Why become a U.S citizen?
 

Hi are you a Brit who has become a U.S citizen or plan on becoming one? If so why?

I'd love to get some feed-back I've never even considered it for myself but now I'm suddenly intrigued, would it be the smart thing to do? What are the pro's and con's?
I'd love to hear your reasons ....okay okay .....I'm nosey what can I say ;)

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

So you can't be deported for your next DUI. So you never have to visit a USCIS facility ever again. So you can vote. So you can take that fantastic 2-year contract job in Singapore. So you can sponsor a relative. So you can get a job that you weren't allowed to previously. So you can be commissioned in the armed forces. There are hundreds of reasons. Most of them obvious.

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

I'm not in the US, but if I were living there the biggest single practical reason for becoming a US citizen would be the ability to return to the US to live at any time in the future, regardless of how long I spent away. The importance of this would obviously depend on my circumstances - but it would be a big factor if my wife were American, for example, and if my children were (because who knows where they would choose to live in the future?), and also of course if I had lots of friends and close contacts there.

A less practical point, but still an important one for me, would be the greater sense of belonging to the US that it would give me. Allied to citizenship, of course, would be the right to vote. Other benefits, such as the right to stand for public office and so on, would be less important to me personally because it's not something that I can envisage myself wanting to do.

Clearly, though, each individual person's circumstances would be different.

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

So you can use the shorter line when going through Customs in the US :)

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

For me never having to deal with immigration again is my best reason. But I also want to be able to vote coz someones gotta save this lot from themselves and seeing as so few people vote over here at least i would feel my vote counted for something.

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

You are so right, Jan!

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

That would be my one main reason :)

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

Maybe not shorter but probably a faster line than the non-citizens line!





NC Penguin

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

All of the above Posts are some of the Pro's, I can't think of any Con's. It affected me very emotionally, I walked out of the large Opera House in downtown Los Angeles (Music Centre), where we swore our allegiance, my eyes very moist, and went to the Registrar's Office to register to vote. The only other time I had this feeling was my termination in the British Army whilst passing the Union Jack...what I am trying to say, when, or if, you do become a citizen, you never lose your allegiance to Uk, now you have two Countries to love.

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

Worldwide income and tax returns to the IRS....can be a problem, well a pain if you have property back home for instance

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

You don't need to be a citizen to do that, as a permanent resident you can use the US Citizens line.

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

Mostly so I don't have to deal with the INS anymore. Also to help vote the current moron out of the whitehouse...

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

Really? when I was in Boston, they were telling everyone with a greencard to get out of that line and get in with the rest of us foreigners...

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

You are becoming a rank sentimentalist. Whatever happened to having two countries to criticise? I do. My son has three. :D

Re: Why become a U.S citizen?
 

How about being eligible for Jury Duty as a nice big con?