How easy is it for Amercians like Meghan to become Briish?

Started by wannable, December 07, 2017, 05:00:06 PM

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wannable

QuoteAs she marries Prince Harry, Meghan Markle will be working towards becoming a British citizen in the coming years.
It can be a lengthy and costly process - hopefuls first need to secure permanent residency after living in the UK for five years before they can even apply.
Visas, applications and tests costs can add up to thousands of pounds.
Kensington Palace says Ms Markle will be treated like any other applicant. So how difficult is it for the average American?
How will Meghan Markle become a British citizen?
Freddie O'Farrell and his American partner Bethany Birdsall are right at the start of the process and applied for a fianc?e visa just as news of Prince Harry and Ms Markle's engagement broke. It is complicated, they say, and already proving stressful.
Miss Birdsall is at home in Minnesota while the application is processed.
Mr O'Farrell, 24, said she is "killing time" until she comes back to the UK, where she will not be able to work while holding the fianc?e visa, waiting instead until she has a marriage visa.
It has put extra pressure on their finances - around ?3,000 needed for visas and legal fees.
"Because we have no dependants, we are quite a simple case," he said. "But even for us we are looking at spending a lot of money and being apart for three or four months.
"It's definitely a strain on any relationship, but it's much harder for her because she can't work when she gets here, so it's a lot of waiting around."
Ms Birdsall has previously worked with children of undocumented migrants in Chicago and, when she is legally allowed to work, wants to do a similar job in the UK.
Mr O'Farrell added: "Frankly, the system is very difficult to navigate, prohibitively expensive - though I imagine that is probably on purpose - and very slow."
A Home Office spokesman said the fees charged, to apply for citizenship for example, are "key" to the government's aim to make the system fully-funded by those who use it and "reduce the burden on the UK taxpayer".
How easy is it for Americans like Meghan to become British? - BBC News

So will she be able to work, as a representative to the BRF in the U.K.? For how long does she have to wait in order to work in the UK as a BRF representative? Anyone in the know about this particular subject?

For fun, here's the test
The all-new British citizenship test ? take the quiz | Global | The Guardian

TLLK

Thank you for the information @wannable. TBH I do expect that like most foreigners who married into royal families in recent years (Mary,Marie, Stephanie,Charlene, Maxima) that this process will go very smoothly and swiftly.

wannable

I thought so too, but with KP statement that she will go through the process like any other applicant.  What? No, there should be in this particular case/item a speedy process, use your connections, preference. IMO.

What's the point in having her go through the normal path, when the Monarchy IS part of the British form of living, working with the constitutional system there, etc. 

I think if she can't do nothing whilst, there will be an outcry, better to have the few hateful if H&M, and the 3 households decide to use connections.

There is always going to be that part of society that dislike, hate their particular royal...(as in the other thread). No need to send a letter, this will always exist.

Curryong

I think Meghan already has a fiancee visa which enables a person, after its processed, to remain in the UK for six months. If there is no marriage within the six months then the person has to leave. The fees to speed up the process become progressively higher the quicker it gets. However, I do think that visa is the one she has. After she is married to Harry Meghan will be carrying out Royal duties. As for tours/visits  overseas, it is Harry, as the Queen's grandson, who represents the Queen. 

TLLK

@wannable - I have to wonder if they're expedited because they are considered representatives of their new nations when on overseas  tours and events? It must be easier to have ie: Mary quickly recognized as a Danish citizen, because then it would be two Danish representatives and not one Danish and one Australian?

BTW Queen Maxima is in a unique situation in that by law she cannot renounce her Argentine citizenship. She and her three daughters are all citizens of Argentina though they do are first and foremost citizens of the Netherlands.

Double post auto-merged: December 07, 2017, 05:19:48 PM


Quote from: Curryong on December 07, 2017, 05:14:56 PM
I think Meghan already has a fiancee visa which enables a person, after its processed, to remain in the UK for six months. If there is no marriage within the six months then the person has to leave. The fees to speed up the process become progressively higher the quicker it gets. However, I do think that visa is the one she has. After she is married to Harry Meghan will be carrying out Royal duties. As for tours/visits  overseas, it is Harry, as the Queen's grandson, who represents the Queen. 
@Curryong-Out of curiousity, is it easier for Commonwealth nation citizens to establish residency and later citizenship in fellow Commonwealth countries? I was thinking of Autumn Phillips and Gary Lewis in this situation.

Curryong

I got 9/10 in that quiz (missed one question completely) but then, I was born and brought up in Britain.

I don't know, TLLK. Decades ago it was quite easy, especially if you wanted to work in Britain for a while. Then Britain joined the EU and its citizens were put first. Things were tightened up. A friend (Aussie) had a very hard time. She and her fianc? had to wait ages. However, with Brexit everything is fluid again. We will have to see what develops post Brexit.

I don't think Autumn Phillips (Canadian)  had any problems. Maybe strings were pulled in her case.

TLLK

^^^Woot Woot!! I got 9/10 too! Only missed the last question on the quiz. :xmas21:

Thank you for the answer @Curryong

wannable

Thanks @Curryong and @TLLK

So from fiance visa no work killing time to marriage visa, can work, to resident visa wait 5 years, to finally be able to apply year 2022 for a UK citizenship.

During all that time Harry will rep HM or his daddy if HM is not in the picture 2022.

All the other married royals do represent the Monarchy, Foreign or Trade offices as the official wording is announced. Not only the royal born that's mentioned as a rep of HM.

I say use the connections  :xmas1:

Curryong

^ And in the end I think they will speed up the process and explain why it's necessary. If there's a backlash there's a backlash. Can't be helped and if it's explained in a straightforward way then people will understand.