British Citizen in another country's Air Force?
Join Date: Jun 1996
Location: Check with Ops
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I know many Commonwealth citizens who have served with honour in the UK military without becoming British Subjects
(I'm assuming you can't get to the reunion either)
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NZ
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ADF
Experienced servicemen can sometimes join the Australian forces, but have to apply for citizenship before being inducted. The citizenship is 'fast tracked' and will take three months or so. As you will be under training for that time, it is not a problem.
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Hotels various
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I am the recent case (2008) that BBD referred to in connection with joining the Canadian Forces.
I was enrolled in the CF without having Canadian Citizenship but I did need to become a permanent resident of Canada prior to enrolment. A condition of my employment was that I must gain Canadian Citizenship within three years of joining.
The requirement to be a Canadian Citizen was waived in my case because I had a skill set that the CF needed that was not readily obtainable from either the CF or the wider Canadian population.
MatthewV, it is highly unlikely that you could enrol in the CF as a pilot without Canadian Citizenship. While the CF would like to be able to recruit experienced pilots from countries other than Canada (reduction in trg costs) they are constrained by HRSDC (Human Resources department of the Canadian government) which requires the CF to demonstrate that the foreigner they wish to recruit has a skill set which they can't readily find from within the Canadian population. They obviously could not do this if the foreigner was a pre ab-initio trainee pilot such as yourself.
MG23, Security clearance was not an issue in my case since I had been on exchange with the CF for 5 years prior to my enrolment and consequently already had a CF security clearance.
Neptunus Rex, Thanks for calling me a mercenary! I hadn't realised that I was serving without the protection of the Geneva Convention.
OBD
I was enrolled in the CF without having Canadian Citizenship but I did need to become a permanent resident of Canada prior to enrolment. A condition of my employment was that I must gain Canadian Citizenship within three years of joining.
The requirement to be a Canadian Citizen was waived in my case because I had a skill set that the CF needed that was not readily obtainable from either the CF or the wider Canadian population.
MatthewV, it is highly unlikely that you could enrol in the CF as a pilot without Canadian Citizenship. While the CF would like to be able to recruit experienced pilots from countries other than Canada (reduction in trg costs) they are constrained by HRSDC (Human Resources department of the Canadian government) which requires the CF to demonstrate that the foreigner they wish to recruit has a skill set which they can't readily find from within the Canadian population. They obviously could not do this if the foreigner was a pre ab-initio trainee pilot such as yourself.
MG23, Security clearance was not an issue in my case since I had been on exchange with the CF for 5 years prior to my enrolment and consequently already had a CF security clearance.
Neptunus Rex, Thanks for calling me a mercenary! I hadn't realised that I was serving without the protection of the Geneva Convention.
OBD
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NZ
Age: 78
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I have been in NZ for 40 years and am still on a British passport. During that time I served 20 years in the RNZAF as a groundie. The only thing I could not do was work in the ground comms area because I couldn't get a security clearance (ya gotta laff). Suited me perfectly as it was the last area I wanted to work in.
The only 'problem' I ever had was, on returning from an overseas trip (work), being refused entry to NZ at Wellington by a little (short) immigration chappie because I didn't have a new-fangled re-entry permit, which I had been told by those upstairs I didn't need because I was in the NZ military. Wrong. There I was, in uniform (well, zoom bag), in a military aircraft, with a RNZAF ID card, on the crew list and carrying a British passport which had my occupation as "NZ Government service" and it wasn't enough for the little man. Eventually, after half an hour of discussion, he wrote "departed country under military orders" on the paperwork and peace reigned once again. Thought for a while that I was going to score a free trip to the UK!
One of my sons, also an ex-RNZAF groundie, on a NZ passport, has been in Oz for about two and a half years. He has permanent residency and is currently part way through the recruiting process for RAAF pilot. He only has to be eligible for Oz citizenship in due course, which he is. If he's accepted they can opt to fast-track his citizenship application.
The only 'problem' I ever had was, on returning from an overseas trip (work), being refused entry to NZ at Wellington by a little (short) immigration chappie because I didn't have a new-fangled re-entry permit, which I had been told by those upstairs I didn't need because I was in the NZ military. Wrong. There I was, in uniform (well, zoom bag), in a military aircraft, with a RNZAF ID card, on the crew list and carrying a British passport which had my occupation as "NZ Government service" and it wasn't enough for the little man. Eventually, after half an hour of discussion, he wrote "departed country under military orders" on the paperwork and peace reigned once again. Thought for a while that I was going to score a free trip to the UK!
One of my sons, also an ex-RNZAF groundie, on a NZ passport, has been in Oz for about two and a half years. He has permanent residency and is currently part way through the recruiting process for RAAF pilot. He only has to be eligible for Oz citizenship in due course, which he is. If he's accepted they can opt to fast-track his citizenship application.
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ottawa
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Canadian Forces
Old Bus Driver,
You are spot on with the Citizenship requirement. I joined the CF in March 09, leaving the RAF at my 38 IOP, specifically to join the MHLH PMO. You can join the CF as a Permanent Resident (which you must apply for independently from the CF recruiting process) but you now have 4 years to apply for Citizenship, or face possible release. (Although I am told that due to the longer Citizen processing times that this is flexible within limits).
SC was an issue for me as I had not been on exchange prior to joining. I am still awaiting Secret Clearance!
I think that Rex's comments were based on the Oz recruitment system, which is far more slick than the Canadian system, but then again, historically the criteria to get into Oz was a bit more lax than the other parts of the Empire.
MathewV – Unless you can convince your parents to emigrate to allow you to join the AF of either Canada or OZ, I’d look closer to home. If there is much of an RAF left after SDSR 2015 (or whatever they are going to call it) you might get a shot at joining as a pilot after you finish university.
Canadian WokkaDoctor
You are spot on with the Citizenship requirement. I joined the CF in March 09, leaving the RAF at my 38 IOP, specifically to join the MHLH PMO. You can join the CF as a Permanent Resident (which you must apply for independently from the CF recruiting process) but you now have 4 years to apply for Citizenship, or face possible release. (Although I am told that due to the longer Citizen processing times that this is flexible within limits).
SC was an issue for me as I had not been on exchange prior to joining. I am still awaiting Secret Clearance!
I think that Rex's comments were based on the Oz recruitment system, which is far more slick than the Canadian system, but then again, historically the criteria to get into Oz was a bit more lax than the other parts of the Empire
.MathewV – Unless you can convince your parents to emigrate to allow you to join the AF of either Canada or OZ, I’d look closer to home. If there is much of an RAF left after SDSR 2015 (or whatever they are going to call it) you might get a shot at joining as a pilot after you finish university.
Canadian WokkaDoctor
