Petitions/Allow British Citizens by Descent to upgrade their citizenship
StatusClosed
Opened16 May 2025
Closes16 Nov 2025
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Allow Citizens by Descent to upgrade their citizenship after a period of UK residency, so they can pass on citizenship to their children born abroad without further requirements.

Remove the 3-year rolling residency requirement that limits them passing it on to ensure equality with all other British citizens. Citizens by Descent can't pass British Citizenship to their children UNLESS their child is born in the UK, or they've lived in the UK for a continuous period of 3 years before the birth. Any prior residency outside this is disregarded and their children could be denied a British Passport. The British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024, recent Canadian Court rulings and Naturalized British Citizens born overseas I see as highlighting this inequality.

3,106Total signatures
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Constituency engagement ranking

Andy Slaughter
1Andy Slaughter MP
Hammersmith and Chiswick
18
Mr Paul Kohler
2Mr Paul Kohler MP
Wimbledon
18
Marie Goldman
3Marie Goldman MP
Chelmsford
15
Alex Brewer
4Alex Brewer MP
North East Hampshire
13
Matt Vickers
5Matt Vickers MP
Stockton West
13
Sarah Olney
6Sarah Olney MP
Richmond Park
11
Pippa Heylings
7Pippa Heylings MP
South Cambridgeshire
11
Claire Coutinho
8Claire Coutinho MP
East Surrey
10
Matthew Pennycook
9Matthew Pennycook MP
Greenwich and Woolwich
10
Emily Thornberry
10Emily Thornberry MP
Islington South and Finsbury
10
Allow British Citizens by Descent to upgrade their citizenship — Petitions