United Kingdom - Passport & Nationality - NEW - British Citizenship (British Overseas Territory by Discretion - Father Illegitimate) Post 82

A person born to a father who was born in a British Overseas Territory can normally rely on the reclassification rules enacted in recent years that allowed British Overseas Territory Citizens (or BOTCs) - by birth or by descent from a father - to become full British citizens. However, gender discrimination still meant that those born illegitimately (i.e. out of wedlock) did not have this same benefit. A recent proposal to remedy such gender discrimination means that those who suffered from this unfairness can now register as a British Overseas Territories Citizen and then immediately register as a full British citizen.

Broadly speaking, this solution relies on the following:

• An applicant born any time after 31 December 1982;
• An applicant's father born in a British Overseas Territory; AND
• The applicant born out of wedlock.

If the applicant was born in wedlock, then this process of becoming a British citizen would have happened automatically.

PLEASE NOTE: If such an applicant has any children under the age of 18, then these children could be registered as British citizens.