How do you know if you're a dual citizen or not?

[ozbeachbabe]

One of key requirements of nominating as a Labor candidate for Federal Parliament is demonstrating that you've renounced your foreign citizenship the minute there is any possibility that you may be a dual citizen.

The process is quite exhaustive as I understand it and increased in importance after Sue v Hill- the state office will research overseas citizenship laws if a candidate is foreign-born, family trees etc.

I wonder if they really understand the accidental or automatic citizenship by way of a parent being a UK Citizen. Too many people, including political advisors, seem to think that if you weren't born in an overseas country you're in the clear.

I don't even think Barnaby totally gets it TBH as evidenced by his defence of Senator Canavan when he said "Matt was born in Australia, his mother waa born in Australia" etc as if he somehow couldn't possibly be an Italian Citizen.

 

[Keith009]

I wonder if they really understand the accidental or automatic citizenship by way of a parent being a UK Citizen. Too many people, including political advisors, seem to think that if you weren't born in an overseas country you're in the clear.

As mentioned it's very exhaustive. The research goes beyond where a candidate is born. They also ask about your family background, research your family trees etc.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I wonder if they really understand the accidental or automatic citizenship by way of a parent being a UK Citizen. Too many people, including political advisors, seem to think that if you weren't born in an overseas country you're in the clear.

I don't even think Barnaby totally gets it TBH as evidenced by his defence of Senator Canavan when he said "Matt was born in Australia, his mother waa born in Australia" etc as if he somehow couldn't possibly be an Italian Citizen.

THe UK gov has a link to a test to check if you're a british citizen, pretty straight forward: https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citizen

 

[ozbeachbabe]

THe UK gov has a link to a test to check if you're a british citizen, pretty straight forward: https://www.gov.uk/check-british-citizen

I don't find the above questionnaire straight forward at all because the survey fails to address whether you have a parent who was born in the UK. That should be question 4. According to the above test if I answer no to question I'm not a British Citizen but I am.

When I change the answer to yes in question 3 it tells me I am however I don't really think the criteria in question 3 aedquately covers whether or not a parent was born in the UK as it sounds like it's only talking about UK Colonies.

Question 3 to me seems ambiguous because the only reference to a parent when you click on the Right of Abode link is that I may have been a UK and Colonies Citizen if I had a connection with a Colony through my father.

[h=1]Check if you're a British citizen[/h]
Start again

1. [h=3]1When were you born?[/h]Before 1 January 1983
   Change this answer
2. [h=3]2Were you born in the UK or a qualifying territory?[/h]No
   Change this answer
3. [h=3]3Were you a UK and Colonies citizen on 31 December 1982 with right of abode in the UK?[/h]No
   Change this answer

[h=2]You're not a British citizen[/h]

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

[h=2]Check if you're a British citizen[/h]Start again

1. [h=3]1When were you born?[/h]Before 1 January 1983
   Change this answer
2. [h=3]2Were you born in the UK or a qualifying territory?[/h]No
   Change this answer
3. [h=3]3Were you a UK and Colonies citizen on 31 December 1982 with right of abode in the UK?[/h]Yes
   Change this answer

[h=2]In most cases you're a British citizen[/h]

You may have been a UK and Colonies citizen if you were born before 1983 in a country that was a UK colony at the time, or if you had a connection with a colony through your father. You may have lost that status if the country later became independent.
Right of abode means you have the right to live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions.
This information should be shown in your passport.

 

[OATEK]

I don't find the above questionnaire straight forward at all because the survey fails to address whether you have a parent who was born in the UK. That should be question 4. According to the above test if I answer no to question I'm not a British Citizen but I am.

Agreed, and the main reference to UK parent is a Father not married to your mother and you could quickly get eye-strain trying to find a reference to becoming a citizen and holding a UK Passport because your father was born in the UK, whether married, unmarried, married to a UK citizen or not. Lots of confusing references like this one:

You can register as a British citizen if you:

• were born before 1 July 2006
• would have become a British citizen automatically if your parents had been married
• are of ‘good character’ - see the guidance to form UKF for details

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Why does everything British have to be so complicated? Land Rover, BAe146 etc etc.

 

[theblank]

I still don't quite understand why it matters. I am a dual national but hold Australian citizenship and passport and pay taxes here.

It's a shame I can't be in politics....

It matters because dual citizenship implies dual loyalty. Nobody can ever know what a person really thinks, but what is legal, is factual, that is the only thing we can go on.
Over the last 100 years there has been several periods where it would have been unquestionably unnacceptable for a dual citizen of certain other countries to hold any office in Australia.

