Benefits of Becoming a USC

[Lili 3]

Very interesting points were made.

Personally, I feel like I am sitting in between two chairs: French and American. I have been living here for almost eight years, so you tend to not know who you are as a "person" anymore. It becomes a very blurry line. You are Americanized but yet still French. In fact, you remain solely a LPR with no right to vote and thus raise your voice. I feel that by becoming American, I won't be in between but both. It is hard to describe really...

Another reason is that hubby and I are moving back to France in 2012 and would hate to start the process all over again if we decide to move back here. This process is tedious and scrutinious. Your life is an open book. I understand why but I'd like to not have to keep financial proofs that my hubby and I are in love. This is us and it will be nice to not have to worry about USCIS after.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I think the tax thing worried me as if I do go back to the elephant's grave yard to die, I imagined trying to do turbo tax at 93 years old. I have my head round it now and if I did go back permanently, I would renounce USC

If you renounce your US citizenship due to tax considerations, you will be declared a persona non grata and never be able to see your family here again. There's two things Uncle Sam expects from you: paying taxes and dying. You can't escape the latter, but if you even try to escape the first, you don't shoot yourself in the foot, but the head.

On a more casual note, spending 15 minutes per year to fill out a tax form is IMHO not a huge burden. Filing an income tax return is not synonymous with paying taxes. If you tell the US tax people that you live from hunting deer and illegal immigrants, and eat their meat as well as snails and worms, don't expect for a minute they will check up on you. More importantly, there's a deal between the US and the UK that would prevent double taxation up to . . . I believe . . .$80,000. If you make more than $80K per year at age 93, I think you can afford the assistance of a tax professional who will make sure your money is invested wisely and away from the tax man.

[Captain Oates 911]

If you renounce your US citizenship due to tax considerations, you will be declared a persona non grata and never be able to see your family here again. There's two things Uncle Sam expects from you: paying taxes and dying. You can't escape the latter, but if you even try to escape the first, you don't shoot yourself in the foot, but the head.

On a more casual note, spending 15 minutes per year to fill out a tax form is IMHO not a huge burden. Filing an income tax return is not synonymous with paying taxes. If you tell the US tax people that you live from hunting deer and illegal immigrants, and eat their meat as well as snails and worms, don't expect for a minute they will check up on you. More importantly, there's a deal between the US and the UK that would prevent double taxation up to . . . I believe . . .$80,000. If you make more than $80K per year at age 93, I think you can afford the assistance of a tax professional who will make sure your money is invested wisely and away from the tax man.

Yes thats all correct, but you have to leave for tax reasons and have millions.

So I would guess that leaving because you miss home AND having less than 2 mill in the bank does not get you in the category of persons that the IRS can pursue for 10 years. That legislation is aimed at the super rich who go to live in Grand Cayman and renounce their US citizenship for only one reason - to avoid tax. Actually it applies to LPR's too after 8 years but very few will fall in the net worth or motive category.

As far as persona non grata is concerned, I believe I could still visit on visa waiver and the only thing I could not do is own a gun as a visitor - they ask you on the firearms form if you have ever renounced citizenship - non of us would want to do that as vistors anyway.

Apart from that, I don't think that US law has any vindictive actions lined up for ordinary people who just want to go home and have just their original nationality. They just say goodbye and bon voyage.

[-B&T- 1]

The benefit for me is I won't have to deal with USCIS anymore!

As a US passport holder you can travel to most countries visa-free, and in the coming months and years, USCIS fees will most likely to go up so I would rather finish this immigration journey ASAP.

I can go visit my Birth country as well and not worry if I cannot return to US after 6 months. As LPR's you are limited can't be out of the country for that long period of time, you cannot get Federal jobs and you cannot vote.

[bly 0]

I'll throw my $.02.

LPRs can be deported for certain crimes including theft, minor drug offenses, crimes of moral turpitude, etc. Citizens cant, unless the crime happened before you were a citizen or your citizenship was based on fraud.

I know most people feel they are 100% law abiding so this isn't an issue, but you don't have to do something wrong to be accused of a crime. Furthermore, even if you are innocent your status as an LPR can be used against you. I know a LPR who was falsely accused of committing a theft crime, and the prosecutor threw potential deportation on top of the criminal penalties to force the LPR into a plea she would not have taken if she was a citizen. She probably would have won at trial but being deported was too big a chance to take, so she plead guilty to a reduced charge that she can't be deported for, but she had to plead guilty and that's on her record for life.

