A man born in the UK has been asked to leave the country if he fails to obtain a UK visa, despite having been born in Britain and having lived in the UK all his life.
Shane Ridge, 21, received a letter from the Home Office in August stating that his driving licence had been revoked and that he could face a fine of up to £5,000 and prison he if failed to leave the UK or gain a UK visa.
“The last bit scared me the most – ‘leave the UK voluntarily’. I’m speechless – I don’t know what I can say,” he said. “I received the letter from Immigration Enforcement saying they were going to revoke my driving licence and I should leave the UK voluntarily or face a £5,000 fine.”
He added that he was concerned he would have to leave his family behind and move to Australia, where his mother was born, due to laws stating children born before 2006 only gain the father’s nationality if the parents were married at the time of birth. In Shane’s case, his parents weren’t born at the time of his birth.
However, it has been suggested that he should be eligible for a British Ancestry visa due to the fact that he has a grandparent born in Britain, which would mean a right to apply for permanent citizenship.
Following the error, Ridge received information from the Home Office stated that they apologised for the inconvenience caused and confirmed that he is automatically a UK citizen.