Immigrating to the UK

[Sinbad]

Have a read of this

New law opens door to British citizenship for people born before 1988 with a UK-born grandmother | Shepherd and Wedderburn

Section 4L of the British Nationality Act 1981 offers a potential route to British citizenship for adults with a UK-born grandmother who missed out due to historical legislative unfairness.

shepwedd.com

New law significantly expands possibilities for claiming British citizenship through a grandparent - Free Movement

A raft of changes to nationality law came into force a few weeks ago. I covered the changes at a high level on my own firm's website (shameless plug), but

freemovement.org.uk

I think it's a bullshit story:

Under the new law, people born before 1 January 1988 with a UK-born grandmother can now register as British citizens if historical legislative unfairness prevented their grandmother from passing on citizenship to their parents, and by extension, to them. In these circumstances, British citizenship can now be passed to the second generation born outside British territory, by what is often referred to as “double descent”.

To be eligible for registration as a British citizen based on double descent you must have:

1. Been born in a foreign (and not Commonwealth) country before 1 January 1988;
2. Have a UK-born grandmother (maternal or paternal).

In this scenario, the unfairness should be clear: the grandmother was British. Had she been a man, she would have been able to pass her citizenship on to her child born abroad automatically. In turn that child would have been able to register their child as British, and so on. It is important to remember that since 1 January 1988, transmission of British citizenship has been limited to one generation born abroad; British citizenship can no longer perpetually be passed down generations living abroad.

You've never ever been able to pass citizenship on to your kids if you were born outside the UK (with a few exceptions)

If you’re not automatically a citizen​

You may be eligible to apply for citizenship if either:

• your parents were not married when you were born
• your mother was British, not your father

Your mother or father must have been a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies when you were born. They must also have been one of the following:

• born or adopted in the UK
• given citizenship after applying for it in their own right (not based on having a British parent)
• working as a Crown servant when you were born (for example in the diplomatic service, overseas civil service or armed forces)

 

[Ancalagon]

Can you share/find out where to apply for this? I have family members that could benefit from this

You need to apply via Form ARD. In other words, download Form ARD and complete it.

Where to send it in depends on where you live.

You'll need to provide birth certificants for the applicant, grandmother and mother/father.

You'll need to provide a motivation for why you should be granted citizenship - this is the complicated part. But now that the UK government has granted applications this why, it probably doesn't need to be written in perfect legalese.

If you're born before 1st January 1983, you're eligible to become automatically British. £80 ceremony fee payable.

If you're born between 1st January 1983 and 31st December 1987, you're eligible to register as British. £80 ceremony fee payable + citizenship fee payable (around £1200).

 

[Ancalagon]

I think it's a bullshit story:

Under the new law, people born before 1 January 1988 with a UK-born grandmother can now register as British citizens if historical legislative unfairness prevented their grandmother from passing on citizenship to their parents, and by extension, to them. In these circumstances, British citizenship can now be passed to the second generation born outside British territory, by what is often referred to as “double descent”.

To be eligible for registration as a British citizen based on double descent you must have:

1. Been born in a foreign (and not Commonwealth) country before 1 January 1988;
2. Have a UK-born grandmother (maternal or paternal).

In this scenario, the unfairness should be clear: the grandmother was British. Had she been a man, she would have been able to pass her citizenship on to her child born abroad automatically. In turn that child would have been able to register their child as British, and so on. It is important to remember that since 1 January 1988, transmission of British citizenship has been limited to one generation born abroad; British citizenship can no longer perpetually be passed down generations living abroad.

You've never ever been able to pass citizenship on to your kids if you were born outside the UK (with a few exceptions)

If you’re not automatically a citizen​

You may be eligible to apply for citizenship if either:

• your parents were not married when you were born
• your mother was British, not your father

Your mother or father must have been a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies when you were born. They must also have been one of the following:

• born or adopted in the UK
• given citizenship after applying for it in their own right (not based on having a British parent)
• working as a Crown servant when you were born (for example in the diplomatic service, overseas civil service or armed forces)

ha ha ha ha ha lol! Can literally show you a letter from HM government confirming successful application. Believe what you want.

 

[Sinbad]

OHH hang on I think I see it.

Before '88, you could have double descent... gotcha.

 

[2026]

I'll pass on this info to my cousin's and see what comes from it.

 

[killerbyte]

Notify FNB that you will be using your card for international purchases. All I really did for the first bit. Revolut virtual card for transferring money across.

I actually used Shyft. Moved all my Rands into it, and then watched the exchange rate and when it was favourable I exchanged Rands for Pounds. It then sits in the Shyft account and you can use the card in the UK (even withdrew money from it). I then opened up a Lloyds account and transferred all my Pounds Sterling to there.

 

[2026]

I actually used Shyft. Moved all my Rands into it, and then watched the exchange rate and when it was favourable I exchanged Rands for Pounds. It then sits in the Shyft account and you can use the card in the UK (even withdrew money from it). I then opened up a Lloyds account and transferred all my Pounds Sterling to there.

