TNAG-0980-FCO40-1199-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 14

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Would an adopted child be able to acquire British Citizenship? where either adoptive parent is a British Citizen and the adoption takes

lace in the United Kingdom the parents would be entitled to have citizenship for the child on application.

13.

Would a child adopted overseas be able to acquire British Citizenship?

The law would not contain any provision which would give a child adopted overseas an automatic entitlement to British Citizenship. It would be possible for a child so adopted to be registered under the Home Secretary general power to register children (see Para 10(iii) above) and consideration of the circumstances of the child and his adoptive parents would be taken into account.

14.

How would someone marrying a British Citizen be able to acquire citizenship?

It is intended that both men and women should be treated alike under the new nationality law. In future both men and women who marry British Citizens would be able to apply for British Citizenship by naturalisation after residence in the UK. The normal qualification of 5 years residence in the United Kingdom would be reduced to 3 years. There would be no provision for the acquisition of citizenship where the couple are living

overseas.

15. Does this mean that a woman who marries a British Citizen would no longer have an automatic right to her husband's citizenship?

Yes; she would only be eligible to apply after residence in the United Kingdom.

BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENSHIP

16.

How would this citizenship be acquired under the new law?

By birth in a dependent territory, by descent and by grant.

17. Would the provisions be identical to those for British Citizens?

They would be virtually the same in all respects. In the questions and answers under British Citizenship above the name of the dependent territo:

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