| Commonwealth Citizen |
Article Index for Commonwealth |
Website Links For Commonwealth |
Information AboutCommonwealth Citizen |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT COMMONWEALTH CITIZEN | |
| nationality law | |
|
A Commonwealth citizen, formerly known as a British Subject , is generally a person who is a national of any country within the Commonwealth Of Nations . In British Nationality Law , a Commonwealth citizen is person who is either a British national or a national of a country listed in Schedule 3 of the British Nationality Act 1981 . The list of countries in Schedule 3 at any time may not accurately reflect the countries actually within the Commonwealth at that time. For example, when Fiji left the Commonwealth in 1987 and 1990 its name was not removed from Schedule 3. This may have happened because the British Government at the time wished to avoid the consequences of Fijian citizens in the United Kingdom suddenly losing the benefits of Commonwealth citizenship. Most other Commonwealth countries have provisions within their own law defining who is and who is not a Commonwealth citizen. Each country is free to determine what special rights, if any, are accorded to non-nationals who are Commonwealth citizens. In general, citizens of the Republic Of Ireland are accorded the same rights as Commonwealth citizens. RIGHTS AND DISABILITIES THE UNITED KINGDOM In the United Kingdom , as in many other Commonwealth countries, Commonwealth citizens (together with Irish citizens) are in law considered not to be "foreign" or "aliens". Commonwealth citizens enjoy the same civic rights as British nationals, namely:
The disabilities of Commonwealth citizens who are not British citizens are few, but in the case of immigration control, very important. Commonwealth citizens who do not have the right of abode are subject to immigration control, including control on the right to work and carry out business. In addition, Commonwealth citizens who are not British citizens are may not be engaged in certain sensitive occupations, e.g. in the Foreign And Commonwealth Office , in the intelligence services, and some positions within the armed forces. Nevertheless, under the United Kingdom's immigration arrangements Commonwealth citizens enjoy certain advantages:
SEE ALSO |
|
|