Imagine the chaos that might have erupted if a Dual Aussie/Kiwi was the Minister for Sports in 1981?

 

[OATEK]

It matters because dual citizenship implies dual loyalty. Nobody can ever know what a person really thinks, but what is legal, is factual, that is the only thing we can go on.
Over the last 100 years there has been several periods where it would have been unquestionably unnacceptable for a dual citizen of certain other countries to hold any office in Australia.

Imagine the chaos that might have erupted if a Dual Aussie/Kiwi was the Minister for Sports in 1981?

An underarm problem that can't be solved with deodorant?

 

[opusman]

I have dual citizenship, but don't consider myself "loyal" to either country. They're just somewhere to live.

 

[Hvr]

I asked my mother if she had signed me up for any other country's citizenship. She assures me she hasn't so no problems here.

 

[JohnK]

It matters because dual citizenship implies dual loyalty.

Good point but surely I can renounce the citizenship of my mother country and still feel extremely loyal towards my mother country? Feelings are very difficult to forget especially when you are forced to do something.

 

[QF WP]

I still find the 3 incidents totally bewildering - and no, I don't trust a politician to tell the (whole) truth.

Thank the Lord I will never run for a Qld Senate spot as I will never renounce my Irish passport. Give thanks daily to my paternal grandmother for wanting to go back to (her native) Ireland in mid to late 1930 [by boat] to see her beloved Uncle William who was poorly and then finding out on the way, she was pregnant (with twins).

She arrived in Dublin in May 1931 to find that he had died 3 weeks previously and she'd missed the funeral, so sensibly she stayed to have the babies (12 June) and at 7 weeks of age (after getting birth certificates and all vaccinations), got back on a steamer bound for Sydney to present them to their father 3 months later.

They bred them tough in those days

 

[amaroo]

I still find the 3 incidents totally bewildering - and no, I don't trust a politician to tell the (whole) truth.

Thank the Lord I will never run for a Qld Senate spot as I will never renounce my Irish passport. Give thanks daily to my paternal grandmother for wanting to go back to (her native) Ireland in mid to late 1930 [by boat] to see her beloved Uncle William who was poorly and then finding out on the way, she was pregnant (with twins).

She arrived in Dublin in May 1931 to find that he had died 3 weeks previously and she'd missed the funeral, so sensibly she stayed to have the babies (12 June) and at 7 weeks of age (after getting birth certificates and all vaccinations), got back on a steamer bound for Sydney to present them to their father 3 months later.

They bred them tough in those days

The Irish are always popular .... particularly their passports! https://www.theguardian.com/politic...sh-demand-jumps-50-per-cent-since-brexit-vote

Simon Coveney said that just over halfway through 2017 the passport service had already issued more than 500,000 passports. In a country that counts one of the smallest populations in Europe at 4.6 million, this has placed a huge burden on the passport offices.

 

[alieninperth]

Thank the Lord I will never run for a Qld Senate spot as I will never renounce my Irish passport.

Interestingly this is not a thing in WA, in fact they are quite clear about it https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/documents/Eligibility_Guide.pdf

"Note: Holders of dual citizenship are not disqualified if they are
otherwise qualified."

So I could sit in the WA Parliment, but not the Federal. It's silent on tri-citizenship though.

 

[wandering_fred]

...
So I could sit in the WA Parliment, but not the Federal. It's silent on tri-citizenship though.

Just a three way dual citizenship.... a-b b-c a-c

But who's counting...

Just wandering

Fred

PS
Examination on dual citizenship is just part of the scrutiny a candidate would face.

 

[JohnK]

So I could sit in the WA Parliment, but not the Federal. It's silent on tri-citizenship though.

My daughter will more than likely end up with 3 citizenships before she'll become an adult. I think that's a great thing and could help her later in life.

 

[TonyHancock]

My daughter will more than likely end up with 3 citizenships before she'll become an adult. I think that's a great thing and could help her later in life.

I guess as long as the three aren't Qatar, Iran, and North Korea.

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

My daughter will more than likely end up with 3 citizenships before she'll become an adult. I think that's a great thing and could help her later in life.

Our eldest grandchild has 3 too - USA, UK and Australian !

 

[BacchusMarsh]

My kids have three passports. We're unfortunately approaching the stage where we might need to consider renouncing one or more for scholarship purposes...

 

[JohnK]

I guess as long as the three aren't Qatar, Iran, and North Korea.

Not quite but I can see the funny side.