Commonwealth citizen

British & Commonwealth citizenship

Commonwealth nationality laws
British (history) Australian Barbadian Canadian (history) Indian Malaysian Maltese New Zealand Samoan Singaporean South African Tongan Irish citizens in the UK
Classes of citizens and subjects
British citizen British subject British Overseas Territories citizen British Overseas citizen British National (Overseas) British protected person Commonwealth citizen
Rights and visas
Right of abode Indefinite leave to remain Permanent resident (Australia) Permanent resident (Canada) Belonger status UK Ancestry Entry Clearance
Acts
Ireland Act 1949 British Nationality Act 1981 Falkland Islands (1983) Overseas Territories Act 2002 Canadian Citizenship Act 1946

A Commonwealth citizen, formerly known as a British subject, is generally a person who is a national of any country within the Commonwealth of Nations. British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning Citizenship and other categories of British Nationality. This article concerns the history of British nationality law. Australian nationality law is based primarily on the principle of Jus soli. Barbados achieved Independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 as a Commonwealth with HM the Queen Elizabeth II remaining the head of state Canadian citizenship is typically obtained by birth in Canada or birth abroad when at least one parent is a Canadian citizen or by adoption abroad by at least one Canadian citizen Canada was the second nation in the then British Commonwealth to establish its own nationality law in 1946, with the enactment of the Canadian Citizenship Act 1946 Indian citizenship and nationality law: The Constitution of India provides for a single citizenship for the entire country To become a Citizen of Malaysia, a person must meet the requirements of the Malaysia Citizenship Rules 1964. Maltese nationality law is based primarily on the principles of Jus sanguinis, although prior to 1 August 1989 the principle of Jus soli New Zealand citizenship was created on 1 January, 1949, by the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948. Samoa has been an independent sovereign State since 1962. Prior to that, it was administered by New Zealand. Singaporean nationality law is derived from the Constitution of Singapore and is based on Jus sanguinis and a modified form of Jus soli South Africa rewrote its Nationality law since the end of Apartheid in 1994 and the establishment of majority rule in the country under the African National Congress Nationality and citizenship in the Kingdom of Tonga are currently defined and regulated by the Nationality (Amendment Act 2007. This article concerns British nationality law in respect of citizens of what is now the independent state of Ireland, which was known in the United British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning Citizenship and other categories of British Nationality. In British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territory. In British nationality law, the status of British Overseas citizen (BOC is one of several categories of British national British nationality law as it pertains to Hong Kong has been a unique situation ever since Hong Kong was created a British colony in 1842 The status of British protected person (BPP is a status held by certain persons under the British Nationality Act 1981. Right of abode is a status under United Kingdom immigration laws that gives an unrestricted right to live in the United Kingdom Indefinite leave to remain ( ILR) is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold right of abode in the United Kingdom, but who has been admitted Australian permanent residents are residents of Australia who hold permanent residency visas but are not citizens of the Commonwealth of A Permanent Resident in Canada is someone who is not a Canadian citizen but who has been granted permission to live and work in Canada without any time Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British overseas territories. A UK Ancestry Entry Clearance often referred to as an "Ancestry Visa" is a United Kingdom Entry Clearance for Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born The Ireland Act 1949 is a British Act of Parliament which was intended to deal with the consequences of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 as passed The British Nationality Act 1981 was an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament concerning British Nationality. The British Nationality (Falkland Islands Act 1983 (1983 c 6 was an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament, which came into force on January The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (2002 c 8 is an Act of Parliament passed in the United Kingdom in 2002 which superseded parts of the British Nationality The Canadian Citizenship Act is an Act of the Parliament of Canada, which came into effect on January 1, 1947, recognizing the definition In British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings

In British nationality law, a Commonwealth citizen is a person who is either a British citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen, British Overseas citizen, British subject, British National (Overseas) or a national of a country listed in Schedule 3 of the British Nationality Act 1981. British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning Citizenship and other categories of British Nationality. British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom concerning Citizenship and other categories of British Nationality. The status of British Overseas Territories citizen relates to persons holding British nationality by virtue of a connection with a British Overseas Territory. In British nationality law, the status of British Overseas citizen (BOC is one of several categories of British national In British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings British nationality law as it pertains to Hong Kong has been a unique situation ever since Hong Kong was created a British colony in 1842 The British Nationality Act 1981 was an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament concerning British Nationality. Note that British protected persons are not Commonwealth citizens. The status of British protected person (BPP is a status held by certain persons under the British Nationality Act 1981. The list of countries in Schedule 3 at any time may not accurately reflect the countries actually within the Commonwealth at that time. For example, when Fiji left the Commonwealth in 1987 and 1990, its name was not removed from Schedule 3. Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य This may have happened because the British Government at the time wished to avoid the consequences of Fijian citizens in the United Kingdom suddenly losing the benefits of Commonwealth citizenship.

Most other Commonwealth countries have provisions within their own law defining who is and who is not a Commonwealth citizen. Each country is free to determine what special rights, if any, are accorded to non-nationals who are Commonwealth citizens. In general, citizens of the Republic of Ireland and British protected persons, although not Commonwealth citizens, are accorded the same rights and privileges as Commonwealth citizens.

