special ed

Had my N400 interview this week - everything went swimmingly and my oath ceremony is Monday. Yipeee! Have not been a prolific poster here but have always found this to be the most reliable source of information so my thanks to anyone who's ever responded to my questions. One last one; I gather that taking US citizenship does not affect my UK citizenship in any way. Is there anything I need to do to formally declare dual citizenship - anything I have to fill out or is it just automatically conferred when I become as US citizen. Thanks in advance and good luck to everyone still in the process.


PS I think there's supposed to be a thread I can post my application timeline on? Couldn't find it, could someone post a link for me? Thank you

Michelmas

You will have dual citizenship as soon as you take the oath, you do not have to do anything. Technically you will renounce all others during you oath [just keep your fingers crossed for that section]

Dual citizenship is not actually recognized, but from the UK's point of view, unless you formally renounce it in writing, they don't care what oath you took to another country. Once a UK citizen, always a UK citizen.

Get a US passport afterwards and use your UK one when you enter and leave UK soil and your US when you enter and leave US soil. So when you go back to the UK, leave showing your US passport and show your UK passport when you arrive at the other end.

nettlebed

Absolutely nothing you need to do. During the oath ceremony you will renounce all other citizenships, but as far as the UK is concerned, that renunciation is not valid: it needs to be formally done in front of a government official to be valid. So, you get dual citz just by virtue of becoming a USC.

Congrats: it WILL feel unbelievably good...

special ed

Thanks!

ian-mstm

Just to correct what you and Michelmas have written... when you take the US Oath of Allegiance, you do *not* renounce all other citizenships. You renounce your allegiance... but that's all. You are never asked to renounce your other citizenships.

Ian

Michelmas

Just to clarify, I never said you renounce your citizenship. I have never taken the oath of Allegiance personally and couldn't be bothered to google it for the specific wording, but knew you had to renounce something.

fatbrit

That's exactly what you said!

Michelmas

I said and I quote, you renounce all others. While it is an oath of allegiance, it is therefore the allegiance to others that you renounce. That is what Ian correctly clarified

Do you really get so much enjoyment from trying to prove me wrong and failing dismally? It's sad really

fatbrit

Renounce all others is an ellipsis whereby all others refers to citizenships. As Ian correctly pointed out, you renounce allegiance rather than citizenships.

Ginblossom

So, conversely if a USC takes the UK citizenship test, do they renounce their US citizenship? Im curious.....

ian-mstm

No.

Ian

kwilson

For anyone reading who is interested, the complete Oath of Allegiance sworn at a Naturalization Ceremony is;

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God"

ian-mstm

I'll also add here, that each country decides for itself who is or who is not a citizen of that country. HM Liz says, "you're a citizen of the UK until I say you aren't." Besides... any Oath taken in the US is not binding on any other country.

Ian