Entering the UK- or going to happen now

So, you get into the North, then book to fly or sail from say Belfast, how strict is border control there?

Maremia

Why would Britain deliberately discriminate against British citizens?
Is this all about solving the contentious 'immigration' issue?

Yes, I think they all have to be seen as doing something.

As an ETA links the passports electronically, how do they know who has left the country again after their stay if they used the other passport on the return journey and can't use an ETA?
🤔

Even if one's been absent for 50 years, there are reasons one might need to enter UK ( family wedding/funeral/last chance to see ancient siblings ). Or even, just transiting en route to holiday in Europe.

Has this been thought through properly? If ETAs are required by so many countries now and are the future, why not let people with dual nationalities use them?

Or shall we see another U turn?

Surely there's nothing unusual about a British person using a British passport to enter Britain. You can't just use your bus pass. They're just in the same position as anyone else except they've chosen to have an Australian passport.

You can't just use your bus pass
More's the pity, that is free!

Why on earth should someone who hasn’t lived here for 50 years have the right to vote? Thats just not on.

Basgetti

Why on earth should someone who hasn’t lived here for 50 years have the right to vote? Thats just not on.

Why shouldn't someone who holds British citizenship and is liable for UK tax have the right to influence the tax attitudes of government? That right is exercised by voting for the party that most aligns with your preferred tax regime. You don't have to like it to appreciate the validity.

Rosie Nana8 left Uk 50 years ago, so obviously doesn’t pay taxes here and why should she vote in this country that she’s not interested in, not influenced by our ups and downs, for the majority of her life ….presumably she votes in her adopted country.

This is not a money making scheme nor an anti immigration scheme, it’s simply for UK to catch up with the rest of the world and have the same rulings as the rest and move into the electronic age

It’s not a punishment

BlueBelle

Rosie Nana8 left Uk 50 years ago, so obviously doesn’t pay taxes here and why should she vote in this country that she’s not interested in, not influenced by our ups and downs, for the majority of her life ….presumably she votes in her adopted country.

This is not a money making scheme nor an anti immigration scheme, it’s simply for UK to catch up with the rest of the world and have the same rulings as the rest and move into the electronic age

It’s not a punishment

Just to correct you Bluebelle, if your occupational pension is from Government or Local Government you continue to pay tax at source in the UK for life.
I totally agree that this is not any kind of punishment or money making scheme; it is in line with other countries in the world and the introduction of schemes like ETIAS.

My grandchildren were born in Australia and have never been to the UK. They are being forced to get uk passports against their will. My daughter rang the British consulate again to check because neither of us could believe it. It’s true. So they have to fork out hundreds of dollars for nothing.

Do they have British nationality? My grandchildren don't. They would have to apply for it as far as I know, even if they were eligible. Their fathers have German and British nationalities but I don't see why this means that their children do.

But it’s not ‘for nothing’ nanna8. The money they pay will be for a British passport and that’s what they will get - in exactly the same way that I, as a resident in Britain, have to pay for a British passport if I wish to travel abroad.

No-one is being ‘forced against their will’ to pay for a British passport. If your grand daughters wish to enter Britain, they need a British passport - their choice. It’s really very straightforward!

Mamie

BlueBelle

Rosie Nana8 left Uk 50 years ago, so obviously doesn’t pay taxes here and why should she vote in this country that she’s not interested in, not influenced by our ups and downs, for the majority of her life ….presumably she votes in her adopted country.

This is not a money making scheme nor an anti immigration scheme, it’s simply for UK to catch up with the rest of the world and have the same rulings as the rest and move into the electronic age

It’s not a punishment

Just to correct you Bluebelle, if your occupational pension is from Government or Local Government you continue to pay tax at source in the UK for life.
I totally agree that this is not any kind of punishment or money making scheme; it is in line with other countries in the world and the introduction of schemes like ETIAS.

No, not in Australia, as the UK and Australia have a reciprocal arrangement re income tax dependent upon pension or income source. It's necessary to apply for an exemption from HMRC.
Whether or not that is cost-effective depends on your level of income, it might be more beneficial to receive it net from the UK.

Mamie if she left 50 years ago she may not have an occupational pension depends on her age I guess
Oh I see allira has an answer re tax

BlueBelle

Mamie if she left 50 years ago she may not have an occupational pension depends on her age I guess
Oh I see allira has an answer re tax

Probably not.

Some of my family paid NI for years before they emigrated, but it wouldn't be enough for a UK pension.

Allira

Mamie

BlueBelle

Rosie Nana8 left Uk 50 years ago, so obviously doesn’t pay taxes here and why should she vote in this country that she’s not interested in, not influenced by our ups and downs, for the majority of her life ….presumably she votes in her adopted country.

This is not a money making scheme nor an anti immigration scheme, it’s simply for UK to catch up with the rest of the world and have the same rulings as the rest and move into the electronic age

It’s not a punishment

Just to correct you Bluebelle, if your occupational pension is from Government or Local Government you continue to pay tax at source in the UK for life.
I totally agree that this is not any kind of punishment or money making scheme; it is in line with other countries in the world and the introduction of schemes like ETIAS.

No, not in Australia, as the UK and Australia have a reciprocal arrangement re income tax dependent upon pension or income source. It's necessary to apply for an exemption from HMRC.
Whether or not that is cost-effective depends on your level of income, it might be more beneficial to receive it net from the UK.

