On Becoming British

It's official.  I'm a British citizen.  The process has been long (4 years) and expensive (£4K), with reams of paperwork.  But I've been lucky.  It can take a lot longer and be much more complicated.  Going through the process as the spouse of a British citizen definitely makes things easier.  It started with a Visa, then Indefinite Leave to Remain and now Citizenship.  My ceremony was just a few weeks ago. 

Matt asked me how it felt to now be British.  The sarcastic American in me answered "I'm feeling much more passive aggressive and sort of depressed."  That's not actually how I see Brits, although Matt does sometimes excel at both of those things. 

I actually see Brits, particularly my husband, as steadfast and strong with a wide and intelligent streak of humor/humour.  There are definitely differences between Americans and Brits, but that's a whole other blog post.

I wasn't sure how I was feeling about my new citizenship.  As the ceremony approached, I was excited but not feeling too overwhelmed with many emotions.  It's not something that I ever in a million years expected to do.  I'm a very proud American and if I had to give up my US citizenship to be a UK citizen, I would not have made that choice. But in my situation it was an easy decision to make.

I found the ceremony to be a very special moment in my life.  I was pledging my allegiance to a country and Queen.  Obviously it's something to be taken very seriously. 

I was with a group of about 30 people with a variety of skin tones and accents.  I was curious about their stories.  I'm sure many of them had fought hard to get to this point, many even giving up their own home country.  It was a very solemn and serious occasion but full of hope and emotion.

I found myself getting emotional, too.  I'm taking on the home country of my husband.  I love my Brit and I love Great Britain.  It means a lot to me that I have this opportunity to have a second home. 

 Affirmation of Allegiance

  I Selena Jones do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that on becoming a British Citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law.

 Pledge of Commitment

  I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British Citizen.

Now that I have my certificate the only thing left to do is apply for my British Passport.  Because this is such a big process and things change regularly, I won't go into all of the details.  However, if you have any specific questions, just send me an email.  I'm happy to share what I do know.  My main piece of advice is research, research, research!  There is a lot to consider and you want to get it right.  

 

Would you ever consider dual citizenship?

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