Aquiring a British Passport for a child.

[Snowy79]

Hopefully the right section but I was bored this morning and just feeding the grey matter when I came across some information that surprised me. 

I know a few foreigners who have partners that are married to a Filipino and allegedly been deserted years ago. If the foreigner has a child by the woman and the child is born before the anulnment of her marriage it can have serious consequences on the child getting a British Passport.  I was surprised to learn you need the anulnment before any child is born for it to have a chance of getting a British Passport. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-a-passport-from-outside-the-uk-applicants-with-links-to-the-philippines/applying-for-a-passport-outside-the-uk?fbclid=IwAR2g-SqMOFin2j5LmeDsdM-hqk0GoC4kSP7aGuSukiDcg-RIXjNi9iLMB6k

2.1 If the mother was born in the Philippines

The validity of the mother’s divorce, if applicable, is to be determined in accordance with UK law.

Where the child’s mother has been married to another man in the Philippines and that marriage has been annulled via an annulment of marriage, that annulment will only be acceptable if it took effect before the child was born.

[graham59]

It was my understanding that ANY child born to a 'separated' Filipino woman is still treated as being the offspring of her husband. 

A general bit of advice to newbies:

Do try to date only SINGLE, childless Filipinas. Millions of them out there.  

Hence, there were no big problems when procuring a British passport for my Phils-born son.  

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, graham59 said:

Hence, there were no big problems when procuring a British passport for my Phils-born son.  

Out of interest, did you have to register your son as a British citizen first using form MN1 before applying for a UK passport?  I see that costs over £1,000!

[graham59]

53 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Out of interest, did you have to register your son as a British citizen first using form MN1 before applying for a UK passport?  I see that costs over £1,000!

No, because as being issued with a passport also confers on one British Citizenship, I couldn't see the point. (It is not compulsory).

Yes, the passport needs to be kept up to date, but any sensible person/parent would do that anyway. Even if left to expire, I'm sure it wouldn't be the end of the world, due to the records (and physical evidence ?) of previous passports having been issued . 

Edited November 11, 2021 by graham59

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, graham59 said:

No, because as being issued with a passport also confers on one British Citizenship, I couldn't see the point. (It is not compulsory).

Yes, the passport needs to be kept up to date, but any sensible person/parent would do that anyway. Even if left to expire, I'm sure it wouldn't be the end of the world, due to the records (and physical evidence ?) of previous passports having been issued . 

That was my thinking but I wonder why anyone would chose to register citizenship at a cost of 1,000+ rather than simply apply for a passport at a cost of 100+ - I suppose those whose circumstances are less clear need to go down the MN1 route first prior to applying for a passport.  

[OnMyWay]

6 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

Hopefully the right section but I was bored this morning and just feeding the grey matter when I came across some information that surprised me. 

I know a few foreigners who have partners that are married to a Filipino and allegedly been deserted years ago. If the foreigner has a child by the woman and the child is born before the anulnment of her marriage it can have serious consequences on the child getting a British Passport.  I was surprised to learn you need the anulnment before any child is born for it to have a chance of getting a British Passport. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-a-passport-from-outside-the-uk-applicants-with-links-to-the-philippines/applying-for-a-passport-outside-the-uk?fbclid=IwAR2g-SqMOFin2j5LmeDsdM-hqk0GoC4kSP7aGuSukiDcg-RIXjNi9iLMB6k

2.1 If the mother was born in the Philippines

The validity of the mother’s divorce, if applicable, is to be determined in accordance with UK law.

Where the child’s mother has been married to another man in the Philippines and that marriage has been annulled via an annulment of marriage, that annulment will only be acceptable if it took effect before the child was born.

Hard to believe that UK is more strict than the U.S. on this.  I thought it was supposed to be about blood.  If either parent is a U.S. citizen they can pass that citizenship on to the child, with a few caveats.  Marital status of the parents does not matter.

 

[Snowy79]

19 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Hard to believe that UK is more strict than the U.S. on this.  I thought it was supposed to be about blood.  If either parent is a U.S. citizen they can pass that citizenship on to the child, with a few caveats.  Marital status of the parents does not matter.

 

The UK is surprisingly strict. I know two guys whose wives can't join them in the UK as they don't earn enough to support them. One just married and hasn't seen his wife since before Covid the other almost 2 1/2yrs and he has 3 kids by her. 

[graham59]

It is the (often originally immigrant themselves) 'marriage of convenience' cheaters who have screwed up the system for the honest , decent majority in the UK, as far as Spouse and Fiancee visas go.

Unfortunately,  our wonderful civil servants are not flexible enough to differentiate between normal decent human being BRITISH CITIZENS, and the previously-mentioned scum.  All now tarred with the same brush. 

When I brought my first Filipina wife back to the UK, in 1991, cost (after an interview at the British Embassy in Manila), was 40 quid, then a years 'probation' in the UK for the Mrs, before she received her permanent 'Settlement Visa', and any pestering from bureaucracy stopped. 

Now, I'm aware it costs thousands of pounds, and there's a 5 year long settlement procedure. 

Meanwhile, other (en situ) Brits are free to breed and claim welfare benefits while sitting on their fat arses. 

[GeoffH]

12 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Hard to believe that UK is more strict than the U.S. on this. 

Australia is stricter than the U.S. in this area also.

[graham59]

I would add, that I had good 'insider' knowledge on this, as my brother headed up the worldwide visa section at the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office for a while.