# British by descent/Want to study in the UK



## Grey Owl (Dec 13, 2011)

Hey there.

I am an Australian who was born in 1988 to a mother (born in '61) who is a dual citizen of both Britain and Australia. Until now I have not known that this makes me by birthright also a citizen of the UK so I've decided to undertake the endeavor of applying for a British passport so I can prove my nationality. I haven't submitted the forms yet as there are quite a few things still to be put in order but nevertheless I'd love if anyone can answer my questions regarding my aims.

I want to live and study in the UK and I think as a British citizen this would be much easier for me to do so (or so I assume), except I don't have any family or friends I know well in the UK to live with so I thought to myself that if I'm a citizen I should be entitled to the same benefits that all other British citizens hold (social security, education, etc...) and therefore I could perhaps go to the UK, apply for rent assistance for shared housing or something and then look for work/study options. Though I'm a little confused at the moment as someone said to me:

_"...there are rules of residency for benefits and free (higher) education. You cannot access certain services, even as a citizen, if you have not been resident"_

So does this mean my citizenship is some kind of second class citizenship? It would seem from this statement that the real thing to get is residency as if this is the case, citizenship doesn't do much. My life at the moment just seems to be falling apart and not going anywhere and I want more than anything to live and study in the UK but there's quite a bit of uncertainty here. It just seems a little strange that if even though I'm a citizen I wouldn't be allowed residency in the country I am a citizen of.

I've read about a "British Overseas Citizen" and I'm not sure if this would apply to me as from what I've read about this it's more or less useless to have unless you're a resident - in which then you get the opportunity to vote.

I've got quite a bit of savings and I'd say I could support myself for a few months in pretty small conditions, maybe two months if I'm lucky) but what I'd like to know is that if this truly is the case, how would I get residency? Would I have to come over like any other immigrant- skilled? Because that's certainly not me, I have no formal qualifications at this moment in time.

If anyone can help, I'd be really grateful! I want this so much and even if I could find a way to work for however long doing manual labor/service to eventually study I would be more than happy to do so.

Thanks in advance - Grey Owl.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

The UK is in the midst of a terrible recession. Loads of people are out of work and looking for jobs and those loads of people are often going to be willing to take any job. What will give people an advantage over you for any job no matter how unskilled, is having UK experience. To be honest, now is not the time to be coming to the UK if you don't already have a job lined up or lots of money to sustain you. Also, even if you are entitled to any other benefits (I don't know) you'll be at the end of the queue so I wouldn't move with the expectation that you'll immediately get any kind of assistance even if you are entitled to it.

Here is a link to the UKBA website with info on the ancestry visa. Click the link for "rights and responsibilities" for info on what you are and aren't entitled to:

UK Border Agency | UK ancestry

As far as higher education, it's not free for anyone anymore and yes there is a residency requirement of I believe 3 years before you qualify for home fees. This residency requirement even applies to UK citizens who are returning to the UK after living abroad for an extended period of time.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I have to point out that your reasons for wanting to come to the UK are not valid or popular. From what you've said, you only want to come because of free social security, housing and education (higher education isnt free to anyone anymore). Sorry, but the UK isnt a haven for anyone simply because they see it as a free ride I'm afraid! As a UK citizen (if thats what you are entitled to become) means that you will be responsible for paying high taxes and national insurance to contribute for those "subsidies"!

Jo xxx


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## Grey Owl (Dec 13, 2011)

No, I think you might have misunderstood what I was saying. My question was "am I able to recieve the same social help as other British citizens" and I don't mean that I want to come to live off social security (I can do that more comfortably here or in Finland (of which I am a resident) if I wanted so there would be no point to going to the other side of the world just to receive social security below that of Australia or Finland). I'm merely curious as to whether I can just talk to social services and see how I can go about working and so forth creating a path toward studying.

