get british citizenship

My mother was a British citizen until I was 12yo and I was born in the US. I’ve been told that ONLY FATHERS can pass on British citizenship to their children born before 1985. I was born in 1952. Is this really true?? The explanation was that after 1985 births mothers can pass them on too but not before. Does anyone know about this? And since both my maternal grandparents were British, is that any help in my getting British citizenship? Thanks for any help.

My great grandmother came to the US from England over a hundred years ago. I am wondering if i can apply for citizenship as a descendant. I’m 15 and my mum (opposite side of the family from the great grandmother) and i would like to do this hopefully before i turn 18 so i can go to school there. currently i am a US citizen so there will not be problems with the whole dual citizenship thing because both countries are okay with dual citizenship. can anyone help?

My grandma came over at the age of 18, changed her name, and only went back once, when my dad was 2. No one ever seemed to question why. The way things are going in the US, I would like to have the safety net of a double passport behind me, as I find the Bush administration frightening to say the least, and I do love the hawthorn/hedgerow combo…

The passport is in the mail. The next time I enter the UK it will be in the EU Passports line! Hooray! At long last!

I was hoping to get this through before I turned 17, but something bounced back and so we need to fill out all new paperwork now. Took the chap at FedEx five tries to get it right. But now it’s almost all in and soon enough I’ll be tied to the motherland again. Free to roam the E.U. and work where I please. Joy!
I could even get South African citizenship through my mum, but that might be a bit much. Three countries to be loyal to is quite time consuming.

I made the summary of British citizenship law here :

British Citizenship By Descent, Birth, Marriage or Naturalization

It will give you a general idea about your eligibility for British citizenship.

I’ve now been here for 4 years and have sucessfully got my “indefinate leave to remain” in my passport. So one more year and I can get citizenship

When I get back from Japan for work I will have to start the process of getting right of abode.. my visa runs out in March. So I thought while I have nothing better to do when I’m jetlagged and its 4am in the morning I would surf the web and find out what I needed to apply.

I was quite shocked to find out I need to prove I have ancestry again.. even though I did that to get my visa. This involves getting hold of my grandfather’s and father’s birth certificates (original not copied) and paying in excess of 300 pounds. Not happy Jan.. oh well the price one pays to have an extra thing in the passport and not to have to wait in the long immigration queue.