support will be appreciated.

Looking forward to a positive response.

Many thanks,
Kind regards
Bibi

[CR001]

When did you parents become naturalised as British citizens? Before or after you were born?

Your 5 year visitor visa is irrelevant if you want to love and work in the UK.

You don't qualify for an ancestry visa if you do not have a UK born Grandparent.

[Rubab Mughal]

Thanks for your response.
My parents became British citizen after i was born. My father worked in the Pakistan army and was invited by the British government to serve the british colonies in 1965. I spent a few years of my childhood there and did my primary schooling from there too.

For the ancestry visa, can my kids apply on the basis that their grandparents were British?

Please help guide as accordingly.
Kind regards,
Bibi

[CR001]

No they cannot. For an ancestry visa, the first requirement that must be met is that ONE grandparent must have been British born, ie born in the uk and British.

British by naturalisation doesn't count for ancestry visa unfortunately.

You and your family would need to find a visa you qualify for, ie skilled worker visa, student visa etc and follow the requirement immigration path.

[secret.simon]

What were the nationalities held by your parents at the time of your birth?

Is it possible that at the time that your parents naturalised (or more likely at the time, they registered) as Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC), they may have also registered you as a CUKC as well?

Check with the National Archives to see if they have any registration or naturalisation certificates for you.

If they do, we can advise further.

Note that in a case like yours (child born abroad before the parents acquired British nationality), there would be no automatic acquisition of British nationality. There would have to be an application and a paper trail and a certificate issued at the end of that process.

[Rubab Mughal]

Thank you for your response. Much appreciated.

At the time of my birth, my parents had Pakistani nationality.

After which they moved to the UK, but me and my sisters did not move with them and stayed in our paternal village.

I lived there for a period of 4 years as i was granted visa from 15th august 1972 to 14th august 1977. During this time, i did my schooling from telford. After that i returned to Pakistan and was in the process of renewing my visa when the circumstances changed and i got married.

It is not clear whether they registered me as a CUKC, but my parents acquired the status of british subjects (CUKC) before i went & live with them. After i got married in Pakistan, one of my sister got married to my cousin in UK and lived all her life there. She passed away last February.

Based on your suggestions, i’m trying to look for a record in national archives and have contacted them to see if they can help with the search.

Can you please guide me a little more about the second option you mentioned about the paper trail, and certificate option? And what all documents i would need for this if i put the case?

Thank you so much.
Kind regards

[Rubab Mughal]

Can someone please response?

Many thanks,
Regards

[secret.simon]

Have you got an update from the National Archives?

Can you please guide me a little more about the second option you mentioned about the paper trail, and certificate option? And what all documents i would need for this if i put the case?

It is not a second option. That was a generic observation, to say that if you were not a CUKC or British citizen at birth, you would have needed a registration certificate or a naturalisation certificate in order to become a British citizen.

The only time acquisition of British citizenship is automatic (i.e. without a registration or naturalisation certificate being issued at the Home Office) is if specific conditions are met at the time of birth.

If neither of your parents were British citizens at your birth, either they or you would have needed to apply with the necessary paperwork to get the requisite certificate. Therefore either they or you would remember making the application. It would not have been an automatic acquisition of CUKC status/British citizenship.

[Rubab Mughal]

I have contacted the National Archives, unfortunately they were not able to find any record for me. But have found the naturalisation certificate of my mother and father dated back to 1975. I can get a certified copy of these issued if they will be helpful.
I understand that i cannot apply for a British nationality on the basis that my parents became british after my birth. I am just hoping to find any other alternative route that i can use to apply for a leave to remain in the UK not as the visitor.
Any help will be appreciated.
Kind regards

[Frontier Mole]

The only routes availability to enter the U.K. other than as a visitor are those already mentioned. Work, study etc.

The documents in relation to your parents naturalisation have no bearing or value for your entry to the U.K. under any circumstances.