John Bryers Ruddock: Kiwi dad born overseas on the process of getting his kids citizenship

He’s descended from a Treaty signatory, an All Black and the ‘Voice of New Zealand’, but John Bryers Ruddock can't get his kids New Zealand citizenship - so he's taking legal action.

John himself was born overseas and was dismayed to discover there was no easy way to secure Kiwi citizenship for his US-born children, in part because he was born offshore.

He says it would have been easier to get approved if he was coming in as a migrant - and it feels 'unconstitutional'.

"Because I'm not on a visa or applying for a visa myself, they all get charged individually. So normally, say, if I had 20 kids and I was here on a visa or applying for my residence visa, it would cost me $3200 for being all my dependent children. But because I'm a citizen and not on a visa, they charge them individually."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now a Kiwi dad has found himself in an unexpected
bureaucratic nightmare trying to get his kid's New Zealand citizenship.
John Briars Ruddock's great grandfather was an all Black, his
mother was a Maori singer Ronda Bryars, and his ancestors
signed the Treaty of Whitehangy. But John himself was born overseas,
and so when he moved back to New Zealand and
April with his three kids, he found out it's a
pretty lengthy and expensive process to get them their citizenship.

(00:21):
And John is with me. Now, hey, John got John.
So what's the problem here? I mean, this is this
is what everybody has to go through if they found
themselves in the same position as you, don't they exactly?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, And that's uh, you know, I had to go
through it the hard way and hit all the red tape,
and you know I and I have an easier route
as far was you know, but somebody migrating here with
my children, you know that wasn't a citizen or you know,
a refugee in general. And you know, being that I

(00:58):
am Ta and my childre Jenner as well, you know,
I just feel it is I guess, kind of unconstitutional
as far as you know, if we're going to the
treaty and you know I've yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
So are you saying, so you have citizenship by descent
like me because our parents were Kiwis, but we were
born overseas. Yes, and so your problem is you you
are a Kiwi, but because you have citizenship by descent
your kids being born overseas, you cannot pass it on
to them. Yes, correct, okay, And so are you saying

(01:37):
that coming back as a Kiwi with your not Kiwi
kids is harder to get them citizenship than it would
be if you came in on a visa as a migrant.
Is that right?

Speaker 2 (01:46):
That is right?

Speaker 1 (01:48):
How so how does that work because.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
I'm a citizen and my children who are solely dependent
on their father. Yes, because I'm not on a visa
or applying for visa myself, they all get charged individually.
So normally, say if I had twenty kids and I
was here on a visa or applying for my residence visa,

(02:17):
it would cost me three thousand, two hundred for me
and all my dependent children. But because I'm a citizen
not on a visa, they charge them individually. So it's
three two hundred per child. How many kids you got
I've got three children.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Okay, so it's like ten thousand dollars.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Right, right have you?

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Have you started the process?

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah? So being that, the first thing I had to
get in store was the court order to allow me
the sole custody that I deserve. So I first did that,
and that cost me so much financially to do from
here dealing with courts in home. And we were living

(03:03):
in Washington for the past two years, so I haven't
been a resident of Hawaii for a couple of quite
a few years. Actually, I moved there during the COVID
twenty twenty one. We moved to Washington.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Okay, so this has just become a bureaucratic nightmare. Now,
I just want to clarify something that you said at
the start. Is your argument that this shouldn't be how
it is for any any New Zealand citizenship who finds
a citizen who finds themselves in this situation, or are
you arguing.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
I feel it's understandable I for to be in place,
but I feel like there's a there is the Treaty
of White Tonguey, and that's what differs from other countries,
and tonguata Fa allowed access to their fenua, it should
be upheld.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
So are you so just? I don't want to put
words in your mouth, but are you arguing that because
you're Maori, it's got to be an easier route to
get your kids citizens ship?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
I definitely feel it should be prioritized as far as being,
you know, fuck upop of this land. Like my entire
lineage and my children's is buried in this fenoa, including
my mom.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
Okay, so listen, best of luck with it, John, I
really appreciate your time. For more from Hither Duplessy Alan Drive,
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