Another Dual Citizenship Question.

3.9.03 | mlmr

[mlmr]

An acquaintance has emigrated to England and recently informed me that he became a British citizen. When I asked whether he had renounced US citizenship, he said no, he is now a dual citizen. He said that England recognizes dual, even though the US doesn't he travels on his US passport and jumps between the two countries frequently.

What would the US state department do if they knew he had taken up British citizenship? Would he lose his US passport? Can he have two passports now. One British and one US?

[The Coopster]

You posted twice.

[mlmr]

I know. I tried to apologize but the thread was pulled.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

"No man can serve two masters..."-Jesus Of Nazareth

[eabinga]

What would the US state department do if they knew he had taken up British citizenship? Would he lose his US passport? Can he have two passports now. One British and one US?

The State Dept. wont do anything, and yes he can have 2 Passports.

[The Coopster]

After I posted, I discovered the same thing. Sorry - I wasn't trying to be a thread nanny.

As far as your friend is concerned: If he did this out of spite for his country, I say report him. If he doesn't want to claim this wonderful country as his own, screw him. I can't think of any good reason for renouncing your citizenship, but I am the first to admit that I don't know the whole story.

[mlmr]

Thank you. It makes me question though, what is the meaning of citizenship?

[mlmr]

So, pledging to another country does not negate your own citizenship.

[eabinga]

Thank you. It makes me question though, what is the meaning of citizenship?

It means the state claims you to be one of theirs.. :)

[mlmr]

Not that you claim to be one of theirs....???

[sourcery]

Dual Citizenship

[gitmo]

I don't understand dual-citizenship. What is the purpose of it, and what are the advantages?

[eabinga]

So, pledging to another country does not negate your own citizenship.

Depends on the countries involved.

Basically, most people don't chose their citizenship.

For example:
Anybody Born in the USA is an American Citizen.
Anybody who has a German mother is a German Citizen.

So what about a child born in the USA with German parents? They have dual citizenship, both countries claim them to be citizens of the respective countries.

[eabinga]

So, pledging to another country does not negate your own citizenship.

It gives you greater choices on where you can live and also makes travel to some countries easier.

On the other hand, you also have responsibilities towards both countries. (e.g. military service, taxes, etc)

[eabinga]

oops, i just misquoted you... sorry

[mlmr]

On 16 April 1990, though, the State Department adopted a new set of guidelines for handling dual citizenship cases which are much more streamlined and liberal than before.

The State Department now says that it will assume that a US citizen intends to retain (not give up) his US citizenship if he:


is naturalized in a foreign country;

takes a routine oath of allegiance to a foreign country; or

accepts foreign government employment that is of a "non-policy-level" nature.
Apparently, a "routine oath of allegiance" to another country is no longer taken as firm evidence of intent to give up US citizenship, even if said oath includes a renunciation of US citizenship. This represents a dramatic reversal of previous US policy; it used to be that any such statement was taken rigidly at face value (as in the Supreme Court's 1980 Terrazas decision).

This presumption that someone intends to keep US citizenship does not apply to a person who:


takes a "policy-level" position in a foreign country;

is convicted of treason against the US; or

engages in "conduct which is so inconsistent with retention of U.S. citizenship that it compels a conclusion that [he] intended to relinquish U.S. citizenship."
The State Department says that cases of these kinds will be examined carefully to determine the person's intent. They also say that cases falling under the last criterion mentioned above (conduct wholly inconsistent with intent to keep US citizenship) are presumed to be "very rare."

[hoosierham]

oh, how cosmopolitan these people are : they simply chose to be whatever is most convenient at the moment

the trouble with sitting on the fence is splinters and nobody can really trust you

[GovernmentShrinker]

Lots of people have dual citizenship; some have more. A good friend of mine in high school held Italian (father's nationality), Swedish (mother's nationality), Kenyan (where she was born), and U.S. (where she had lived since early elementary school, and her parents had had the good sense to get her citizenship here).