I am so happy right now I could almost cry (pic)
 

screw that..I did cry.

The mail came about 30 minutes ago and in it was this :

http://sjayne.com/citizen-edit.jpg


I'm British! (and American..I am dual..so now I am bi everything ;) )

Yay! Nine years of hard work.

*happy dance*

Ho wow ! Congrats for all your hard work. You are know far away from Bush ;)

congrats, now you are a EURO ;)

What were/are the requirements?

Congrats Sarah :thumbsup

I didn't know the U.S. would let you be a dual citizen if you are over 21. In any case, congratulations Sarah for accomplishing your goal. :)

ADG Webmaster

Oh no not another one ;)

why anyone would WANT to be british is beyond me :(

congrats on getting what you want sarah

That is awesome congrats, Sarah!

In the past they hadn't but for the past 15 years or so they have. I figured I would get it in before they change their mind again :) It isn't for every nationality but you can be dual with the UK. I would never give up being American but I am happy to be British too :)

Congrats. Goodluck on your newest sanctuary then. :winkwink:

Congratulations Sarah. :)

Well, the first barrier is time and then you have to go through an application process that includes people writing me recommendations and then they have to check to see if they think you are of 'good character' and will be a benefit to their country.

For me this has included the following:

June 11 , 1996 - arriving in the UK

June 17, 1996 - registering witht he British police and home office to allow me to work here whilst on student work visa

October 26, 1996 - Getting married

Nov 1, 1996 - Going to Lunar House in Croydon (the immigration home office) and standing in a five hour long line to register my marriage and be given temporary rights to residency

Nov 1, 1997 - Having to go back one year after our marriage and prove we are still married and that we love each other (loved that they could decide that) in another five hour line to be granted permenant residency rights and given a nice green stamp in my American passport that states I am allowed to stay in the UK

Years of hard work and paying taxes (all countries like that bit)

2001 - Being granted the right to vote

2004 - Started filling out the application for citizenship and got references but then my husband died and I had to redo the forms to say widow because that is different than applying when married to a British citizen

2005 - finally getting to the emotional state to apply again as a widow and using a bit of my husband's pension (which wasn't much at all) to apply because there was a charge of about $500 to apply

September 28 2005 - Dancing for joy

My ceremony is sometime in November :)

Looks like quite a ride! Well congrats.. you deserved it!

Wow nice congrats! You gotta work on some typical british things now, lets start with always wearing flipflops and tight tops :)

lol..I am doing something really British an having a curry and warm beer tonight.

Hehe, Congrats.

congrats!!!

Congrats to you Sarah. Sounds to me like you have come a long way, for which you should be proud.

Curiosity is killing the cat.. what is 'a curry' ?

Indian food..which oddly is the most popular dish in the UK (well, not that odd since it was part of the Empire). Think 'Chilli' but not exactly.

Congrats for that

Right on. Congrats.

Congrats Sarah! Hard works pays! :thumbsup

gotcha :) i am familiar with curry the spice, just threw me when it was called 'a curry' hehe.

congrats !!!

congrats - I can feel that it was quite imortant life-step for you :thumbsup

Nice... congrats!

hmm curry :)

If slang for guys is 'blokes'....what are the women called in England?

Congratulations Sarah :)

Welcome to the club!

And you haven't experienced curry till you've been to the Midlands :)

Congrats admit it though you did it so you can take off both US and British holidays:)

sarah, don't mean to sound like a dickhead or nothing but what's the big deal with being a british citizen?

being a US citizen pretty much opens the door to every country in the world, so who cares about british... also, for the most part that country is very overpriced.

maybe there is some laws i dont know about (ex: owning property) and that's why u got it...

birds :2 cents:

Congrats Sarah

since when did you think being a US citizen would give you an OK to stay in Europe for as long as you like? Its the same as us Europeans wanna stay in the US, you gotta apply every 3 months again. Thats gone now for her. Workin permits too.

lasses

8char

knighthood next?

congrats.

Wrong...i could have stayed here for 3 months with a normal tourist visa..6 on the student work visa. Not even being married to a British citizen qualified me to stay here on its own..I had to apply and prove my marriage was one of love. The right to work in a country other than the USA is not one you get easily.

Then there is the rights to a state pension, the right to vote, the right to a British passport..now I have the right to live and work anywhere in the EU that I should ever desire in my life not to mention more easy of moving about within the British Commonwealth. Most importantly, I can live where I have lived my entire adult life without having "half-rights" or the fear of someone pushing paper to decide that now my husband is dead it is time for me to go 'home'.

Do you know that I haven't been able to get a checking account in this country for nine years? That is because as soon as you are seen not to be British - or atleast EU - they say no. Now, they can't use that as a reason by law.

This country has been very good to me...I wanted to say thanks.

not unless my next step is the sex change ;)

Mmmmm curry. Congrats!