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British Overseas citizen (BOC) is a UK nationality category for people who were citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) but did not acquire British citizen or other citizenship in 1983.
In depth
British Overseas citizen (BOC) is a UK nationality category created by the British Nationality Act 1981. It applies to people who were citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) but did not acquire British citizen status or the citizenship of an independent Commonwealth country when the BNA 1981 came into force on January 1, 1983.
BOCs do not have the right of abode in the UK and cannot pass BOC status to children born after 1983. However, BOCs can register as British citizens after living in the UK for 5 years.
BOC status is held primarily by people from former British colonies who did not acquire the citizenship of the newly independent country (e.g., some Kenyan Asians, Malaysian Chinese).
Related terms
The British Nationality Act 1981 is the principal UK citizenship law, which created the current categories of British nationality and governs citizenship by descent.
British subject is a historic UK nationality status that predates the 1948 and 1981 British Nationality Acts, still held by a small number of people.
Double descent is the UK citizenship path for grandchildren of British citizens, available under certain sections of the British Nationality Act 1981.
Crown service is UK government service (military, diplomatic, colonial) that can confer British citizenship by descent on children born abroad to Crown servants.
The right of abode is the right to live and work in the UK without immigration restrictions, held by British citizens and certain Commonwealth citizens.
Consular registration is the process by which a British citizen born abroad is registered at a UK consulate, which can affect citizenship transmission to the next generation.