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Application of Gibraltarian Status under Sections 5, 8, and 9 of the Gibraltarian Status Act.
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Added the right to freely "enter" the associated territory
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==Rights== |
==Rights== |
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The rights associated with belonger status normally include the right to vote, to hold elected office, to own real property without the necessity for a licence, to reside in that territory without immigration restrictions, and to freely accept employment without the requirement of a work permit. In general, to be born with belonger status a person must be born in a territory to a parent who holds belonger status. Belonger status can sometimes be passed to a child born outside the territory, but this is purposely limited, to minimise the number of belongers who will not live in the territory. |
The rights associated with belonger status normally include the right to vote, to hold elected office, to own real property without the necessity for a licence, to enter and reside in that territory without immigration restrictions, and to freely accept employment without the requirement of a work permit. In general, to be born with belonger status a person must be born in a territory to a parent who holds belonger status. Belonger status can sometimes be passed to a child born outside the territory, but this is purposely limited, to minimise the number of belongers who will not live in the territory. |
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In most independent countries, these rights would be associated with citizenship or nationality. However, as the British Overseas Territories are not independent countries, they cannot confer citizenship. Instead, people with close ties to Britain's Overseas Territories all hold the same nationality: [[British Overseas Territories Citizen]] (BOTC). The status of BOTC is defined by the [[British Nationality Act 1981]] and subsequent amendments. |
In most independent countries, these rights would be associated with citizenship or nationality. However, as the British Overseas Territories are not independent countries, they cannot confer citizenship. Instead, people with close ties to Britain's Overseas Territories all hold the same nationality: [[British Overseas Territories Citizen]] (BOTC). The status of BOTC is defined by the [[British Nationality Act 1981]] and subsequent amendments. |
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| British citizenship and nationality law |
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| Introduction |
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| Law relating to former territories |
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| Relevant legislation |
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Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British Overseas Territories. It refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth or ancestry. The requirements for belonger status, and the rights that it confers, vary from territory to territory.
The rights associated with belonger status normally include the right to vote, to hold elected office, to own real property without the necessity for a licence, to enter and reside in that territory without immigration restrictions, and to freely accept employment without the requirement of a work permit. In general, to be born with belonger status a person must be born in a territory to a parent who holds belonger status. Belonger status can sometimes be passed to a child born outside the territory, but this is purposely limited, to minimise the number of belongers who will not live in the territory. In most independent countries, these rights would be associated with citizenship or nationality. However, as the British Overseas Territories are not independent countries, they cannot confer citizenship. Instead, people with close ties to Britain's Overseas Territories all hold the same nationality: British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC). The status of BOTC is defined by the British Nationality Act 1981 and subsequent amendments.
BOTC, however, does not confer any right to live in any British Overseas Territory, including the territory from which it is derived. It is the possession of belonger status that provides the right. Acquisition of belonger status in a British Overseas Territory does not automatically confer BOTC, but most people holding such status are eligible for registration or naturalisation as a BOTC upon meeting the requirements of the 1981 Act. Similarly, it is possible to lose belonger status in a territory while retaining BOTC or British citizenship.
The British Overseas Territories Act 2002 also conferred British Citizenship upon BOTCs (other than those solely connected with the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus), which provides for a right of abode in the United Kingdom. The conferral is in addition to their BOTC and was not reciprocal in nature, and British citizens did not receive any rights to reside in the Overseas Territories without permission. The act also changed the reference of British Dependent Territories to British Overseas Territories. It was enacted five years after the United Kingdom relinquished sovereignty over its most populous dependent territory, Hong Kong, to the People's Republic of China.
In Hong Kong, the belonger status was renamed to permanent resident status in 1987. Only permanent residents and residents who have been resident in Hong Kong for seven years, regardless of citizenship or nationality, have the right to vote, to contest in elections, to hold public offices, to freely accept employment without work permit requirement, to reside without immigration restrictions, and to the right of abode within the territory.
