NATURALISATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19820, 23 December 1938, Page 7

NATURALISATION

HUNDREDS ■ OF CITIZENS MARRIED WOMEN’S STATUS (Special to tho Iloralil.) WELLINGTON, this day. The recent publication in the Government Gazette of the .names ot 2,10 males who have received, during the year, certificates of naturalisation in the Dominion suggests at first glance that the disturbed conditions oif other lands had prompted somewhat of a rush for the privilege of becoming a British citizen.

However, the records show Iliat this total is not abnormally large compared with recent years, for in 1930 practically the same number of certificates was issued. They are only granted after careful inquiry into the character of the applicant, who must have resided at least five years in a British country during the eight years prior to applying, and one year must have been in New Zealand. The nationality status of married women was a somewhat indefinite question iprior to the adoption by New Zealand of legislation similar in .character to that prevailing in England. Where an alien has become naturalised, hi.s wife, if British born, requires to make formal application for issue of a certificate of natural} sation as a British subject, and this has been done by over one bundled women during the past year.