Prince Harry’s Wife Meghan Will Not Become A British Citizen Anytime Soon

Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle will not become a British citizen anytime soon.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been married for over a year. Markle moved to London months before their wedding. But at present, despite all the things she has done to the monarchy and her lengthy stay in Britain, she is still not a British citizen and won’t be for years to come, Express reported.

Prince Harry’s communication secretary Jason Knauf said before their royal wedding that Markle would be “compliant with immigration requirements at all times.” He added that Markle “intends to become a UK citizen and will go through the process of that, which some of you may know takes a number of years.”

Markle is in the UK on a family visa. She has to reside in the country for at least five years before she can apply for citizenship. The process is both expensive and will need years to be completed.

Prince Harry has to prove that he earns at least $22,485 annually, which isn’t difficult for royals. The family visa application costs $1,913 for a premium service and is valid for up to two and a half years. After that, the couple will need to head down to the Home office headquarters of the UK Visa and Immigration service in Croydon for an interview to renew the family visa.

During the interview, they may be asked to provide proof of their relationship such as emails, texts, and holiday photos. However, it’s unclear if the authorities will still request this from such a public couple.

After five years, Markle can finally apply for permanent residency also known as “indefinite leave to remain.” Only then can she apply for citizenship provided that they do not spend 270 days outside the UK in the past three years.

However, Prince Harry and Markle’s baby could face a tax nightmare. According to Fabien Lehagre, President of the Accidental Americans Associations, Archie will surely be subject to tax because of the American Citizenship Based Taxation, but there’s a way to stop this.

“The only way out for the future royal baby will be to give up American nationality when it reaches the age of majority,” Lehagre said.

Markle is also subject to the same taxation rules and must declare her income and that of her husband. Thus, Prince Harry will be affected because the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance will need to access the royal family’s banking information.