THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, JANUARY 22, 1915.
[4 & 5 GEO. 5.] British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act, 1914. [CH. 17.]
,
CHAPTER 17. .
An Act to consolidate and amend the Enactments relating to British Nationality A.D. 1914,
and the Status of Aliens.
BE
[7th August, 1914.]
E it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:----
PART I.
NATURAL-BORN BRITISH SUBJECTS.
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1.-(1) The following persons shall be deemed to be natural-born British Definition of subjects, namely :-
natural-born British
(a) Any person born within His Majesty's dominions and allegiance; and subject. (b) Any person born out of His Majesty's dominions, whose father was a
British subject at the time of that person's birth and either was born within His Majesty's allegiance or was a person to whom a certifi- cate of naturalization has been granted; and
(e) Any person born on board a British ship whether in foreign territorial
waters or not:
Provided that the child of a British subject, whether that child was born before or after the passing of this Act, shall be deemed to have been born within His Majesty's allegiance if born in a place where by treaty, capitulation, grant, usage, sufferance, or other lawful means, His Majesty exercises jurisdiction over British subjects.
(2) A person born on board a foreign ship shall not be deemed to be a British subject by reason only that the ship was in British territorial waters at the time of his birth,
(3) Nothing in this section shall, except as otherwise expressly provided, affect the status of any person born before the commencement of this Act.
PART II.
NATURALIZATION OF ALIENS.
2.-(1) The Secretary of State may grant a certificate of naturalization to Certificate of an alien who makes an application for the purpose, and satisfies the Secretary naturaliza- of State-
(a) that he has either resided in His Majesty's dominions for a period of not less than five years in the manner required by this section, or been in the service of the Crown for not less than five years within the last eight years before the application; and
(b) that he is of good character and has an adequate knowledge of the
English language; and
(c) that he intends if his application is granted either to reside in His Majesty's dominions or to enter or continue in the service of the Crown.
(2) The residence required by this section is residence in the United King- dom for not less than one year immediately preceding the application, and previous residence, either in the United Kingdom or in some other part of His Majesty's dominions, for a period of four years within the last eight years before the application.
(3) The grant of a certificate of naturalization to any such alien shall be in the absolute discretion of the Secretary of State, and he may, with or without assigning any reason, give or withhold the certificate as he thinks most con- ducive to the public good, and no appeal shall lie from his decision.
(4) A certificate of naturalization shall not take effect until the applicant has taken the oath of allegiance.
(5) In the case of a woman who was a British subject previously to her marriage to an alien, and whose husband has died or whose marriage has been dissolved, the requirements of this section as to residence shall not apply and the Secretary of State may in any other special case, if he thinks fit, grant a certificate of naturalization, although the four years' residence or five, years' service has not been within the last eight years before the application.
tion.