Job Discussion Forums

[Jizzo T. Clown]

As someone has pointed out, dual citizenship is holding citizenship in two countries

As an American, this is a foreign concept to me. How do you qualify as a citizen of more than one country? Maybe if you're married? If your parents are from two countries?

Let's say I want to become a dual-ized citizen of Japan...how do you do that?

I've always heard that you have to renounce your citizenship in order to become a citizen of another country. Isn't this true?

[tw]

[ls650]

I know a fellow who had one American parent and one Canadian parent. He is a dual citizen with two passports.

I recommend you go to a search engine and look up "American dual citizenship" for information on how you might obtain this.

[Perpetual Traveller]

I am a dual national British-Australian. I was born in Australia which makes me eligible for Australian citizenship but my parents are English and that makes me also eligible for British citizenship. When I first applied for my British passport technically I should have given up my Australian one as at the time Australia didn't permit you to be a dual national (although Britain did) but I just kept quiet about it and shortly afterward that rule was changed anyway.

What I would like to know is what would happen if I married another dual national, say American-Canadian, would the two of us then be eligible for four passports? Quite a fun thought.

PT

[nomadder]

Canadians are allowed to hold dual citizenship. Besides marriage, parents etc., I believe we can simply just apply if living in another country and meeting certain requirements.

I think Americans are supposed to give up their American citizenship if they want to take on another though I may have heard of people simply keeping both passports even though they shouldn't.

[venus523]

"In the 1980's, the Supreme Court ruled that citizenship is a constitutional right that cannot be taken away from a citizen who does not intend to relinquish it. Therefore, such actions as naturalization in a foreign country, travel on a foreign passport, employment with a foreign government, and voting in a foreign election do not automatically jeopardize American citizenship. However, please note that all U.S. citizens, even dual nationals, must enter and depart the United States on U.S. passports."

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_web/acs/passports/dualcit.htm

Americans can definitely have dual citizenship - many can pick up another passport simply by being closely related enough (hmmm... awkward sentence) to a foreign-born relative, for example a grandparent. I know a German woman who is on her way to becoming an American citizen, but Germany wants her to give up her German passport if she does.

:)venus

[Mchristophermsw]

An American citizen can only be a citizen of one country. But you can hold residency of another country. ( Just got off the phone with Immigration and that is what they told me).


There is a website called escapeartist.com that does have articals that cover getting a Second Passport.

[delian]

Hi,

I was born in Canada, but my parents are both American, so they applied for US citizenship for me when I was young. I have had citizenship in both countries my entire life, been very open about it when crossing borders (especially the US/Canada one) and have never had anyone question me or give me problems. Maybe the 'rules' have changed since I was born (1971), but they haven't affected me. I'm certainly not just a 'resident' of either country.

Delian
currently in Hong Kong

[expatben]

I was born in Canada and my mother was born in England so I get 2 passports. However my sister was born before the rules changed and therefor only has Canadian citizenship

[Winmarr]

I was born in Australia to English parents, so I have both. It can come in handy; once I went into Zambia one of the passports would have incurred a hefty fee (can't remember which, but I think the British one), so I used the other one! Travelling in Europe is much better with a British one, but it's better to use the Aussie one to go to New Zealand.

[Perpetual Traveller]

[venus523]

For the OP, Mr. Clown (an American) from the US Department of State website:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html
"A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another. Also, a person who is automatically granted another citizenship does not risk losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship."

--------------------

http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_778.html
"...a person who:
(1) is naturalized in a foreign country;
(2) takes a routine oath of allegiance or
(3) accepts non-policy level employment with a foreign government
and in so doing wishes to retain U.S. citizenship need not submit prior to the commission of a potentially expatriating act a statement or evidence of his or her intent to retain U.S. citizenship since such an intent will be presumed.
When, as the result of an individual's inquiry or an individual's application for registration or a passport it comes to the attention of a U.S. consular officer that a U.S. citizen has performed an act made potentially expatriating ... the consular officer will simply ask the applicant if there was intent to relinquish U.S. citizenship when performing the act. If the answer is no, the consular officer will certify that it was not the person's intent to relinquish U.S. citizenship and, consequently, find that the person has retained U.S. citizenship."

--------------------------

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html
"However, dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there.Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship."

venus

[JDYoung]

It all depends on the rules of the different countries in which you want to hold citizenship. Canada is pretty flexible. I have a friend with three citizenships - one by birth, one by naturalization and one by marriage. To the best of my knowledge Germany does not permit multiple citizenship. If you are a German citizen and choose to immigrate to another country, such as Canada, and become a citizen there, you forfeig your German citizenship. A friend of mine told me that Australia permits two citizenships - Australia plus one other.

The US used to allow only one citizenship but in the eighties began to permit multiple citizenships. I come from a part of Canada that had a lot of draft dodgers from the Vietnam war. As soon as the law was changed, they applied for US citizenship for their Canadian born children.

How you become a citizen of a country you were not born in varies again with the country. The UK allows children, not born in the UK, but of one parent born in the UK, to get UK citizenship. This does not extend to grandchildren. I understand that the Republic of Ireland and Poland do extend the option to grandchildren.

It's a complex world out there.

[RyanS]

I'm a grandchild of a pole, how do I get polish citizenship?

[Chasgul]

RyanS - contact the nearest consulate/embassy. They should be able to tell you what forms to fill and whether you will have to pass a test/give proof that you speak Polish. I assume they will want documentary evidence that your grandparent is/was Polish and that you are their grandchild.