Citizenship

[v333k 59]

Simply:

1 - if you like to go back and forth to the UK after you retire, then you need to keep in mind the issues you can face with immigration (physical presence, continuous residence). Once a USC, you may choose never to set foot in the US and still be OK.

2 - Every time you move, you need to notify USCIS

3 - Every 10 years, you need to go through the hassle of renewing your GC, fingerprints taken, etc... which every year or so the fees goes up

4 - Why would you want to be at the mercy of USCIS???

5 - just speculating, but it is possible that in the future, they will place more restraints on becoming citizens and you may fall in a category that could cause you to not ever obtain it

6 - opens possibilities to obtain employment with US gov. positions (not very critical)

These are the new things that come to mind...

[NickD 202]

Just got off the subject of divorce, wife had major problems with the USCIS during her ROC stages and wanted to apply for US naturalization at the earliest possible date, that is one way to get a divorce with the USCIS. Stepdaughter, a carefree kind of person, was in no rush, until she had an opportunity to study in the UK. There it was to her benefit to gain naturalization to get that valuable US passport. With Venezuela, not easy to get a passport renewed when they give you a hard time because you are living here. Also want a couple of extra bucks under the table. Then she would have had to apply for a visa to go to the UK.

Its difficult to plan for the long term, wife indubitably wants to stay here, stepdaughter bounces back and forth of this subject, up to here. You can always renounce your naturalization.

One thing you can't change, ever, is the country you were born in, something you never had a say in, and will always be a citizen of that country. Least the vast majority of countries. What I find weird is that my wife's home country gave her a hard time in renewing her passport, but after she became a US citizen, demanded she get that passport to visit her mom. No money under the table this time.

I am third generation Italian, for the fun of it contacted the Italian consulate, they still want me back. Is this because I have assets? We find we have very little say in our own lives, damned governments all over the place enforcing all kinds of restrictions. Happened to watch a bit of Full Metal Jacket last night, brought back some bad memories of how we were forced to fight for the freedom of another country without any say in the matter. Still wonder how legal my oath was, if I didn't say it, would have been tossed in jail. Gather you can't even run to Canada today. No telling what is going to happen next, just do what is best for yourself, today.

For today, we are free of the USCIS. Well not quite, still have an age old petition for my stepson. We still can send money into Venezuela, but can't take any of it out. The car my wife got for him broke down, too bad, at least he still has public transportation, and a newer car down there would cost us a small fortune or even repairs. We don't have any public transportation here, puts our government and oil companies in an excellent position to screw us blind. Transportation to and from work or school is not even a tax deduction.

[vanee 13]

I'll be eligible to apply for US citizenship in 2 months, but I'm not in a hurry. First, I want it to be about more than benefits for me. I like my life here, and I like the people I've gotten to know, but I don't feel American. Shouldn't new citizenship be something you feel proud to identify with? It just isn't me, at least not at this point.

Aside from that, it's possible that in the future, people with dual citizenship will be forced to give up their non-American citizenship to stay in the US. At first I thought that was far-fetched. But it happened before, in the 1940s, and the way some presidential candidates talk concerns me. They're catering to narrow-minded extremists who want to make laws against things that don't fit their narrow world view. There are enough of that type in this country that they could implement scary changes. Like not allowing dual citizenship any more because they're scared of anything/anyone that isn't American and don't have the ability to think through the concept that dual citizenship or lack of it doesn't change people's loyalties.

There are many wonderful people in this country. But those others are enough to keep me from becoming a US citizen.

[mari&Ryan 93]

"I'll be eligible to apply for US citizenship in 2 months, but I'm not in a hurry. First, I want it to be about more than benefits for me. I like my life here, and I like the people I've gotten to know, but I don't feel American. Shouldn't new citizenship be something you feel proud to identify with? It just isn't me, at least not at this point..."

Absolutely, the day that I took the oath the allegiance to become an U.S. citizen, I meant it. Every single word that is on there. I did, I wouldn't ever become a U.S. citizen if I wouldn't have felt the U.S. as my home, the place for living, to work, to support, to raise your kids. I believe that if one doesn't feel the U.S. as your own land, then that one shouldn't apply to become a citizen. Just stay as a lawful permanent resident which is perfectly fine too.

There are bad and good people everywhere as well as ugliness and beauty. I can tell you that I have felt more comfortable and appreciated in the last 4 years for people in the U.S. than for "my own people" for 30 years in my country of birth. So it was a easy decision for me to take.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Mari,

I'd like to compliment you on your post.

I was blessed with being able to keep the two citizenships I was born with, but I wouldn't have hesitated to become an American even if I had not been able to keep any of them alive.

At age 23 I had a daughter (who turned out great), at age 24 I graduated from college, at age 42 I got my second college degree, at age 49 I got married and purchased my first home, at age 52 I purchased my first investment property, and at age 53 I became an American.

Compared to the latter experience, everything else dwarfs. Naturalizing in the country that I love more than any other county in the world (I lived in 7 and visited 32) means everything to me. I always felt like an American, and if we had a horrible world war again and Uncle Sam asked me to fight for this country, even if this means fighting against people from the old world, I will do that as I promised when taking the Oath of Allegiance to this country.

