Citizenship

Old Mar 31st 2015, 2:42 pm
  #31  
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
Yes, it definitely different for some people - but what the exact nature of the difference is isn't always clear. We would have to ask. I imagine it's different, depending on the circumstances you left and those of your arrival. I just can't bring myself to "love" a political entity, although I absolutely feel an emotional attachment to the country I grew up in - but not because of its nature as a state, it just feels like home to me. I'm not going to start swearing oaths to it though, unless there is some necessity.
It is funny though. We never swore an oath to the UK, as far as I remember.

US citizens, by virtue of the pledge, may be the only ones who habitually swear an oath of allegiance to their country of birth. Now, I like many things about the US, don't get me wrong, but that just strikes me as a little insecure
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Old Mar 31st 2015, 2:45 pm
  #32  
 
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
It is funny though. We never swore an oath to the UK, as far as I remember.

US citizens, by virtue of the pledge, may be the only ones who habitually swear an oath of allegiance to their country of birth. Now, I like many things about the US, don't get me wrong, but that just strikes me as a little insecure
Yes, I think I mentioned this back in my first post. The question of feeling good about what you are swearing to just doesn't come up as a born-British national. I don't think it used to come up for those naturalizing, either. What would you swear to - the Queen?

The whole repeat the pledge every day at school thing is mad. It is a bit insecure - like an insecure boy/girlfirend's "go on, tell me you love me"
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Old Mar 31st 2015, 5:48 pm
  #33  
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
Yes, I think I mentioned this back in my first post. The question of feeling good about what you are swearing to just doesn't come up as a born-British national. I don't think it used to come up for those naturalizing, either. What would you swear to - the Queen?
The oath of allegiance was no big thing anyway. You fulfill your promise basically my getting on with things, living within the law, etc. There is basically zero chance that anyone over the age of 25 is going to be called upon to physically serve (if they ever do bring conscription back again) and the whole bit about 'renouncing foreign allegiance' really only applies to high level security clearances anyway. Holding a British passport, calling yourself British or liking things about the UK are hardly things that can be considered breaking the oath anyway.

Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
The whole repeat the pledge every day at school thing is mad. It is a bit insecure - like an insecure boy/girlfirend's "go on, tell me you love me"
It's weird, but if they could at least remove the god crap, mostly harmless.
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Old Mar 31st 2015, 6:47 pm
  #34  
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
Yes, I think I mentioned this back in my first post. The question of feeling good about what you are swearing to just doesn't come up as a born-British national. I don't think it used to come up for those naturalizing, either. What would you swear to - the Queen?
One line from the oath taken for naturalisation in the UK:
"I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law."

Now Liz I don't mind too much, but some of her Heirs and Successors I'm not too sure about.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 6:06 am
  #35  
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Default Re: Citizenship

Just had my citizenship interview early March. All went well, the very nice lady told me I had 'qualified' for citizenship and would be informed by mail where and when the pledging ceremony would be.
We then went on to discuss the best way to make margaritas and various other cocktails and the effects of said cocktails. This continued as she walked me back to the waiting area/exit and were giggling like fools as she opened the door to let me out, probably to the puzzled bemusement of the thirty or so people waiting for their interview.
Only drawback was that I live in East TN and had to drive nearly 800 miles roundtrip to Memphis for the interview.
So I'm waiting to hear about my pledging ceremony and hoping it will be closer to home. Oh yeah, I waited over 25 years before deciding to take the citizenship plunge with absolutely no logical reason for waiting.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 12:25 pm
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Brit In TN
..... I live in East TN and had to drive nearly 800 miles roundtrip to Memphis for the interview. ....
"Had to"? ..... Charlotte is a lot closer, about 4 hours/ 240 miles from Knoxville, and Atlanta is even closer at just over 3 hours/ 200 miles.

Last edited by Pulaski; Apr 1st 2015 at 12:27 pm.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 7:08 pm
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Pulaski
"Had to"? ..... Charlotte is a lot closer, about 4 hours/ 240 miles from Knoxville, and Atlanta is even closer at just over 3 hours/ 200 miles.
Yes they are but you don't get to choose where your interview is, you are told. I did try calling and changing it but no joy.
All the application paperwork had gone through Memphis and therefore, so I was told, that was my interview centre.

Although, in fairness, I 'only' had to go four hundred miles roundtrip for my biometrics (Nashville).

Funny how our perception of distance changes after being here a while innit.

