Is Our Son An Australian Citizen?

Question

My hubby and I emmigrated to Australia from Britain with British passports in 1985 with permanent residency, we are not Australian citizens.

We have a son who was born in Australia 17 years ago (has an Australian birth certificate), he has a British passport, is he automatically an Australian citizen?

Many thanks :)

Answer 1

Yep he's Aussie. He better not support the English cricket team though or I'll have to hunt him down!

Dual citizenship would probably exist but that was only a recent addition to our foreign affairs initiative. Would do well checking that out.

Answer 2

Your son is an Australian Citizen by birth but after he was born within one year if you had registered his name with the British High Commission he then becomes a British Citizen by Decent .Since at the time of his birth his parents were  British citizens.

Check out with the Immigration authorities of both countries to determine his citizenship or whether he has a the eligibility of dual nationality.

It is a very common problem. I myself is a citizen by decent.

I hope it helps.

Answer 3

Yes. Since he was born in Australia after 20 August 1986 your son needed to have either parent holding Australian citizenship or Permanent Residency at the time of his birth to be born automatically Australian.

http://www.citizenship.gov.au/automatic-...

I would recommend (since he is getting a bit older and going to be an adult in one year) that he get a Certificate of Australian Citizenship in his name from the Department of Immigration (DIAC) because when he moves out of home and becomes an adult this will help him out greatly (especially if his parents accidentally lose their British passports (with proof of permanent residency) or proof of Permanent Residence card. It isn't necessary to get but it can make life a bit easier for him in the long run.

http://www.citizenship.gov.au/proof/inde...

Just remember as an Australian citizen he will need to enrol to vote when he turns 18. :þ

Just a note for clarification: You don't need a British birth certificate to be registered as British by Descent. The British embassy no longer allows Australian born children to be registered at the British embassy because the Australian birth certifcate standards are similar to the British (not to mention they were based on the English birth certificates considering they settled here). As the child is over a year old (the registration must be done within the first year of birth) it is not possible either. Your child is Australian by birth & British by Descent.

http://ukinaustralia.fco.gov.uk/en/help-...

He is born dual citizenship. Both Australia and UK permit this.

Answer 4

Generally he'd have dual citizenship.

Answer 5

yes. He has dual citizenship because he was born there

but he has a british passport.