Until the mid-19th century, it was unclear whether naturalisation regulations in the United Kingdom were applicable elsewhere in the Empire. Each colony had wide discretion in developing their own procedures and requirements for naturalisation up to that point. In 1847, the Imperial Parliament formalised a clear distinction between subjects who naturalised in the UK and those who did so in other territories. Individuals who naturalised in the UK were deemed to have received the status by "imperial naturalisation", which was valid throughout the Empire. Those naturalising in colonies were said to have gone through "local naturalisation" and were given subject status valid only within the relevant territory; a subject who locally naturalised in New Zealand was a British subject there, but not in England or New South Wales. However, when travelling outside of the Empire, British subjects who were locally naturalised in a colony were still entitled to imperial protection.