It is very specific to UK Government and Local Government pensions. There is no exemption from payment at source. My state OAP pension and my husband's UK pensions are all taxed in France. My LGPS pension is taxed in the UK and I get a rebate from the impôts based on what the tax would have been in France.
The internet isn't very helpful as nobody seems to know the difference between Government / Local Government occupational pensions and the State pension!

I've just checked. You need at least ten years to qualify for part of a UK State Pension.

It’s interesting how different rules apply in different parts of the world. I get a very small German state pension after just 2 years working there, and pay tax on it in Germany.

Maremia asked: Why would Britain deliberately discriminate against British citizens?

The answer is: It doesn’t. It is the absolute opposite. It is allowing dual citizens with a British passport ease of passage and a right to enter the UK that a foreign national travelling on an ETA simply does not have.

I am repeating myself yet again because I suspect some do not read a thread, get a fixed and incorrect notion about something about which they become indigant and would rather be indignant than listen to reason.

An ETA is an Electronic Travel Authorisation. It is not, repeat not permission to enter the UK. An application for an ETA requires undergoing a pre-travel check which, if you pass it, means you will be granted an ETA valid for two years. This allows the carrier to let you board the plane, boat or train. It is not a guarantee that when you arrive in the UK, you will be allowed in. You will still be subject to immigration control and questioning by Border Force officers upon arrival.

A British passport, other than in very exceptional circumstances, allows the holder to enter and remain the UK, exempt from immigration controls.

Arriving in the UK on a foreign passport having travelled with an ETA, you may be granted temporary visitor status usually for up to six months. If you are a British citizen you cannot by law have visitor status as you already have right of abode.

Posit this situation. You have dual Australian/British citizenship and reside in Australia with family in the UK. A emergency arises and you need to travel to the UK urgently.

If you have a British passport, you can arrange a flight and travel immediately. The passport is your authorisation to travel.

If you do not have a British passport, you cannot apply for an ETA - as explained. Your only option will be to try for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) cost £125, valid for one trip only. An ETD may be issued, typically to attend the funeral of a close relative or in cases of serious illness/death within the immediate family. You can use that with your Australian passport but, like the ETA, it is still only an authorisation to travel. Holders will still be subject to immigration control and questioning by Border Force officers upon arrival. The ETD must be surrendered to authorities at the border.

Look. If someone left the UK years ago, has no family or friends in the UK and is unlikely to want or need to travel to the UK in the next ten years, then why buy a British passport? But if there is the possibility of a need to travel to the UK, then buy a passport. It costs £143 including courier charges, valid for ten years. It really isn’t that much money to have the peace of mind that if someone in the UK might need you over the next ten years, then you can travel immediately and know that you will be allowed in.

Heathrow is the sixth busiest airport in the world with about 85 million travellers passing through each year. A plane lands or takes off roughly every 45 seconds during busy periods. Around 80% of incoming flights from Australia come into Heathrow. At busy times, immigration controls may take a couple of hours to get through meaning you might miss pre-paid travel connections. You would avoid this if you have a British passport.

In a time-critical situation why would want to risk that?

On British citizenship by descent. It usually passes down just one generation - single descent. You will automatically be a British citizen by descent if you were born outside the UK and at the time of your birth, one of your parents was a British citizen otherwise than by descent. A child born in Australia with one British parent and one Australian parent will have dual citizenship - Australian by birth and British by descent.

Someone with dual Australian/British citizenship is not having to fork out for nothing if they have no intention of travelling to the UK. If they do want to travel to the UK they need a British passport to guarantee them entry. It really is very simple.

If someone is allowed into the UK having travelled here on a foreign passport plus ETA they are restrcted on what they can do here. For example, they cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless they are doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession.

Lets say someone does come to the UK for six months and runs out of money. If they had come on a British passport they would, legally, be allowed to work to earn some.

www.gov.uk/eta/what-you-can-cannot-do

nanna8

My grandchildren were born in Australia and have never been to the UK. They are being forced to get uk passports against their will. My daughter rang the British consulate again to check because neither of us could believe it. It’s true. So they have to fork out hundreds of dollars for nothing.

It sounds less like being "forced" and more like paying for an optional status. Lots of countries charge for citizenship documentation. The passport fee is essentially that.

Allira

I've just checked. You need at least ten years to qualify for part of a UK State Pension.

Yes, but I am not talking about the State pension. Nanna8 may well qualify for that. Unless she was a Civil Servant or Local Government Officer she will not have an occupational pension that must be taxed in the UK.

Maggiemaybe

It’s interesting how different rules apply in different parts of the world. I get a very small German state pension after just 2 years working there, and pay tax on it in Germany.

Yes you would do. We have never worked in France (apart from years of voluntary teaching of English language and British culture).

They have valid up to date Australian passports but they won’t let them in on those. Unbelievable. Check if you don’t believe me, I’m not making it up,

Time you got a new government !

Nana8 you are determined to put the blame on someone else You haven’t kept your British passport up, so sorry, but unless you buy another, which you don’t want to do, you won’t be coming back here. That’s just how it is, nothing to do with the shade of government it, was happening whoever was in power.

You ve had it explained to you clearly by a number of intelligent posters who ve put it in black and white but you’re determined to see it as you being singled out by our government. You ve been told many times it’s not UK Its worldwide
I m sure I need to buy a visa if I want to visit Australia don’t I ? It’s just the same
My NZ Grandson is visiting these shores this year for the first time he will need the extra (visa or ETA ) which he will purchase I don’t understand why you are jumping up and down so much.