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British Nationality
Clause 4 and Schedule 1 provide for the grant of certificates of naturalisation as a British citizen at the discretion of the Secre- tary of State to persons who meet the requirements specified in Schedule 1. There are special arrangements for persons who are married to British citizens.
Clause 5 preserves for two years the right to registration held by those Commonwealth citizens who were settled here before 1973 and who have remained so; and by those Commonwealth citizens who are settled here with the right of abode at commence- ment.
Clause 6 preserves for two years the right to registration held by the wives of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who become British citizens provided the marriage subsists. Where the marriage has ceased registration is at the Secretary of State's discretion.
Clause 7 provides an entitlement to registration as a British citizen for a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, a British subject or a British protected person settled here at com- mencement, on completion of five years' ordinary residence. The provision will lapse in six years with provision to accept later applications at the discretion of the Secretary of State for a further two years.
Clause 8 provides that persons who have renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies and have the right to resume it under the British Nationality Act 1964 will be entitled to be registered as British citizens if the connections which give them that right are with the United Kingdom.
Acquisition at commencement
Clause 9 provides for British citizenship to be acquired auto- matically by all those citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who have the right of abode here at commencement, with the exception of those formerly stateless persons who were registered under the British Nationality (No. 2) Act 1964 by virtue of their mother's citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies, who will become British citizens only if their mothers do or would have done, or if they are themselves qualified by residence in the United Kingdom. Persons registered under section 12(6) of the British Nationality Act 1948 will also become British citizens if the ancestral connection on which they relied for registration was with the United Kingdom.
Renunciation and resumption
Clause 10 enables a person to renounce his British citizenship if he has another nationality or citizenship or expects to acquire another nationality or citizenship.
British Nationality
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Clause 11 gives a person who has renounced his British citi- zenship as a requirement of retaining or obtaining another citizenship or nationality an entitlement to resume British citi- zenship at any time. This entitlement may be exercised once only. In all other cases resumption of British citizenship is at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
Supplementary
Clause 12 sets out the classes of person who are to be re- garded as British citizens by virtue of birth in the United Kingdom.
PART II
CITIZENSHIP OF THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES The provisions relating to citizenship of the British Depen- dent Territories are analogous to those set out above for British citizenship, with references to dependencies being substituted for those to the United Kingdom.
1.
Acquisition after commencement Clause 13 (births in a dependency) is broadly similar to Clause
Clause 14 (births outside a dependency) is broadly similar to Clause 2.
3.
Clause 15 (registration of minors) is broadly similar to Clause
Clause 16 (naturalisation in a dependency) is broadly similar to Clause 4.
Clause 17 (preserved rights to registration by virtue of resi- dence in a dependency) is broadly similar to Clause 5(1)(a).
Clause 18 (preserved right of wives to be registered) is broadly similar to Clause 6.
Clause 19 (preserved right to resume citizenship where con- nection is with a dependency) is broadly similar to Clause 8.
Acquisition at commencement
Clause 20 sets out which citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies will become citizens of the British Dependent Terri- tories automatically at commencement.
Renunciation and resumption
Clause 21 provides that arrangements for renunciation and resumption referred to in Clauses 10 and 11 are to apply to citizenship of the British Dependent Territories.
Supplementary
Clause 22 sets out the persons who are to be taken to be citizens of the British Dependent Territories by virtue of birth in a dependency.