longshot citizenship question

Hi
I was born a Malaysian citizen and lived in the UK from about 1982 until 2001, with ILR since 1984. All my schooling up to and including my degree was in the UK.

In 2001, I moved to the US, and have only been back a few times for short visits. On the last couple of trips, I have been stamped in just as a visitor.

I recently acquired US citizenship and plan to renounce my Malaysian Citizenship since they dont allow dual nationality.

My question, and I know it is an extreme longshot: Might I have any claim to British Citizenship based on the length of time I lived there? I know I really should have done it WHILE I was there (it would have been easy at that time), but I was a kid, and my parents were naive about these sorts of things.

thanks in advance

Nope, you don't. Nor do you have ILR any longer, it would have lapsed after two years of being outside the UK.

Nope, you don't. Nor do you have ILR any longer, it would have lapsed after two years of being outside the UK.

Sure, I understand the ILR is gone, and RR visas are almost impossible to get. I have no desire at the moment to go back, but IF I ever do, I suppose I will need to start from scratch as a skilled immigrant or similar. Hmm....tooo bad we didnt take a few hours to fill out citizenship paperwork all those years ago.

Sure, I understand the ILR is gone, and RR visas are almost impossible to get. I have no desire at the moment to go back, but IF I ever do, I suppose I will need to start from scratch as a skilled immigrant or similar. Hmm....tooo bad we didnt take a few hours to fill out citizenship paperwork all those years ago.

Your situation is EXACTLY why I always encourage people to get their British Citizenship as soon as they qualify even if they have no intention of returning to the UK because you NEVER know where life will lead you and I hate to read stories like yours knowing that your life will be infinitely complicated because of not taking advantage of the situation previously.

Best of luck to you & you're right, RR visas are impossible to get. I've never seen one issued, ever.

Your situation is EXACTLY why I always encourage people to get their British Citizenship as soon as they qualify even if they have no intention of returning to the UK because you NEVER know where life will lead you and I hate to read stories like yours knowing that your life will be infinitely complicated because of not taking advantage of the situation previously.

Best of luck to you & you're right, RR visas are impossible to get. I've never seen one issued, ever.

Thats good advice you're giving people, I wish someone had said that to me when I was 18   For this very reason, I filed my US citizenship the very day I became eligible, and have now got it. Having had to live for years carrying only the passport of a country where I've never lived, don't know anyone and can't relate to the culture (Malaysia) has not been fun, I can tell you. Live and learn, eh?

Anyway, I think for the forseeable future, I am happy just to fly over to the UK occasionally to visit friends and stock up on pot noodles

Having had to live for years carrying only the passport of a country where I've never lived,

Were you actually BORN in the UK to parents who weren't UK citizens but who later got ILR? Because if that's the case, then yes, you (maybe?) do have a claim to citizenship. Maybe. It might be that you needed to be registered as such, not sure.

Were you actually BORN in the UK to parents who weren't UK citizens but who later got ILR? Because if that's the case, then yes, you (maybe?) do have a claim to citizenship. Maybe. It might be that you needed to be registered as such, not sure.

Actually, my post might have been misleading. I was born in Malaysia and probably lived there for about 2 months. What I meant was I have never lived there at an age which I can remember.