I really hope other people will not misunderstand my post, perhaps I will edit it so I don't receive more reactionary comments.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Grey Owl said:


> Hey there.
> 
> I am an Australian who was born in 1988 to a mother (born in '61) who is a dual citizen of both Britain and Australia. Until now I have not known that this makes me by birthright also a citizen of the UK so I've decided to undertake the endeavor of applying for a British passport so I can prove my nationality. I haven't submitted the forms yet as there are quite a few things still to be put in order but nevertheless I'd love if anyone can answer my questions regarding my aims.
> 
> ...


If you qualify for British citizenship (whether by descent or not), you will have full right of abode in UK, so no visa or any restriction on your stay or residence.

But there are separate rules for benefits and tax cedits, and also for financial support for students in higher education. Normally, if you are student you aren't eligible for help with rent (housing benefit) or living costs (income support), but full-time students don't count for council tax.

As stated, to become eligible as home student and for student support like grant and loans, you must have lived for three years before starting your course, and your UK stay can't be for the main purpose of education. So in most cases you need to have worked here for 3 years. Home students now pay up to £9,000 a year in tuition, and as overseas student you will pay more, up to £12k to £15k a year depending on uni and course (you pay more for clinical course like medicine).

So your options are rather limited. If you want to start uni soon, you will come as overseas (international) student and pay higher fees and no grant, bursary or loans. While you can work in spare time, and there is no restriction for you, it won't be easy to break even, so you need substantial savings, scholarship or financial help from family and relatives.

Or you can come and work for 3 years before starting higher education, and then you pay lower fees (or take out tuition fee loan and only start repaying once in work) and become eligible for grant and maintenance loan. As others have pointed out, it's very difficult to find any kind of job, esp one that pays well enough for you to live in reasonable comfort and to save for future. After satisfying habitual residence test, you become eligible for certain benefits but they are means-tested and won't amount to much for a single person.


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## Gavin123 (Oct 6, 2011)

Yeah I think people will misunderstand your post. Higher education (University) will cost up to £9,000 per year for people starting uni from 2012/2013 onwards! Help towards funding your university education is means tested and only given if your parents/household earns under a certain amount and I'm pretty sure you have to live in the UK to qualify for the funding too. Also, to get any funding/grants/bursaries for living costs etc without taking your parent's earnings into consideration you have to prove that you have lived away from your parents and have been completely independent and not relied on your parents for money. It's a tricky one. A friend of mine even got refused the funding to go to uni and she's british and has lived here since birth. You shouldn't expect to just get everything handed to you from our government, it doesn't work like that! 

Another option is to look into what the Finnish or Australian governments will give you to study in the UK. Another friend of mine is Swedish, had always lived in Sweden but the Swedish government pretty much funded all of her uni fees and helped her towards living costs in the UK with a reasonable 'allowance'. 

You should also weigh up how much better education is in the UK compared to Finland or Aus in terms of standards and how much you actually learn. In my experience the UK doesn't expect too much from students and assessments were actually really easy compared to what we had to learn and do in Switzerland. Everything seems dumbed down in the UK and a bit vague, but the Swiss are an elitist nation and have to be the best and have the best of everthing.... I can say that because I am half swiss. 

Good luck with your mission.


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## Gavin123 (Oct 6, 2011)

Student finance for 2012/13 : Directgov - Education and learning

you might find this useful


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## zerog (Jun 12, 2011)

Gavin123 said:


> Student finance for 2012/13 : Directgov - Education and learning
> 
> you might find this useful


No he won't find it useful because he doesn't qualify for it.

When you get a British passport you will be allowed to live in the UK. Once you MOVE to the UK, you will become eligible for the health service and benefits, but not higher education (as that requires 3 years of living in the UK). This is regardless of your citizenship.

It's similar to how you, as an Aussie living in Finland, are not eligible for Medicare in Australia but you can use the Finnish health service. British citizens LIVING in Australia use Medicare and the Aussie govt pays for it. Tourists who live in the UK and go to Australia for a holiday can use Medicare and the NHS will pay for it, whether or not the tourist is British.


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