1 Rights and disabilities in the United Kingdom
2 Rights and privileges throughout the Commonwealth
3 Consular assistance
- 3.1 Commonwealth citizen travel documents
4 References
5 See also

Rights and disabilities in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, as in many other Commonwealth countries, Commonwealth citizens (together with Irish citizens and British protected persons) are in law considered not to be "foreign" or "aliens", although British protected persons do not have all the civic rights that are enjoyed by Commonwealth and Irish citizens. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Commonwealth and Irish citizens enjoy the same civic rights as British citizens, namely:

the right, unless otherwise disqualified, to vote in all elections (i. e. , parliamentary, local and European ^[1] elections);
the right, unless otherwise disqualified, to stand for election to the British House of Commons;
the right, if a qualifying peer or bishop, to sit in the House of Lords; and
eligibility to hold public office (e. The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" g. , as a judge, magistrate, minister, police constable, member of the armed forces, etc. ).

The disabilities of Commonwealth citizens who are not British citizens are few, but in the case of immigration control, very important. Commonwealth citizens (including British nationals who are not British citizens) who do not have the right of abode are subject to immigration control, including control on the right to work and carry out business. In addition, Commonwealth citizens who are not British citizens may not be engaged in certain sensitive occupations, e. g. , in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the intelligence services, and some positions within the armed forces. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO, is the British government department responsible for promoting

Nevertheless, under the United Kingdom's immigration arrangements Commonwealth citizens enjoy certain advantages:

Commonwealth citizens born before 1 January 1983 may by virtue of having a parent born in the United Kingdom and Islands have the right of abode therein - such persons are exempt from all immigration control;
Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the United Kingdom and Islands may be admitted for up to five years on this basis, and thereafter be granted indefinite leave to remain;
Commonwealth citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 may be admitted for a "working holiday" for up to two years but may only work for one year;
Commonwealth citizens, unlike other non-European Economic Area nationals, may not be required to register with the police while living in the United Kingdom. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The right of abode refers to an individual's freedom from immigration control in a particular Country. Indefinite leave to remain ( ILR) is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold right of abode in the United Kingdom, but who has been admitted The European Economic Area ( EEA) came into being on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between member states of European Free Trade Association (EFTAthe

Rights and privileges throughout the Commonwealth

Although the rights and privileges (if any) for non-national Commonwealth citizens differ from country to country, generally these privileges include:

Visa-free entry into some countries by citizens of other Commonwealth countries (when arriving as tourists). A visa (short for the Latin carta visa, lit "a document that has been seen" is a document issued by a Country giving an individual
Certain political rights for resident citizens of other Commonwealth countries, e. Permanent residency refers to a person's visa status the person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country despite not having Citizenship. g. the right to vote in local and national elections and in some cases even to stand for election. Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "voting tablet" and figuratively "right to vote" probably from suffrago "hough" and originally These rights are mainly accorded in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Caribbean countries. The term Anglophone Caribbean is used to refer to the independent English -speaking countries of the Caribbean region In Australia, some states allow Commonwealth citizens who are permanent residents to vote in State and local government elections while Commonwealth citizens who were enrolled to vote on or before 25 January 1984 are entitled to retain voting rights in federal, state and local elections.
The right to work in any position (including the civil service) in some instances, except for certain specific positions (e. See also Bureaucrat The term civil service has two distinct meanings Branch of governmental service in which individuals are hired on the basis g. defence, Governor-General or President, Prime Minister). The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation.
Eligibility for the Commonwealth Scholarship. The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP is an international programme under which Commonwealth governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other

Many Commonwealth countries continue to allow Commonwealth citizens from other countries to become nationals/local citizens by registration rather than naturalisation, upon preferential terms, e. g. with a shorter required period of residency, although this practice has been discontinued in some countries such as New Zealand and Malta. New Zealand citizenship was created on 1 January, 1949, by the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948. Maltese nationality law is based primarily on the principles of Jus sanguinis, although prior to 1 August 1989 the principle of Jus soli

A few Commonwealth countries allow Commonwealth citizens voting and eligibility rights at all levels, either with or without specific restrictions not applying to local citizens: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malawi (all foreign residents, not only Commonwealth citizens), Mauritius, Namibia (all foreign residents, not only Commonwealth citizens), New Zealand (all foreign residents, before 1975 only Commonwealth citizens), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines/. Suffrage, the right to vote in a particular country generally derives from Citizenship. For further information, see Right of foreigners to vote. Suffrage, the right to vote in a particular country generally derives from Citizenship.

Consular assistance

In foreign (i. e. non-Commonwealth) countries, the United Kingdom embassy or consulate is traditionally responsible for Commonwealth citizens whose governments are not represented in the country concerned. A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in A few Commonwealth governments have made alternative arrangements to share the burden, e. g. under a reciprocal agreement Canada and Australia are responsible for each other's citizens,^[2] and the British embassy is only responsible for Canadian and Australian citizens if neither country is represented. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. In return, there are a few Australian consulates that are responsible for British nationals because there is no British consulate there. A few Commonwealth governments, namely Singapore and Tanzania, have opted not to receive consular assistance from the United Kingdom. Singapore Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya

In other Commonwealth countries, United Kingdom high commissions accept no responsibility for unrepresented Commonwealth citizens, who should look to the host Commonwealth government for quasi-consular assistance. High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking special executive positions held by a commission of appointment Canadian and Australian citizens are able to seek consular assistance from each other's high commissions.