Statistics from the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) are indicating that for 2016, the United States topped the list of countries from which citizenship requests were granted based on the descent criterion.

For the period, PICA approved 787 citizenship descent requests from the US.

Next in line was the United Kingdom with 682. Cuba completed the top three with 405 requests. Canada took position number four with 156, with The Bahamas next with 150. The overall total for all countries from which PICA granted applications for citizenship in 2016 based on descent was 2,178.

In the non-descent category, Cuba heads the list with 35 approvals followed by the UK with 34, with Nigeria slotting in at third place with 24. Interestingly, citizenship, during the period under consideration, was granted to eight nationals from the faraway Asian country of Myanmar.

Some 63 Jamaicans renounced their Jamaican citizenship in 2016. Renunciation of Jamaican citizenship can be done for a myriad of reasons with the most common being the acquisition of citizenship from a different country. When all the various forms of obtaining Jamaican citizenship are tallied, the total is 2,178 plus 186, which is 2,346.

Director of citizenship at PICA, Carol Saunders Hammond, explained that in the case of many of these countries, for example, The Bahamas, requests for Jamaican citizenship are influenced by the many Jamaicans who go there and have children and these children are not accorded citizenship automatically. These children are Jamaicans by descent and in order to be considered to be belonging to a State, they have to apply to PICA for Jamaican citizenship by descent.

Saunders Hammond then went through the process applicants wanting Jamaican citizenship must undergo, based on the laws, as set out in the Jamaica Constitution and the Jamaica Nationality Act.

“Firstly, it depends on how one qualifies for citizenship; we have citizenship by descent, we have citizenship for people who are Commonwealth citizens, and we have citizenship for people who are aliens of the Commonwealth. If a citizenship application involves a minor, that is considered as another category.

“So citizenship is considered based on one’s qualifications as provided for in the Jamaica Nationality Act and the Jamaica Constitution.

“When applications are made for citizenship based on descent, applicants apply for confirmation of citizenship by producing the relevant documents, chief among which is, of course, the birth certificate, and in all cases of citizenship by descent, the birth certificate of the Jamaican parent plus the birth certificate of the intermediate generations leading up to the actual applicant are all required.

“Citizenship by descent goes up to infinity; however, the onus is always on claimants to prove their belonging to a particular family line or generation. So, then, a person would have to produce the birth certificates of each successive generation,” Saunders Hammond stated.

The PICA official further explained that, for instance, if this writer’s grandson wanted to successfully apply for Jamaican citizenship, then he would have to produce the birth certificate of his father (in this case the son of the writer of this article) plus the birth certificate of the grandfather. After all the required documents are produced, the process of gaining citizenship starts.

There is a difference attached, albeit slight, in the processing of citizenship requests when made by citizens of the Commonwealth as against aliens of the Commonwealth, primarily based on the fact that Jamaica is a member of the Commonwealth and the country has historical ties with the Commonwealth.

“The provisions in the Jamaica Nationality Act is a bit more relaxed when it comes to dealing with citizens of the Commonwealth seeking Jamaican citizenship.

“Commonwealth citizens as a first requirement must live in Jamaica for five years continuously. If applicants are good citizens and they work with the Government or private sector, that is a major consideration for all applicants, but the inclination is to look at how all applicants offer services in Jamaica.

“Further, if applicants are working with the Government for less than five years, for example, as a doctor, nurse, teacher, it is referred to in the Jamaica Nationality Act as Crown service. So, if you are in Crown service, the minister with responsibility may consider such an application for citizenship,” Saunders Hammond informed.

For all Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth citizens applying for Jamaican citizenship, background checks are done, including checks done by the police.

“Yes, we do quite a bit of due diligence here at PICA when applications are made for citizenship.

“Checks by the police are a given, plus we ensure that all financial obligations to the Government of Jamaica are met before even considering an application,” Saunders Hammond stated.