Since 1997, the right to hold principal offices has been restricted to those who are concurrently permanent residents and nationals of the People's Republic of China through the special administrative region, who have no right of abode in other countries. Also, the number of members of the territory's Legislative Council who have foreign right of abode has been capped at 20%.
Anguilla Constitution – Section 80. Belonger status
The term "belonger" appears only in the Bermuda Constitution Order of 1968, "A person shall be deemed to belong to Bermuda...".
Belongers include those possessing Bermudian status; naturalised British Overseas Territories citizens; the wives of Bermudians or naturalised British Overseas Territories citizens; and the children under the age of eighteen of Bermudians, naturalised British Overseas Territories citizens, and their wives. Other laws typically only use the term Bermudian status, neglecting to deal with other Belongers. A couple of recent court decisions in 2016–2017 have held that references to Bermudians should also be read as including other Belongers in the context of immigration law, company ownership and land ownership.[2][3]
Only Bermudian status-holders may vote in island elections. With limited exceptions, only Belongers and the spouses of Bermudians may own land, live or work on the island without a permit.
Also with limited exceptions, Belongers must hold at least 60% of the shares and be at least 60% of the directors of companies doing business in Bermuda. This requirement does not apply to international business companies (known locally as "exempted companies"), which may have an office in Bermuda but may only trade outside Bermuda.
Under the current law, those born in Bermuda to at least one Bermudian parent, and those who live on the island while a spouse of a Bermudian for 10 years, are eligible for Bermudian status. Potentially extending Bermudian status to others is perennially one of the most politically contentious issues on the island.
In the British Virgin Islands there are two forms of status: Belongership and BVIslander status.[4] The two forms of status overlap to some degree, although it is possible to be a Belonger without being a BVIslander. BVIslander status is the 'senior' form of status and that is only conferred on those who have at least one grandparent born in the territory. Belonger status can be acquired in several ways, but generally it is granted as an honour (very rare), by naturalisation or it can be acquired after a qualifying period (three years at the present time) after marriage to a BVIslander. All BVIslanders and Belongers can vote, but only BVIslanders can hold a British Virgin Islands passport. It is possible to have BOTC status and be a Belonger but not a BVIslander if the person with BOTC status comes from another British Overseas Territory and has married a BVIslander.
The definition of qualifications for Belonger status in the British Virgin Islands is contained in section 2(2) of the Constitution:
A person belongs to the Virgin Islands if that person
(a) is born in the Virgin Islands and at the time of the birth his or her father or mother is or was
(b) is born in the Virgin Islands of a father or mother who belongs to the Virgin Islands by birth or descent or who, if deceased, would, if alive, so belong to the Virgin Islands;
(c) is a child adopted in the Virgin Islands by a person who belongs to the Virgin Islands by birth or descent;
(d) is born outside the Virgin Islands of a father or mother who is a British overseas territories citizen by virtue of birth in the Virgin Islands or descent from a father or mother who was born in the Virgin Islands or who belongs to the Virgin Islands by virtue of birth in the Virgin Islands or descent from a father or mother who was born in the Virgin Islands;
(e) is a British overseas territories citizen by virtue of registration in the Virgin Islands;
(f) is a person to whom a certificate has been granted under section 16 of the Immigration and Passport Act 1977 of the Virgin Islands (in this subsection referred to as "the Act", and references to the Act or to any section thereof include references to any enactment amending, replacing or re-enacting the same) and has not been revoked under section 17 of the Act; and (without prejudice to the right of any person to apply for the grant of such a certificate under the Act) a British overseas territories citizen by virtue of naturalisation in the Virgin Islands has a right by virtue of this Constitution to apply for the grant of such a certificate;
(g) is the spouse of a person who belongs to the Virgin Islands and has been granted a certificate under section 16 of the Act; or
(h) was immediately before the commencement of this Constitution deemed to belong to the Virgin Islands by virtue of the Virgin Islands (Constitution) Order 1976(3).[5]
The British Virgin Islands is extremely restrictive about conferring Belongership status on immigrants to the Territory. Under the leadership of Orlando Smith the Government formally committed itself to naturalising no more than 25 persons a year. This was maintained when Smith's NDP party was no longer in office.