[vanee 13]

Absolutely, the day that I took the oath the allegiance to become an U.S. citizen, I meant it. Every single word that is on there. I did, I wouldn't ever become a U.S. citizen if I wouldn't have felt the U.S. as my home, the place for living, to work, to support, to raise your kids. I believe that if one doesn't feel the U.S. as your own land, then that one shouldn't apply to become a citizen. Just stay as a lawful permanent resident which is perfectly fine too.

This is my home now. It's where I live and work, it's where I'm involved in the community, and it's where my husband is. (We don't have kids together, and at our age, we won't.) The US feels like my home but not my nationality. Does that make sense?

Part of me to wait until I feel the way you do. But it's different when you come from a country and a home where life for you was already very good. And when you're middle-aged when you move to a new country. The way we feel about where we are is shaped in part by what we come from. We shouldn't expect to feel the same way about US citizenship.

There are bad and good people everywhere as well as ugliness and beauty.

True. That was my reasoning until I saw the amount of support that certain Republican leadership candidates have. They want to take away other people's rights, and the fact that enough Americans support this way of thinking to give these guys momentum is scary to me.

I can tell you that I have felt more comfortable and appreciated in the last 4 years for people in the U.S. than for "my own people" for 30 years in my country of birth. So it was a easy decision for me to take.

I can see how that made the decision easy for you.

[mari&Ryan 93]

Mari,

I'd like to compliment you on your post.

I was blessed with being able to keep the two citizenships I was born with, but I wouldn't have hesitated to become an American even if I had not been able to keep any of them alive.

At age 23 I had a daughter (who turned out great), at age 24 I graduated from college, at age 42 I got my second college degree, at age 49 I got married and purchased my first home, at age 52 I purchased my first investment property, and at age 53 I became an American.

Compared to the latter experience, everything else dwarfs. Naturalizing in the country that I love more than any other county in the world (I lived in 7 and visited 32) means everything to me. I always felt like an American, and if we had a horrible world war again and Uncle Sam asked me to fight for this country, even if this means fighting against people from the old world, I will do that as I promised when taking the Oath of Allegiance to this country.

Thank you. I praise you story. You know, I did not write pro/cons list. Neither “IF” nor “BUT”. No hesitation. I just knew it from the bottom of my heart and I could validate it while I was taking the Oath of Allegiance.

[mari&Ryan 93]

This is my home now. It's where I live and work, it's where I'm involved in the community, and it's where my husband is. (We don't have kids together, and at our age, we won't.) The US feels like my home but not my nationality. Does that make sense?

Part of me to wait until I feel the way you do. But it's different when you come from a country and a home where life for you was already very good. And when you're middle-aged when you move to a new country. The way we feel about where we are is shaped in part by what we come from. We shouldn't expect to feel the same way about US citizenship.

True. That was my reasoning until I saw the amount of support that certain Republican leadership candidates have. They want to take away other people's rights, and the fact that enough Americans support this way of thinking to give these guys momentum is scary to me.

I can see how that made the decision easy for you.

vanee,

I truly understand what you are saying and how you feel. I respect that. I also commend your approach to something as significant as becoming a Citizen of this or any other country have to be. Bottom line it's your call and only you will know when to take it if ever. =)

[NickD 202]

Then after you receive your naturalization and take that oath very seriously, may find with our own DOS and the agreement they made with your home country, still have to maintain dual citizenship, although they like to call it dual naturalization. But its dual citizenship, you can't have a passport of any country unless you are a citizen of that country.

Yet another minor obstacle is owning property in your home country, depending on that country, can't own property unless you maintain your citizenship in that country. They will take it away from you. If the economic conditions are poor, can't even sell it. Corporations do this all the time, but you are not a corporation, but and individual, countries love to pick on individuals and leave corporations alone.

Experienced that here working for large corporations, had a whole staff of tax attorneys the IRS would not dare touch, much smarter and a lot more clever than any IRS agent, would stay far far away. But not as an individual, the number one target. If you have a receipt for a $1.69 part used in your business, better be very prepared to defend it before deducting it. Or else you will be in big trouble.

Since we are in a global economy with corporations shifting people all over the place, even have their own staff of immigration attorneys that work at lightning speeds, don't have to tell you how individuals fair out in this situation.

[karin_brenig 18]

in my opinion there are three important benefits to obtaining US citizenship vs. the LPR status:

1. you can travel outside the USA for as long as you wish without losing your status

2. you will not be fingerprinted every time you come back home from a trip abroad

3. you can vote

[Kajikit 65]

Nobody's FORCING you to become a citizen. Some people don't because they'd have to give up their original citizenship and they want to keep it (but their country of origin doesn't allow dual citizenships). Some people have trouble coming up with the cash or they're worried about the exam or whatever. You can keep a green card forever if you want, you just have to keep on remembering to renew it every ten years. Personally, citizenship means never having to worry about the USCIS ever again, and being able to get an American passport.