ralphster

Hi folks,

Does anyone living in the US also hold UK and Canadian citizenships as well? My wife has US and Canadian passport, and can also qualify for British citizenship.

Would she be able to enter the US on her US passport with these other two citizenships?

Presumably if her passport has lapsed her citizenship is still fine? She got US citizenship via her Mom who was born in the States.

Also, would our kids be eligible for US citizenship as well? We don't live in the States.

tonrob

Yes to the first three. Not sure on the last one.

JAJ

If your children were born on or after November 14, 1986, they are US citizens IF your wife has spent 5 years in the US, including 2 years after age 14.

If this does not apply, they can be naturalized as US citizens based on their US grandmother, if she meets these requirements. The form is N-600K and needs to be lodged with an office of the USCIS in the United States. Children can visit the USA as tourists to complete the process. They do not have to be permanent residents of the USA.

This expedited naturalization process must be completed before children turn 18.

Information at:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/usc...004718190aRCRD

Also - if your wife was born or naturalised in Canada then your children are Canadian citizens by descent. They should have Canadian citizenship cards and passports.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Canadi...hip_by_Descent

meauxna

US citizens -must- enter (and exit) the US with US passports. The other citizenships don't matter to the US; they will only 'see' her as a US citizen.

ian-mstm

Yes... I do. I have UK/CDN/US citizenship and have 3 valid passports.


The US won't care that she has any other citizenships. If she enters the US with her US passport (as she must by law), that's all that matters.


Yes. A passport is proof of citizenship... it isn't the citizenship itself.

Ian

Steve_

The kids would be able to derive US citizenship from her if she's lived in the US long enough to meet the residency requirement.

You can hold all three citizenships, there are a couple of obscure things about it that are not often mentioned though -

Since 1979, the State Dept. has not required people obtaining US citizenship to renounce their foreign citizenships, although my understanding is that they have the power to do so, it's just a policy decision that they don't do it now. Becoming a US citizen also requires an annual tax return filing EVEN IF you are not resident in the US (as well as the FBAR form). Not only that but if your income is above the foreign exclusion limit (as explained in the form 2555 instructions) you will owe US income taxes. The foreign exclusion limit is a pretty recent law, I think it came into force in 2006.

In the UK, under amendments made to the Immigration Act in 2006 if you hold a foreign citizenship the Govt. can revoke British citizenship if they have a "good reason" for doing so. Usually this is subject to an appeals process unless it is done for national security reasons, which is what they did to Anna Chapman.

For the vast majority of people none of this should ever be a major issue (US tax returns below the foreign exclusion limit are pretty simple), but it's worth being aware of.