SRA-regulated UK solicitors · New York office
British Nationality
There are 6 different types of British Nationality, but only those with British Citizenship, and the right of abode, have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom. Muldoon Britton Immigration can assist with applications for British Citizenship, and Certificates of Entitlement to prove the holder has the right of abode in the United Kingdom.
We are SRA-regulated solicitors, not immigration advisers. Your application is prepared by a qualified UK lawyer who can represent you, not a consultant who cannot.
British nationality services
British Citizenship by Registration →Specific provisions of British Nationality law allow certain persons to register as British.
British Citizenship by Naturalisation →For people settled in the UK who want to become British citizens.
British Passport →Applying for your first British passport, including if you’re British by descent and living in the US.
Right of Abode & Certificates of Entitlement →Proving your right to live and work in the UK without immigration restrictions.
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Where we are
Offices in New York, London and Manchester, with consultations by phone or video across all 50 states.
UK-qualified solicitors, physically based in the US, so you are working in your own time zone.
Get a quote
Talk to a UK nationality solicitor
For more information on our legal services, please get in contact where we would love to discuss how we could help you with your application. Tell us about your family background and we will come back to you with whether you are already British, which route fits if not, and a fixed fee, usually the same working day.
What’s involved
British nationality advice for people in the United States
Most of the British nationality enquiries we receive from the US start with the same question: am I already British? Plenty of Americans with a British parent are, without knowing it. Others assume they are when the link was broken a generation back. Getting that answer right first matters, because it decides whether you need a passport application, a registration, naturalisation, or nothing at all.
There are four main routes. Registration covers people the law says are entitled, or may be allowed, to register as British, including many people born abroad to British mothers before 1983, when nationality usually passed through fathers only. Naturalisation is for people who have made their life in the UK, and normally requires settled status, a qualifying period of residence with limited time abroad, the Life in the UK test, English language evidence and good character.
If you are already British, the job is usually a first British passport, which can often be applied for from the US. If you have the right of abode but hold a non-British passport, a certificate of entitlement proves it.
US applicants face a few issues that UK-based applicants do not. Citizenship by descent usually cannot be passed on automatically to a child born outside the UK, so a British grandparent on their own is normally not enough, and the UK Ancestry visa is only open to Commonwealth citizens. Proving nationality through a parent means evidencing the whole chain, and short-form US birth certificates often leave out parents’ details, which is enough to stall an application. Good character is assessed strictly, and Home Office fees are not refunded if an application is refused.
We establish where you stand, gather and check the evidence, prepare the application and deal with the Home Office through to the decision. You get a fixed fee agreed before any work starts, and a named solicitor who stays with the case throughout.
1
Tell us your background
A free, no obligation enquiry. We look at your family history and immigration record and confirm whether you are already British, and if not, which route fits.
2
We build the application
Your solicitor tells you exactly which documents are needed, including any family records, checks every one and prepares the application.
3
We see it through
We deal with anything the Home Office comes back with and guide you through to the decision, your citizenship ceremony if one applies, and your passport.
Common questions
British nationality, answered
My parent is British. Am I British too?
Possibly. It depends on when you were born, whether your parent was British by birth or by descent, and in some older cases whether your parents were married. We can usually tell you quickly once we have seen the family details.
My mother is British but I was born before 1983. Can I still claim citizenship?
Very possibly. The law was changed to put right the old rule that stopped mothers passing on their nationality, and many people in this position can now register as British citizens.
Will I have to give up my US citizenship?
Not as far as the UK is concerned. UK law allows dual nationality. If you have particular concerns about your US position, it is worth checking those separately.
Can I apply from the United States?
Registration and passport applications can often be made from outside the UK. Naturalisation is built around time spent living in the UK, so it is usually not an option if you have not lived here.
What is a certificate of entitlement?
It is an endorsement placed in a non-British passport to show the holder has the right of abode, meaning they can live and work in the UK without immigration restrictions. British citizens do not need one, because their British passport does the same job.
Get in Touch
With years of experience working in UK immigration and British nationality law, our advisors can help you understand the process and take the right steps to obtain your visa. Get in touch today.