The Caymanian Status and Permanent Residency Board may, upon application, grant the right to be Caymanian to persons in the categories below.
Persons who may apply to the Chief Immigration Officer for the right to be Caymanian
A person who
may apply no later than 21 December 2007 to the Chief Immigration Officer for the right to be Caymanian. The Chief Immigration Officer is required by law, save in exceptional circumstances, to grant such an application.[6]
Belonger status in the Falkland Islands is officially referred to as "Falkland Islands status".
As with Bermuda, the term itself has been supplanted by "Gibraltarian status".
To apply for Gibraltarian status under Section 5 of the Gibraltarian Status Act you must qualify under the following:
Section 8 of the Gibraltarian Status Act
To apply for Gibraltarian under Section 8(1) of the Gibraltarian Status Act you must qualify under the following:
register any person who satisfies the Minister that;
Section 9 of the Gibraltarian Status Act
To apply for Gibraltarian under Section 9 of the Gibraltarian Status Act you must qualify under the following:
A person shall be regarded as a Montserratian if that person—
(a) is a British overseas territories citizen who was born in Montserrat; or
(b) is a British overseas territories citizen who was born outside Montserrat and
(c) was born in or outside Montserrat of a father or mother who was born in Montserrat and is regarded (or, if deceased, would if alive be regarded) as a Montserratian by virtue of this subsection; or
(d) has been granted Montserratian status in accordance with any law; or
(e) was immediately before the commencement of this Constitution deemed to belong to Montserrat by virtue of any law.[7]
The equivalent to belonger status in the Pitcairn Islands is the 'right of abode', which is a status that is specifically protected by Article 22 of the Pitcairn Constitution, namely that a holder "cannot be arbitrarily deprived of this right".[8] Persons with the 'right to abode' in Pitcairn can apply to the Governor for a 'certificate of entitlement' as evidence of this right.[9] As with other BOTs, this can be obtained through birth, descent or through a form of naturalisation that is linked to permanent residence.
The Right of Abode Ordinance 2010 [10] provides a number of ways through which a person acquires 'right of abode' status as of right.
If a child obtains British nationality at the time of birth, they also acquire 'right of abode' status as of right if:
A child, stepchild or a legally adopted child of a person who has a 'right of abode in Pitcairn' will also have a 'right of abode' whilst they remain under the age of eighteen years (s.2(6)).
If the right of abode has not been obtained as of right, it can only be obtained under the Right of Abode Ordinance 2010 if that person has first has acquired a right of permanent residence (s.2(4)-(5)) under the Immigration Ordinance 2014.[11]
Under the Immigration Ordinance, an application for permanent residence will be considered by the Governor after consultation with the Island Council (s.12(2)) when applications are received from:
A child that is born outside of Pitcairn to a person who is permanently resident in Pitcairn at the time of birth will also gain permanent residence if they move to Pitcairn before the age 5. (s.13).
If the right of permanent residence has thus been acquired, that person can then acquire 'right of abode' status under the Right of Abode Ordinance 2010 if:
In both cases, British law indicates that this is normally becomes possible (with conditions) after five years' residence, or after three years' residence for the spouse of an existing British overseas territories citizen.[12]
There are two main ways through which a person acquires Turks and Caicos Islander Status.
There are three ways through which a person acquires TCI Status as of right.
In order to obtain Turks and Caicos Islander status by grant, it is necessary to complete the prescribed application form and submit it to the appropriate authority.
There are several routes through which a person may apply for Turks and Caicos Islander status.
Belonger status of the former British colony of Hong Kong was changed to 'Hong Kong permanent resident status' on 1 January 1987. The name remains unchanged after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997.
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