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In depth
British subject is a historic UK nationality status. Before 1949, all people born within the British Empire were British subjects. The 1948 British Nationality Act created distinct citizenships for each dominion (Canadian, Australian, etc.) and retained 'British subject' as a common status.
The 1981 British Nationality Act retained 'British subject' as a narrow category, applying only to certain people from the Republic of Ireland (born before 1949) and British India (before 1948). British subjects have limited rights in the UK.
For CBD cases, British subject status is rarely the path — most applicants qualify under British citizen, British Overseas Territories citizen, or British Overseas citizen categories instead.
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.
A subject is a person who owes allegiance to a sovereign (historically a monarch); the term persists in some Commonwealth countries as 'British subject'.
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.
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.
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.