19Right to registration by virtue of residence in dependent territory
(1)A person shall be entitled, on an application for his registration as a British Dependent Territories citizen made within five years after commencement, to be registered as such a citizen if, had paragraphs 2 to 5 of Schedule 1 to the [1971 c. 77.] Immigration Act 1971 remained in force, he would (had he applied for it) have been, on the date of the application under this subsection, entitled under the said paragraph 2 to be registered in a dependent territory as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies.
(2)In the case of any person who is a minor at commencement, the reference to five years after commencement in subsection (1) shall be treated as a reference to five years from the date on which he attains full age.
(3)If in the special circumstances of any particular case the Secretary of State thinks fit, he may treat subsection (1) as if—
(a)the reference to five years after commencement were a reference to eight years after commencement; or
(b)where subsection (2) applies, as if the reference to five years from the date on which the person to whom the application relates attains full age were a reference to eight years from that date.