Last edited by Brit In TN; Apr 1st 2015 at 7:16 pm. Reason: couldn't shut up talking.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 7:12 pm
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Brit In TN
Yes they are but you don't get to choose where your interview is, you are told. I did try calling and changing it but no joy.
Wow, weird, that they would send you so far. I don't recall what happened for me, though where I was sent for my interview was the closest office anyway.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 7:35 pm
  #39  
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Default Re: Citizenship

My interview was in some crappy little office in a dingy strip mall in a decidedly unsavory part of town. When the navigator told me where to park, I got the letter out and rechecked the address - I really didn't want to get out of the car But at least it was only 40-odd miles away..
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 8:26 pm
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Wow, weird, that they would send you so far.
When I had my interview I was living a couple of miles from the VA/WV line. It would have been closer for me to drive to Charleston WV, but I had to drive twice the distance to Northern VA. I was told by USCIS that you must have your interview in the State where you reside.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 9:37 pm
  #41  
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Lion in Winter
One part was practical. I wanted to make sure that I had all the same citizenships as the Little Lion, so we are now both dual citizens. In that sense, I had no other feelings about it at all it was just the last step in a bureaucratic process.

On the other hand, I felt uncomfortable - I was making a deliberate decision to sign up for, and state allegiance to, a country whose actions as a state (ie not individual Americans) have been partly or fully responsible for so much misery in so many countries, including some people who are friends of mine. While there is much that the UK has done that is reprehensible, I was just born there and don't have to actively declare that I believe in it. Deliberately swearing to fight for this country (as a state), etc. etc. - well, let's just say my heart wasn't in it.
You never know where your allegiance will lie. Prior to the US entering WWII, many of the German and Italian Americans had a strong allegiance to their home country but once the US was invaded and war was declared against Germany and Italy, the vast majority had an allegiance to America. That must have been very hard on them since they likely had relatives and friends in their home country.

My grandparents from both sides of the family and mother are from Yugoslavia (Serbs) and all my aunts and uncles grew up speaking the language and related to the Serbs. However all opposed the actions of Serbs in the Bosnia and Kosovo.

It's highly unlikely that the US and UK would be fighting each other but 50 years down the line, anything is possible and then your children or grandchildren may have to make that decision.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 9:47 pm
  #42  
 
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by DebzinUS
When I had my interview I was living a couple of miles from the VA/WV line. It would have been closer for me to drive to Charleston WV, but I had to drive twice the distance to Northern VA. I was told by USCIS that you must have your interview in the State where you reside.
I am certain you are correct, but for what is necessarily a federal government process, that makes no sense whatsoever!
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 10:46 pm
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Pulaski
I am certain you are correct, but for what is necessarily a federal government process, that makes no sense whatsoever!

You might laugh at this, but the reason they gave me was related to a couple of the potential questions on the civics test...

Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?

Name your U.S. Representative.

The person conducting the interview and test may not know the answer. Now this may be complete BS, but I kid you not.
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Old Apr 1st 2015, 11:40 pm
  #44  
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Michael

It's highly unlikely that the US and UK would be fighting each other but 50 years down the line, anything is possible and then your children or grandchildren may have to make that decision.
I think I am the last of my line that will be "torn", to be honest, and likely
the last to have to make a decision. My kids, while they have dual nationality, will not be able to pass that on to their kids if we/they remain living in the US, so are unlikely to feel a higher allegiance to a country they have never lived in and are unable to pass citizenship in to their kids. Or at least I think that's how it works.....its on my to do list to research it a bit more thoroughly....
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Old Apr 2nd 2015, 12:04 am
  #45  
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Default Re: Citizenship

Originally Posted by Yorkieabroad
I think I am the last of my line that will be "torn", to be honest, and likely
the last to have to make a decision. My kids, while they have dual nationality, will not be able to pass that on to their kids if we/they remain living in the US, so are unlikely to feel a higher allegiance to a country they have never lived in and are unable to pass citizenship in to their kids. Or at least I think that's how it works.....its on my to do list to research it a bit more thoroughly....
That assumes that your kids don't go back to the UK and have children who also hold dual nationality or follow you back with their kids if you decide to retire in the UK and then their kids decide to live in the US.

Also you don't know where the jobs will be and what health care will be like in the future and that can have a bearing on where someone lives.

Those are a couple of the things about dual nationality that can possibly perpetuate for a long time.
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