British Passport Application Refused (no explanation)

[seanparker60]

Hi

Can anyone help me.

My Grandfather was born in the UK, my father born in Zim/Rhodesia in 1939, I was born in Zim in 1979.

A passport application agent assured me that because my father was born in a British colony I would qualify for a British Passport. My father has always held a British Passport ( I know he also qualifies by decent from his father-which only entitles me to an ancestral visa--but the born in UK territory was supposed to help me directly get a passport).

I applied - it got rejected. No explanation given as to why.
I wanted to appeal. I was simply told to write a letter of appeal to a physical address at UK home affairs.

xxxxxx want a lot of money to do some trace.

Nobody appears to willing to give any details on how I can either appeal or know for what exact reason I was denied.

Any help from someone?

[CR001]

Are you sure you weren't required to register as British first, by double descent on UKF form?

As far as I understand, if your father is British by descent, it cannot be passed on to his children and you would therefore not be British and entitled to a passport. Perhaps 'vinny' or 'secret.simon' could offer more advice.

Also, what type of passport does your father hold, British overseas Passport, full British passport, CUKC passport etc??

p.s. please refrain from naming 'agencies' on the forum.

[seanparker60]

I went through an agent and they never mentioned anything about registering first.

My father holds a full British Passport. He lives in the UK.

According to many people online (especially company xxxxx) there appears to be a potential non standard route to getting a passport based on the colonial status of the country at the time.

All I am looking for is clarity on Rhodesian status in 1939 and laws around this and how that does or doesn't qualify me.

ie if it doesn't then what law says that it doesn't.

[seanparker60]

PS it stands and falls on the definition of "by birth" vs "by descent" (section 4 and 5) and application of that to those people in transition in section 12.

To me it looks like my father is by birth.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/194 ... 056_en.pdf

[KasMac]

I went through an agent and they never mentioned anything about registering first.

My father holds a full British Passport. He lives in the UK.

According to many people online (especially company xxxxx) there appears to be a potential non standard route to getting a passport based on the colonial status of the country at the time.

All I am looking for is clarity on Rhodesian status in 1939 and laws around this and how that does or doesn't qualify me.

ie if it doesn't then what law says that it doesn't.

you can only apply for British passport if your Father was born in the UK and was married to your Mom at the time of your birth , him having British Citizenship isn't often enough , one has to establish how he gained his citizenship in the first place , if he received it from his parents then you wont qualify automatically , you can apply for ancestral visa based on your grandparent born in the UK

[Ancestor]

I went through an agent and they never mentioned anything about registering first.

My father holds a full British Passport. He lives in the UK.

According to many people online (especially company xxxxx) there appears to be a potential non standard route to getting a passport based on the colonial status of the country at the time.

All I am looking for is clarity on Rhodesian status in 1939 and laws around this and how that does or doesn't qualify me.

ie if it doesn't then what law says that it doesn't.

you can only apply for British passport if your Father was born in the UK and was married to your Mom at the time of your birth , him having British Citizenship isn't often enough , one has to establish how he gained his citizenship in the first place , if he received it from his parents then you wont qualify automatically , you can apply for ancestral visa based on your grandparent born in the UK

Correct, that is my understanding too.

For the record, my GF was born in England, my Father in Rhodesia in 1933 and myself in SA in 1962. My Father had a BP from his Father and didn't retain it after naturalising as an SA citizen, and the advice from two different sources was that the only path we had available to us was through Ancestry Visa.

Unless someone more knowledgeable on the matter can advise differently.