Expats in Asia > Obstacles for an Expat in Asia

Becoming British (part 1963)

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Philip:
For those of you who have been following my 21 month-old son's journey towards the official Chinese recognition of my son's British citizenship, you may be interested to know that we are on the last leg.

My son, Erwan, was born in November 2012, here in Chongqing. Because I am British, my son is automatically British according to the UK authorities.  But because he was born in China to a Chinese mother, and lives in China, this makes him default Chinese nationality 3 times over, according to the Chinese authorities. It has taken the best part of 2 years to make him British in Chinese eyes. As you may know, China does not accept dual nationality, so you have to be one thing or the other. My wife and I chose British nationality for him mainly because we would prefer him to be educated in the UK. The Chinese education system does not encourage critical thinking, creativity or independent learning skills.
The process of making him British in Chinese eyes has been tortuous, to say the least. After months of bureaucracy, bribery, bemusement, bafflement, and bloody-minded determination (described in another thread), we have finally reached the last hurdle.
In June, we went to the UK to apply for an S1 (family visit) Chinese visa in Erwan's UK passport. It was the first time the visa officer had ever seen a document renouncing Chinese nationality, and he wasn't sure if the Chinese embassy in London would grant my son a visa. If they hadn't we would have been royally fucked. It would have meant my son couldn't have returned to China. My wife would have had to return to China, and I would have to give up my Chinese job to stay in the UK with my son.
With immense relief, he was granted the visa, and now we are just waiting for the local Public Security Bureau in Chongqing to convert his visa to a residence permit, so his status will be just like mine. The residence permit works just like a one year multi-entry visa, which just gets renewed every year, and can be done here, without leaving China.
So all is well. My family has moved to a bigger apartment (rent paid by my school). My job is fulfilling and rewarding. I have just bought a new car (impossible to do before on UK wages, taxes and bills). And people are more accepting of babies than has been my experience in the UK.

Willy The Londoner:
Well Alex, Things have certainly moved on since we had that dinner in London 5 years ago!

One more hurdle down and I am pleased for you and your family.

They should soon to be able to increase the residence permit to at least two years a time.

I hope things do go smoothly from now on.

Willy

maxx:
Good Job Alex. I would of thought that the U.K. would of granted your boy citizenship just because of your citizenship. And China wouldn't raise a fuss. It looks like you have it all figured out.So good luck and best wishes.

David E:

--- Quote from: Philip on August 09, 2014, 03:43:53 am --- My wife and I chose British nationality for him mainly because we would prefer him to be educated in the UK. The Chinese education system does not encourage critical thinking, creativity or independent learning skills.

--- End quote ---

Alex

Congrats on finally wading through the beaurocracy and winning your battle !!

I can fully understand and endorse your wish to have your Son educated outside of the Chinese system. I have a living, working model in my pesky step-son as to why the Chinese system is severely broken.
He has "achieved" a High School leaving Certificate, with marks in all his subjects in the mid to high 90% 's...so by their standard he would be reasonably well educated to this stage of his life...and he boasts of getting this result as if he is some sort of budding genius.

But...by our standards here, he has no real ability to learn, has no critical thinking ability and has no motivation, drive or curiosity to explore learning. His achievements to date have been all by rote learning, learning whole text books by heart and thus being able to answer the specific questions posed in these texts. Move a millimetre outside of this and he totally flounders, he has not the sligtest intrinsic understanding of that which he has learned.

The tests he is forced to undertake here to certify where he is at within the Aussie education system puts him way, way down into Primary School !!!

His natural arrogance and his slavish belief that he knows everything will work heavily against him when (and if) he enters the Aussie education system.....other than that, I can see a productive career awaits him washing dishes in a Chinese Restaraunt !!!!!!!!!!!

CypherDragon:

--- Quote from: David E on August 09, 2014, 11:16:43 pm ---But...by our standards here, he has no real ability to learn, has no critical thinking ability and has no motivation, drive or curiosity to explore learning. His achievements to date have been all by rote learning, learning whole text books by heart and thus being able to answer the specific questions posed in these texts. Move a millimetre outside of this and he totally flounders, he has not the sligtest intrinsic understanding of that which he has learned.

--- End quote ---

Sadly, the US system is becoming the same way...teaching to the test, not teaching how to learn and think critically, or applying what you have learned. It's sad really, since it's happening so fast I can see it. :(

Oh and on-topic, congrats Philip!

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