This was my method too, I had no issues.

 

[Paul Kemp]

I actually used Shyft. Moved all my Rands into it, and then watched the exchange rate and when it was favourable I exchanged Rands for Pounds. It then sits in the Shyft account and you can use the card in the UK (even withdrew money from it). I then opened up a Lloyds account and transferred all my Pounds Sterling to there.

This was just for the initial stage and making sure we had funds available for taxis, food and rent etc. We did have cash too. Although the cash we got was all old £20 which nobody accepted here and had to be deposited into a UK account.

Wasn’t even aware of Shyft at the time.

 

[Priapus]

Driving in this country is mostly stress free and peaceful. Most drivers follow the rules. The roads are well lit for the most part and decent infrastructure.

Drove from Hastings to Chessington world of adventure theme park, today. The rental had active cruise control and picked up all the different speed limits. So I let it do its things. Slowing down and speeding up. What a pleasure.

Can’t wait to move here next year.

 

[Hamster]

Spot of weather on the way, chaps!

You do your job and soak up that energy for us on the mainland, thanks!

 

[Hamster]

You bell end

Never watched Top Gear?

 

[2026]

Driving in this country is mostly stress free and peaceful. Most drivers follow the rules. The roads are well lit for the most part and decent infrastructure.

Drove from Hastings to Chessington world of adventure theme park, today. The rental had active cruise control and picked up all the different speed limits. So I let it do its things. Slowing down and speeding up. What a pleasure.

Can’t wait to move here next year.

Drivers joining the back of the queue/moving to their desired lanes early on compared to cape town's last second cut into the queue is always amazing to watch.

The biggest issue I have is that the speed limit signs (on the back roads) can be small and nailed to all sorts of odd locations. You have to keep your eyes peeled to make sure you didn't miss that 40mph sign.

Also, I don't quite get the general speed limit rules even thought I've done quite a bit of driving in northern England. I've read the website about speed limits but even then it's hard to 100% at times. I mostly let google maps help me out with the speed limits or eyeball the speed of the traffic around me to get a feel to what it is.

 

[Tman*]

Hi guys



I am emigrating to London in December. Unfortunately, I am on the green mamba and will be going over a spousal visa.



I have tried, unsuccessfully, to open accounts with Monzo and HSBC from South Africa. I realize that it will be much easier to open an account once I am there and have collected my BRP.



For those that have made the move recently, what have you done so that you have access to funds when you first arrive in the UK? I bank with FNB and Capitec locally (if it’s relevant).



Thanks

As already mentioned use the Shyft app. It was by far the cheapest and fastest for me.

If you have to swipe in country, Capitec doesn't have a currency conversion fee, and only charges a flat rate (R1, or R2? - can't recall) per Transaction.

 

[gregmcc]

The biggest issue I have is that the speed limit signs (on the back roads) can be small and nailed to all sorts of odd locations. You have to keep your eyes peeled to make sure you didn't miss that 40mph sign.

Drove to Wales on the weekend - that 20mph limit takes some getting used to! Beautiful country side though.
I've started using Waze wherever I drive. Very handy for the speed limits and cameras.

 

[kashka71]

That's bizarre - citizenship by double descent? Got a source? I think we might be able to save money on my wife's spouse visa renewal!

Done it. Recently received citizenship certificate and am applying for passport now.

 

[Neuk_]

OHH hang on I think I see it.

Before '88, you could have double descent... gotcha.

I am sure this is how my wife is applying for her British citizenship as both her parents were born in SA and have parents who were British which enabled them to recently get their citizenship. My SIL got her British citizenship recently but she was born in '77 with my wife born in '83 and their brother born in '91, so only my SIL was able to get British citizenship until recently.

 

[The Voice]

My wife wasn’t able to apply for citizenship even though her grandfather was born in Leicester. Her father registered her older brother as British at birth, but didn’t do so for her for some reason. No issues, it’s just taken us much longer to apply for our citizenship as we had to go the ancestry route.

 

[ghaye]

This citizenship by double descent is getting tricky. If I understand it correctly the following would be true...
If your mother's father was born in England you can apply directly for a British passport, but if your father's father was British you can't. Am I understanding that correctly?

 

[The Voice]

This citizenship by double descent is getting tricky. If I understand it correctly the following would be true...
If your mother's father was born in England you can apply directly for a British passport, but if your father's father was British you can't. Am I understanding that correctly?

Something like that. As per my post above yours, it didn’t entitle my wife to apply even though her father was British through his dad who was born here. He would’ve had to register her birth as British, but didn’t for some reason.

 

[ghaye]

Something like that. As per my post above yours, it didn’t entitle my wife to apply even though her father was British through his dad who was born here. He would’ve had to register her birth as British, but didn’t for some reason.

So I could apply directly for a passport rather than going the ancestral visa route. But the rest of the family would then have problem. I guess there would be different routes to take in that case.