When my mother moved from Canada to the UK in 1934 did she automatically become British?

[Fitz Blitz]

Hello

I live in the UK and I am gathering the documents to apply for a Canadian Citizenship Certificate. My mother was born in Canada and I was born in the UK

I have all the documents required however I have one question about one document request which is that maybe I need:

Proof of other nationalities acquired by your or your Canadian parent before February 15, 1977 if applicable to you.

My mother was born in Canada in 1924 and then with her mother moved to the UK in 1934.

So, she must have become a British citizen. She lived in the UK absolutely as a British citizen and I she never talked about having to apply for a British citizenship.

I wonder if Canadians in the UK had automatic British citizenship at that time? So then no documents would exist.

Anyway I'm wondering if I have to provide documents for my mother about "becoming British" and if so what documents would they be?

Thank you.

 

[hawk39]

I wonder if Canadians in the UK had automatic British citizenship at that time? So then no documents would exist.

I don't think all Canadians in the UK became automatically British at that time. Based on my own research and interpretations, I think this is how your mother acquired her British citizenship:

• Based on the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914, anyone born within the British Dominion was considered a British subject, so I think she had British nationality when she was born.
• Canadian citizenship was introduced in 1947, so she was deemed a natural-born Canadian citizen, but was still considered a British Subject under British law at that time.
• True separation between British and Canadian citizenship occurred with the British Nationality Act 1948. Section 12 describes the transitional processes for Subjects of the former British Dominion to become UK and Colonies citizens. If her father was also a British Subject born on what was comprised of the UK and Colonies at that time, then I believe she became a British citizen under subsection 2. Otherwise, subsections 6 and 7 describe an application process for those that have actual or potential citizenship from countries that were part of the former British Dominion that have their own citizenship.

So if your mother became a British citizen under subsection 2, I think her birth certificate that lists her father's place of birth or status could serve as that document. If she had to apply, then she should have gotten some sort of official confirmation or certificate.

Anyway I'm wondering if I have to provide documents for my mother about "becoming British" and if so what documents would they be?

Personally, I don't know why additional documents to show proof of your or your mother's British nationality before 1977 would be needed. Multiple citizenship was not allowed until 1977, but I don't feel that it is relevant or applicable to you. The main documents they require is your birth certificate with your mother's name on it, and her Canadian birth certificate. You could try to contact IRCC with a webform and ask if those additional documents are needed and what they could be.

 

[Fitz Blitz]

Thank you very much for that excellent and interesting response hawk39.

I sent this query to the Canadian consulate in London and they have responded very quickly to say that it is probably okay for me just to say on the form that I don't know if British citizenship was acquired. I suspect that they are saying, like you, that in my application this doesn't matter. The form is of course for many different types of application.

I have saved your post for future reference. I have a hazy memory from somewhere that it was as you have described so it is good to have this confirmed.

One thing I'll say is that the application process for proof of citizenship is actually rather interesting. I am learning things about history and that is always very nice.

 

[Wyfarer]

Hawk was very helpful to me also.

As you Fitz, I have a similar situation ('cept my mom went from Canada to the USA with her father being naturalized along with my mom when she was a minor in 1941). I got my Proof of Canadian Citizenship (and then passport later) using just my mom's birth certificate (a little work as there was not one around "here," but easy enough to apply for in Alberta) and my birth certificate showing her name on it. The only slight snag was that there were a couple typos (probably going from paper to computer whenever that happened) on my mom's birth certificate which could have been corrected by Alberta powers-that-be. I figured, however, just keep it as it was, errors, since those reviewing my Certificate application would be cross-referenced with my mom's birth certificate that I provided with the app and what they would find in their respective system i.e. error = error. It all worked out no problem.