Job Discussion Forums

[yoanna]

My bf lives in Austria, where my Grandfather, on my mother's side, was born and lived before coming to Canada. Does this mean I have citizenship status or ANYTHING over there at all? Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks all...
warm regards,
Yoanna

p.s... I am going to Austria to teach in September....[/quote]

[comenius]

I tend to doubt it. Most citizenship is usually granted only if (1) you were born in a country or (2) you were born to two citizens of that country. That's how it is in the U.S. at least. The situation in Australia might be different, but I would be surprised if it were significantly so. Most likely having a grandfather who was a citizen of Australia won't be of much help.

Of course if you're really serious you could always ask an immigration attorney that works in Australia, but that might cost some money.

[Communist Smurf]

[Jetgirly]

This reminds me of that scene in Dumb and Dumber where Jim Carrey asks the girl where she's from, and when she tell him she's from Austria he says, "G'day mate!"

I can't comment on Austrian citizenship processes, but I can tell you about getting my German citizenship. The process involved my father (a Canadian) proving that his parents were both German citizens at the time of his birth (he was born in Canada after my grandfather was released as a German POW). Once he had all the documentation he was able to apply for German citizenship, and once he had it I was able to apply. So you could end up asking your parents to apply for Austrian citizenship so that you can get it too.

THAT IS ONLY THE GERMAN SYSTEM. I don't know about the Austrian one!

[comenius]

Austria... Australia... It's all the same between friends, right?

Gotta get new glasses...!

[zaneth]

I have a fancy piece of paper saying that my daughter is a US citizen. Her mother isn't. And she wasn't born in America. One parent is sufficient. Now my daughter, if she doesn't actually end up living in America, won't be able to transfer citizenship to her children.

[Chris_Crossley]

My little daughter is a British citizen, even though, as far as the Chinese are concerned, she is a Chinese citizen. However, China does not officially recognise dual nationality of any kind.

She was born in China but, because she has a married father who was born a British citizen in the UK itself, the British government states that she is a British citizen. Anybody unsure about this can see her passport where she is shown as a BRITISH CITIZEN.

Her mother, though, is Chinese, and, according to Home Office rules, she can only become a British citizen once she enters the UK (on a multiple entry visa, which she has already) and remains my wife for at least three out of the next five years actually living in the UK.

However, there is an interesting twist here. The British Embassy in Beijing told me that my daughter, because she was born in China, will need a CHINESE passport in order to leave China for the first time and a UK visa to enter the UK for the first time (or at least to show the Chinese authorities that she does have a visa to enter the UK). If and when she returns to China, THEN she can use her British/EU passport, enter China using the appropriate Chinese visa and be registered as a foreigner (though, as far as my thinking goes, she might as well use her Chinese passport to return, because there would be no expense involved outside China or registration as a foreigner inside China).

Hence, the British Embassy would have to issue my daughter with a visa in a Chinese passport (which she hasn't got yet) to enter the UK, even though she has a British passport already.

Sounds complicated? I suppose it is!

[Magoo]

Chris: go to China on a Chinese passport, return on a UK one(or vice versa), but get the Chinese passport stamped at immigration. Then, hopefully, noone is any the wiser (my ex was in the same situation).

[Chris_Crossley]

Magoo wrote: