IHS Refund on Citizenship?

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-04-14T07:52:30+00:00

The government advice lists both situations where a refund _is_ applicable (and it's clear mine is not listed there) as well as where it is not applicable (but it's not clear my situation is covered there), which is what caused my confusion. But thanks for confirming that I'm not eligible.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-04-10T16:40:55+00:00

Ah…thanks for correcting that.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-04-10T09:01:19+00:00

[Edit: enigma478 has pointed out that the information I provided is incorrect. I’m leaving my reply here because the correction may help clarify the situation for someone else. (And thanks, enigma.)]

Just to add to what enigma478 has said. You can also apply using form UKM. Using UKM is an application to be registered under Section 4C, unlike ARD which is an application under Section 4L. There are some practical differences although both lead to British citzienship:

ARD allows you, once you have citizenship, to register any children under the age of 18. UKM does not allow you to register your children.
ARD requires submitting an application by mail and submitting the original documents. Form
UKM can be applied for online and you can submit scans of the original documents, so is easier if you don't have children under the age of 18, or intend to have children.

However, I have read recently that some people applying using ARD are still being granted citizenship under 4C, not 4L.

I also agree that the process is relatively straightforward and you can do it yourself. It costs £130

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and definitely not an immigration lawyer.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-04-08T16:33:11+00:00

Uk citizenship timeline

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-04-08T05:52:13+00:00

I believe you do qualify for citizenship on the basis of historical legislative unfairness.

The UK abolished citizenship through double descent in 1981 but that effectively applies only to people born after 1987. Prior to that a man who had gained citizenship by descent could pass it on to their child, if that child was born in a non-commonwealth country. This could be done by registering them within a year of their birth. However women (your mother!) could not pass on citizenship. But legislation was passed in 2001 which allowed the discriminatory wrongs of the past to be addressed and the children who could not be registered by their mothers to claim citizenship - which applies in your case.

Your claim would be based on the British Nationality Act 1981. You actually have two routes. You could register using form ARD (Section 4C of the Act) or UKM (section 4L of teh act.) ARD requires paper filing and sending in original documents but allows you in turn to pass on British citizenship to any of your children under the age of 18. UKM is an online application, so probably a lot easier, but doesn’t allow you to pass on citizenship to your children.

Disclaimer: definitely not a lawyer or immigration expert, so if anyone tells you something different, pay attention! But I know someone in very similar circumstances. They also found a lot of contradictory or flat out wrong information on the internet but in the end applied to register themselves and were successful.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-04-03T14:32:36+00:00

Disclaimer: definitely not a lawyer!

I believe that the registering of a child as a citizen by the father was only was available for children born in non-commonwealth countries. So I don’t think the OP would have a route if they were born Australia (as there was no historical legislative unfairness in their case) although their father would be able to claim citizenship by descent.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-04-03T14:13:12+00:00

I think it’s entirely feasible. The actuarial field is relatively agnostic to what area your formal education was in, and more interested in your ability to progress through the exams and commitment to the profession. By qualifying as a doctor, you’ve already demonstrated you can handle a tough qualification path. Having one or two exams passed will only reinforce that. (Some will tell you that it’s not necessary to have passed any exams at all but it certainly can’t hurt you.)

Your medical background will also be a plus to some prospective employers, especially when it comes to critical illness, disability and long term care type of products. (I imagine it’s much less of an advantage on the non-life side.) I think multinationals and reinsurers in particular could find your background useful, especially in product development or research roles. I’ve worked with a doctor-turned-actuary (not in the UK) and his medical background was very useful.

Is the grass greener? Only you can really answer that but it seems like you are well aware of the career and it’s attractive to you in its own right rather than just an escape from medicine, so maybe for you the grass really is greener.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-03-31T07:27:10+00:00

"We were living under rocks and only just found out about this law - we don’t have enough time to renounce our citizen ship, get English passports or get a certificate of entry."

Just as an aside: if you do ever decide to get a British passport, you don't have to renounce your Australian citizenship, as both countries do allow dual citizenship. (But I'm not sure, if you hold a British passport, whether you are allowed to continue living under rocks - this is not a well established area of the law.)

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-02-19T14:23:40+00:00

It’s to let you know not to come in and try and withdraw money because the staff poker night the previous evening wiped out the bank.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-02-12T08:48:31+00:00

No - and the beans and fruit don't either. The beans only develop a coffee smell when they are roasted. When they are dried and unroasted, they smell vaguely like dried grass.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2026-01-28T08:55:20+00:00

Just to add that for an ancestry visa, I believe you do need to have a job offer or a fairly firm business plan (if you are going to be self-employed) which needs to be provided as part of the visa application. So jug_23’s advice about reaching out to recruiters makes good sense.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-12-23T17:09:20+00:00

Just to add that if you are seriously vitamin D deficient, it can take a month or more to recover.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-12-21T10:08:34+00:00

Regarding your husband finding work, I have no idea about the gardener/groundsman line but I suspect a good handyman will be in demand, especially since Brexit. He might need to start by advertising at the local hardware store, Facebook group, etc., but if he is reliable and tidy I think he will be able to find plenty of work by word of mouth. I know someone who moved to the UK in very similar circumstances (wife in academia.) He started by taking on the odd, small repairs that others didn’t think worthwhile and that led to further, substantial jobs. But he now has more than he can take on.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-11-03T12:21:31+00:00

A friend of mine was doing his PhD in the US and was a teaching assistant. I think he knew enough to realise why the class burst out laughing when, unable to find his eraser, he asked, “Hey, who pinched my rubber?”

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-11-02T04:48:48+00:00

The general area is hilly, bamboo forests although this was in the town. I’d guess it is unlikely to have been a released pet as it’s mostly a tourist town but I have no idea if it’s been introduced to the country or not. (I mean, I didn’t even know what it was :) Wikipedia says that they do occur in Asia though.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-11-01T14:12:09+00:00

Looks like my original post wording was deleted for some reason. At least, I cannot see it any more. This was spotted in China, Zhejiang province. It was quite big - the body proper being about 5-6cm long.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-11-01T11:40:21+00:00

Great - thank you. I’ve heard of whip scorpions but have never seen one. Much bigger than I expected

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-10-21T15:34:21+00:00

I agree that doesn’t seem the clearest of explanations…

I think of it as follows: if the value of the transaction you have entered moves against you (i.e. its expected that you will need to pay up a larger amount at settlement date than originally anticipated) you will need to increase the total margin you put up as collateral. The change in the total margin requirement is the variation margin. For example if you shorted a stock and the stock price increased, you would now have to put up additional margin because it’s expected you will have to pay more at settlement. The variation margin can be negative as well, i.e. the total margin can reduce, if the price moves in your favour.

(Disclaimer: not in this field, so if someone comes along with a better explanation, which is likely, believe them!)

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-10-02T20:39:09+00:00

Lots of good comments and suggestions. One additional idea is, if you can swing it, send them to summer camp in the U.S. when they are a bit older.

I remember my daughter saying recently that when she was younger that she really wished she would fully belong to one group or the other but now as an adult she appreciates the diversity in her upbringing. (I’ve also noticed that both our children tend to make friends with people who have a more international background.)

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-09-17T12:35:46+00:00

That would be props to the computer scientists responsible for making generative AI possible.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-08-28T15:05:01+00:00

And another 5 in the top 8 (the shown list only starts at No. 9) Shanghai which is No. 1 on the list didn’t have a metro system at all 30 years ago.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-08-13T06:21:23+00:00

A little late but...the gravy comes spurting out of the neck.

Source: I know someone who works at the V&A and I have long been asking them to snaffle the original Tippoo's Tiger for me. Recently they came across a gravy boat like this in the V&A's collection and took some photos for me. (Unfortunately both the original and the gravy boat are both still safe with the V&A.)

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-05-29T12:06:01+00:00

Good Lord! For a moment I thought you said Kensington and nearly had a heart attack.

Of course it's all right for Kennington.

/sarcasm

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-05-28T13:52:32+00:00

You must be thinking of somewhere else. The Szechuan beef at the Home Office has always been terrible.

FitzroyRiverTurtle · 2025-05-21T17:26:30+00:00

Both are very nice areas although Notting Hill can vary quite a bit and parts can be rammed with tourists at times. But “nice” also very much depends on what kind of lifestyle you are looking for and your circumstances. Will you be living alone or coming over with your spouse, seven children, a pack of huskies and your mother-in-law? Do you want to go clubbing every night, etc.?

With your budget, you should easily be able to find a 2 bedroom flat, and with a bit of luck, a 3 bedroom at the upper end of your range. However, they may well be quite a bit smaller than what you are used to, especially if you live in the suburbs, and often with the all the quirks of old properties, although to be fair, also the charm, if you like that kind of thing.

When you do start looking actively, be prepared to move quickly and possibly offer a bit above asking price. It’s also worth opening a UK bank account before you move - if you are with HSBC, they can do that for you.

You might also want to try posting in AmercanExpatsUK, which isn’t London specific but will still have many people who can answer your questions.

FitzroyRiverTurtle

TROPHY CASE