xenastoyboy

I moved to the US August 1999 on a L1 visa and although my company was sponsoring my green card I choose to do it personally through my marriage to my American wife. I now have two children age 6 and 3. It will be 7 years January since I was last in Britain.

Questions:-
1. What are the pros and cons with me getting citizenship? I have never seen a reason for getting it except not having to renew GC every 10 years. I do not care to vote.
2. Can I/should I get dual citizenship for my kids?

Thanks

scrubbedexpat099

There is a search button, this particular topic has been discussed many many times.

xenastoyboy

I looked through 14 pages, 327 posts, from the search results and didn't see anything similar to my question. I did however notice quite a few polite replies from moderators offering advice and not "There is a search button"!!

Sometime it is easier to just ask hoping for a simple and polite answer.

meauxna

Pros and Cons to Getting US Citizenship

This covers the majors.
Not being removable is a big one. AKA "security".. especially with small children involved.

You should definitely explore acknowledging UK citizenship for your children! The earlier, the better.

avanutria

Hello XTB,

The other document you're looking for is this: http://www.richw.org/dualcit/

It's a dual citizenship FAQ which covers a lot of details of dual citizenship. It wasn't as easy to find as I'd expected - it was in the USA Wiki but I had to click on "Naturalization US Citizenship Resources" and I had been looking for simply "citizenship" or "dual citizenship".

I hope you will rethink your stance on voting.

You should definitely "get" dual citizenship for your kids. Actually they are already dual citizens if they were born in wedlock to a UKC parent and a USC parent. What you need to do now is get proper documentation for each of their citizenships.

meauxna

(which is of course in the wiki! Rich used to post here a lot in the long ago days )

avanutria

Somehow I missed it when I was looking for it earlier. I think I didn't think to look under "P" for Pros...I was looking under "D" (Dual) and "C" (Citizenship)

ian-mstm

That's a shame! The US, in its present form, exists because those who moved across the pond weren't allowed to effect any change in the way things were run where they were!

Sorry, I just can't fathom why someone would choose not to participate in making decisions about how things are run. By not participating, you remain an eternal reactionary without a voice.

Okay, I'm off the soapbox... for the time being!

Ian

xenastoyboy

Thank you everyone for your comments and links, I have looked a litle into it but have had no problems with my current situation, until now. I shall now persue it and take my place in line for the following elections.

My children were both born in wedlock in USA and I have been married to my wife for 10 years in January. Although terribly homesick it has not been possible to return to Britain since my wife was pregnant with our first.

Thanks again for you help.

Rete

When they your children are already US Citizens and British citizens if you are qualified to pass on your British citizenship. Did you register their birth and/or apply for their British passports?

xenastoyboy

Both my children were born in Colorado, mother is Texan. I did not register either children at birth and did not realise I should. Have i left it too late or will this just cause more legal/paper work? I thought it was a given!

Rete

Doesn't matter what State your wife is from, she is still a US Citizen, regardless of the fact that Texans seem to feel their State is a country

Yes, they should have been registered afaik, but it is not the end of the world. Go to the British Consulate's website (the main one I believe is located in Washington, DC) and read how to register your children's birth. I don't believe it has to be done before a certain age. Or perhaps just apply for this British passports.

xenastoyboy

I get the Texas is it's own country all the time.

I now have the link and paperwork to complete for the kids, looks like it should be fine while they are under 18. Thank you for your help.

lansbury

meauxna mentioned security and that is the big one IMHO to get citizenship.

You don't know what the future holds and where you or your children might be when they have grown up and gone their own ways. Being a US citizen means you can come and go from the US with no restrictions, and are able to live in the UK without the worry of can you get back to the US for a lengthy stay or to live again if you want to. Best to keep those options as open as possible if you can.

robin1234

Not so sure about that. Presumably, of the British people who moved to the colonies or the USA, some had a parliamentary vote in Britain and others did not. Some were members of the House of Lords or had political influence through some other means. Arguably, many of them had more political power in Britain that they would have in the colonies/USA. Everyone's circumstances were different. I'm not a believer in the blanket generalisation that men had more say in running their country in the colonies or US than in Britain.