# Help me please



## Ianmorris (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi There
I am looking for someone who can assist me with My P/R - Citizenship I was granted permanent residance in 1969 when my parents emigrated. I stayed her until just after my 16th birthday. And have been in and out of South Africa a few times since. Someone informed me that i would have become a naturalized citizen at about the age of 15 and a half. I am looking for someone to assist me in checking whether this is the case or not. My wife and children are arriving here early may and would like to get this put to bed in order to apply for her spousal visa. I can be contacted at [email protected] or on 0727613641


----------



## shumifan49 (Sep 18, 2013)

Permanent resodence and naturalisation are very different things:
PR allows you to remain in the country indefintely without citizenship.
Naturalisation happens you APPLY for and is granted citizenship.

Typically PR requires that you live in the country of PR for a minimum period each year. If you don't you lose your PR.
Citizenship on the other hand has no requirements about remaining in the country once you have obtained it.

You do not indicate for how long you have left SA since you were 16 or how old you are now.

Reading between the lines:
As you never applied to get naturalised you probably never were and if you only had PR then, again reading between the lines, that would have expired as you were not in the country 'continuously'.


----------

