fatman

Hello all, been a long time since I was last here. I've been in the USA now for 7 years. In a few years time I will be able to become a citizen (came on spousal visa). Has anyone gone the route of dual citizenship? Is it easy to do?

ian-mstm

Yes... I have, as have many others.


Very easy!

Ian

Mummy in the foothills

Agreed, me too.

Bluegrass Lass

You fill out the application, pay your fee, answer your civics questions, read/write/speak a sentence in English, take an oath and your done.

hobbes79

Don't forget the biometrics

But yeah, pretty easy.

cardinal125

I have some questions about this. My wife is a British citizen here in the US now as a permanent resident w/o conditions. I'm trying to find out if she applies for US Citizenship, will she ever be forced by either government to renounce her UK citizenship? Are there special procedures to have 'dual citizenship' or is it simply obtaining a second citizenship from the USA?

What implications does her citizenship status have on children me may have? I would love my kids to have dual citizenship somehow...

Thanks!!!

Tarkak9

... if only the DMV was as easy as that.

ldobson

The Answer is no, both the US and UK 'tollorate' Dual citizenship's but dont offically recongnise it, your free to hold both citizenships without an issue. After going through the process last November I can say that its a relatively easy process.

Regarding children obviously any child born in the USA will be a US Citizen automatically, and I am pretty sure that you can also obtain a UK passport for a child with a parent who is a British citizen.

ian-mstm

No. The US has no authority to force someone to renounce the citizenship of another country. Besides... Liz decides who is or who is not a UK citizen... not the US.


Yes, it's as simple as that.

Ian

ian-mstm

I'm not sure that's entirely true. The US certainly does not officially recognize dual citizenship, but my understanding is that the UK does.

Ian

fatman

Thanks all, makes much more sense now.

ljaw2002uk

I thought that as a spouse you were eligible to apply for citizenship 3 years after obtaining PR status?

S Folinsky

This is an FAQ. Each country determines who their citizens are. The US naturalization process does include a renunciation of prior allegiance. The question then becomes, what does the other country think of this?

The AILA Annual Conference used to have a presentation on immigration moments of the past. One year, it was about an elderly English woman whom the government had unsuccessfully tried to deport as a Commie in the 50's. She was over 90 when I saw her -- she told us she had become a US Citizen the year before and "I was able to tell Liz to go to hell."

[Yes, Ian and I like that turn of phrase. ]

rpjs

Actually I can think of an instance where an agency of the US government does recognize US citizens may hold a second nationality: when a USC files an I-130 petition with the DHS office in London, they are asked to supply proof of their qualification to use the "DCF" route - i.e. their status in the UK. The instructions specifically state that if their status in the UK is derived from a dual citizenship to supply a photocopy of the other passport.

cardinal125

Thanks all for your comments. Looks like we might have some discrepency...

Idobson - Did your naturalization process include an official renunciation of prior aliegences?

What I really want to know is what does the other country think of this??