You need to be a citizen of a Commonwealth country (eg Canada) to
qualify for an ancestry visa based on a UK born grandparent:
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk
After 4 years on an ancestry visa you could apply for permanent
residence in the UK (Indefinite Leave to Remain). After a further
year's residence you could apply for naturalisation as a British
citizen. Only after becoming a British citizen could you think about
living elsewhere in Europe.
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk has information on permanent
residence and naturalisation.
Your US citizenship won't be any use to get a UK ancestry visa. But
if your mother was Canadian, you may have, or be able to get Canadian
citizenship.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/born-e.html
If your mother became a naturalised US citizen before you were born,
then she would have lost Canadian citizenship (as this would have
happened before 1977) and you would not have a claim. If she became a
US citizen after you were born, you may be able to register as a
Canadian now if you were never registered previously as a Canadian.
Or if you were registered as a Canadian but your mother subsequently
became a US citizen before you were 21 (and before 1977), then you
will have to immigrate to Canada and resume Canadian citizenship:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/press/03/0318-pre.html
With a Canadian passport, you could apply for a UK ancestry visa. Or
alternatively, just move to Canada :)
Both the US and Canada allow dual citizenship (as does the UK) so you
would not lose your US citizenship by taking Canadian and/or British
citizenship.
Jeremy
>On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 15:58:15 -0600, rand-y <-cry-o-fan@mylinuxisp.com> wrote:
>I am an American citizen,, 46 years of age. I am thinking of moving to
>Europe. Why? Social benefits! It is hard to get medical benefits here
>in the USA unless you have a good job.
>
>My mother was Canadian, and her mother was born in England.
>
>I have my mother's birth certificate, and it shows her mother as
>having been born in England.
>
>I know that I can get a visa to live in UK for 4 years, and then
>become a naturalized UK citizen/permanent residence one year after the
>4 year period has ended, provided I show employment within the UK,
>etc.
>
>Is it possible, once I get permanent residence from my UK ancestry
>visa, to move to another EU country, such as France, Germany, etc?
>Once there, would I be able to have access to the social benefits of
>that EU country?
>
>TIA
>
>
>
>-------------
>The United States of America: If you like low wages, you'll love long hours!
This is not intended to be legal advice in any jurisdiction |