Bigoso

My wife recently gave birth to our first son. He is a US citizen
because of Jus Soli. My wife is a citizen of Mexico, so my son is also
a Mexican citizen because of Jus Sanguinis. Can he maintain dual
citizenship? If so, what procedures do I need to go through to have
Mexico recognize his citizenship? Are there any
advantages/disadvantages to dual citizenship? Thanks for your help.

Lion in Winter

Call your local Mexican Consulate for details. Your son can be registered as a Mexican Citizen. You will need original birth certificate and proof of your wife's Mexican citizenship. The Consulate can tell you exactly what. You should do this ASAP, because the longer you leave it the tougher it gets. I believe that after one year they won't do it at all, but don't quote me on that. My son is half Mexican, half English, born in the U.S., and we got his Mex. Birth Certificate no problem.

Ted Kaczynski

"bigoso" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
    > My wife recently gave birth to our first son. He is a US citizen
    > because of Jus Soli. My wife is a citizen of Mexico, so my son is also
    > a Mexican citizen because of Jus Sanguinis. Can he maintain dual
    > citizenship? If so, what procedures do I need to go through to have
    > Mexico recognize his citizenship? Are there any
    > advantages/disadvantages to dual citizenship? Thanks for your help.

Your son may indeed be eligible for dual citizenship, but why would
you want to impose citizenship of a country where half the population
is literally getting killed trying to escape?

I live on the USA/Mexico border and every single day I see Mexicans
wading across the river and running through my back yard trying to
escape their native land. If you offered any one of them
permanent residency in exchange for renouncing their Mexican
citizenship they would agree in a heartbeat.

I say let your kid decide for himself whether he wants to be a
dual citizen when he turns 18. At this time Mexican citizenship
confers no benefits, especially to a minor, and may actually
subject him to taxation and military service in Mexico. Mexican
citizenship might give him the right to work in Mexico, but
since their are NO jobs available, and the few jobs that exist
pay $1 a day or less, I can't see why that would be a
consideration in seeking dual nationality.

YtsejaM

Before deciding on dual citizenship for your baby son, you'll want to do some reading. Here's a link on dual citizenship that I found quite helpful:

http://www.richw.org/dualcit/

K

Bigoso

YtsejaM <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Originally posted by Bigoso
    > > My wife recently gave birth
    > to our first son. He is a US citizen
    > > because of Jus Soli. My wife is a
    > citizen of Mexico, so my son is also
    > > a Mexican citizen because of Jus
    > Sanguinis. Can he maintain dual
    > > citizenship? If so, what procedures do
    > I need to go through to have
    > > Mexico recognize his citizenship? Are
    > there any
    > > advantages/disadvantages to dual citizenship? Thanks for
    > your help.

You all have brought up good questions/points. For example if my son
becomes a Mexican citizen will he have legal obligations to Mexico
relating to taxes, military service, and/or travel restrictions. I
understand the positives; a choice of where to live and work when
older, free health care in Mexico, free education in Mexico. The taxes
and military service are negative points. Does anyone know how Mexico
stands on those issues? Thanks for your help.


    > Before deciding on dual citizenship for your baby
    > son, you'll want to do some reading. Here's a link on dual citizenship
    > that I found quite helpful:
    >
    > http://www.richw.org/dualcit/
    >
    > K

YtsejaM

As far as I undertand it, you are right about Mexican military service, taxes, etc.

I know that the Mexican government does recognize dual-citizenship between the US and Mexico. In fact as far as Mexico is concerned, if a Mexcian citzen is naturalized in the US, he is still a Mexican national unless he formally denounces his Mexican citizenship. However, the US doesn't encourage its citizens to hold dual citizenship, though it's often possible to do so.

K

Ted Kaczynski

"bigoso" <[email protected]> wrote...
    > You all have brought up good questions/points. For example if my son
    > becomes a Mexican citizen will he have legal obligations to Mexico
    > relating to taxes, military service, and/or travel restrictions. I
    > understand the positives; a choice of where to live and work when
    > older, free health care in Mexico, free education in Mexico. The taxes
    > and military service are negative points. Does anyone know how Mexico
    > stands on those issues? Thanks for your help.

Have you even BEEN to Mexico?!? I have lived on the USA/Mexico border
most of my life and none of what you say about it is remotely true.

"A choice of where to live and work?" - There is no work available in
Mexico, which is why half its population has fled to the United States.

"Free education in Mexico?" - The Mexican constitution says elementary
education is compulsory and also places the responsibility on the
parents for ensuring their children attend school until they are 15.
Public schools do exist, but books and supplies are generally paid
for by the parents, not the government. While it is true that UNAM
universities are almost "free" to Mexican citizens (being heavily
subsidized by the Mexican taxpayers), the quality of education they
provide is abysmal compared to other countries' public universities
and even compared to private Mexican colleges. Classified newspaper
ads for jobs in Mexico often state "UNAM graduates need not apply."

"Free health care in Mexico?!?" Where have you been living, under a
rock? While it is true that health care in Mexico costs much less
than in the U.S., it is also much less advanced. It is also not "free"
to Mexican citizens at all, although there are special government
clinics that provide subsidized medications to the poor. When wealthy
Mexicans get sick they go to the U.S. for treatment; and Mexican
hospitals in border cities often ship Mexican patients who can't pay
across the border and dump them at American hospitals which are
required by law to treat them. There is no advantage in Mexican
citizenship when it comes to health care, as Americans who can pay
are always welcome at Mexican hospitals and clinics.

"Taxes?" - The pinche PRI government traditionally has stolen every
centavo its people earned, though it ***rarely*** extended that
theft north of the border (but it did do so during the bracero
program of the 1940s by stealing a significant portion of wages the
guest workers earned working in the U.S.). But there is no
guarantee current or future Mexican governments won't try to shake
expatriots down to cover Mexico's enormous debt.

"Military service?" - Unlikely, but possible. Mexico's military is
mostly for show, as Mexico would be unable to resist an invasion
from Guatemala. Mexico's military is used primarily for civilian
law enforcement these days, and for protecting narcotics shipments
headed north.

I urge you to reconsider applying for dual citizenship for your son.
Wait until he is 18, explain all the things above to him, then let
him decide whether he wants to apply for it.

Jaj

It may not be a question of your son *becoming* a Mexican citizen. He
may already *be* a Mexican citizen, for better or worse. It depends on
what Mexico's law says.

US citizenship will not protect him from obligations pertaining to
Mexican citizens, if Mexico decide that he's a citizen and try to
enforce these obligations when he is there.

You are unlikely to find many experts on Mexican law on usenet. You
need some advice in writing, preferably from a Mexican lawyer
experienced in nationality matters.

Jeremy

bigoso wrote:

    >
    > You all have brought up good questions/points. For example if my son
    > becomes a Mexican citizen will he have legal obligations to Mexico
    > relating to taxes, military service, and/or travel restrictions. I
    > understand the positives; a choice of where to live and work when
    > older, free health care in Mexico, free education in Mexico. The taxes
    > and military service are negative points. Does anyone know how Mexico
    > stands on those issues? Thanks for your help.
    >


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This is not intended to be legal advice in any jurisdiction