Baby Citizenship Questions

Hiya- been a while since I posted, wondered if any mom's out there would be able to help.  I'm 16 weeks pregnant & wondering if there's any benefit to applying for my own UK citizenship before the baby comes- I've got an ILR & been here long enough, so just wondering.  Also I'm an American Citizen, obviously and was confussed about whether the baby is automatically a dual Citizen & do I have to get both passports for it?  Do I need to register the birth in both countires? Soooooo Confussed!!!  I know that's a lot of questions, but if anyone has any ideas, that would be great   Incidentally, I own a Pram & Nursery Center here, and if anyone has questions about baby gear, I'm happy to lend a helpful bit of advice on that front! Cheers!

Since you hold ILR your child will be a British Citizen at birth & a US citizen at birth if you've met the residence requirement for the US (5 years lived in the US with a minimum of 2 years after age 14). You would have to register the birth with your local Registry Office & make an appointment with the US Embassy to get the Consular Report of US Citizen Born Abroad.

As a US Citizen (even Dual Citizens) the child must travel to and from the US on it's US passport so you have to get that one. If you don't get the British Passport for the Child then you'd have to apply for a visa for it (which costs a whole heck of a lot more than a passport).

The only benefit to applying for it sooner rather than later is that the fees are constantly going up. So unless money is not an object then I'd do it now.

hiya, may I tag my own (related) questions on to this thread?

If we register the birth with the US Embassy, will my son have to file US taxes even if he never lives in the US? Also will he be eligible for the draft, assuming they don't end it, again if he never lives in the states?

If we don't register the birth, and he is only a british citizen, can he travel to the US as a visitor on his british passport with my husband (UKC)?

Cheers Pengi

Yes to taxes, yes to the draft, but whether you register him or not he is a US citizen and can't travel there onhis British passport.  

I think the problem is that you go through passport control as a family group and it would be an issue then.  Also, what if you want to go back without your husband for a visit or something?

The taxes and draft thing are why some people are hesitant to register the birth of a dual citizen child with the US.  Realistically I don't see any way around it unless the child never travel to the US.

The taxes and draft thing are why some people are hesitant to register the birth of a dual citizen child with the US.  Realistically I don't see any way around it unless the child never travel to the US.

And the possibility that the child could potentially be charged with tax evasion in the future (registered or not they're still a US Citizen at the moment of birth) and can be refused a visa to the US or entry to the US even if they only posess a UK passport and be required to get a US passport.

Too many future problems would arise if you don't do it.

Plus they'd have to make over 86-some-odd thousand-dollars to ever have to owe any tax to the US, yes they have to file but they probably would never have to pay.

Thanks- great help so far