Approx 200,000 LPRs have been deported in the last 10 years.

Mistakes happen, I think most police and prosecutors treat immigrants and LPRs different than citizens. Just my $.02

[Captain Oates 911]

I'll throw my $.02.

LPRs can be deported for certain crimes including theft, minor drug offenses, crimes of moral turpitude, etc. Citizens cant, unless the crime happened before you were a citizen or your citizenship was based on fraud.

I know most people feel they are 100% law abiding so this isn't an issue, but you don't have to do something wrong to be accused of a crime. Furthermore, even if you are innocent your status as an LPR can be used against you. I know a LPR who was falsely accused of committing a theft crime, and the prosecutor threw potential deportation on top of the criminal penalties to force the LPR into a plea she would not have taken if she was a citizen. She probably would have won at trial but being deported was too big a chance to take, so she plead guilty to a reduced charge that she can't be deported for, but she had to plead guilty and that's on her record for life.

Approx 200,000 LPRs have been deported in the last 10 years.

Mistakes happen, I think most police and prosecutors treat immigrants and LPRs different than citizens. Just my $.02

Interesting

I was once talked into pleading guilty for running a red light.

I didn't. I stopped at the light behind another car - I put my handbrake on and put the gears into neutral.

When the light changed, I moved forward and a high powered sports car came speeding from my right - he clipped the front of my car- he took off 30 feet up and spun backwards - I could see the underside of his car as he flew backwards and he destroyed 5 shops and his car when he landed

My total damage was one cracked headlight glass !

His passenger (he and his 8 month pregnant wife) said he came through on green. They both said they were travelling at 28mph

My lawyer said if I didn't plead guilty I would be banned from driving, and if I pleaded guilty I would get £150 fine. I have always regretted pleading guilty - the law is disgraceful sometimes and this plea bargaining system is unfair.

I will check the 200,000 LPR figure - that's interesting

Edited April 29, 2010 by saywhat

[Captain Oates 911]

Sorry to hog the thread but it's a subject that's occupied much of my thoughts for a while.

99% of us can't imagine being done for a crime that would get us deported - I have never done drugs etc etc - but:

Pretty mild circumstances could result in say a $1,000 fine and 6 months probation for an offense that in theory could have a 12 month jail sentence or be seen as a crime involving moral turpitude.

That will get us deported.

Example: when I was 21, I had a wife who flew at me and tried to punch me - I put my forearm up to protect my face and her fist hit my forearm. She really hurt her hand on my forearm and ran around screaming 'look what you have done to my hand'. I have never struck a woman but I have been struck by them three times - once I got a bust nose for 'leaving my house without permission when I wanted to talk to you'. That same woman put her previous boyfriend in hospital for 3 months when she double footed drop kicked him in the back of the neck for talking to a younger woman in public. I didn't report her and he didn't report her - we guys don't - but if it had been the other way round or if she had decided to spin it and report it ?

Many men have gotten themselves into domestic violence situations with circumstances not much different to that - the man will NEVER be believed in a domestic violence case - and it's a sure fire deportation offense.

At least 50% of the couples I have met from all strata of society have had an incident like that in the course of decades of marriage

That's just one example where something can happen in an instant without you being a drunken violent drug using bum - and your whole life can be changed and you will be horrified at the consequences

Conclusion - Get USC - don't stay on GC

[person 0]

Wow, what a discussion that has started! This is great, thank you for the insight! Now yet another interesting question, is there anyone out there who will be or has moved to the country where their spouse is from? We would like to go live in Russia and in my understanding USC can't accept the citizenship of another country without renouncing the blue passport. Any thoughts?

[Captain Oates 911]

Wow, what a discussion that has started! This is great, thank you for the insight! Now yet another interesting question, is there anyone out there who will be or has moved to the country where their spouse is from? We would like to go live in Russia and in my understanding USC can't accept the citizenship of another country without renouncing the blue passport. Any thoughts?

David Soul (starsky and hutch if you can remember them) has gotten British citizenship - it doesnt affect his US Citizenship which he cherishes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Soul

Edited April 30, 2010 by saywhat

[NickD 202]

Ever notice a slight bit of arrogance in the USCIS personnel like the USA is something special and they are doing you a big favor by letting you come here? Certainly concerned if the sponsoring USC has the cash to support those and the lack of any private or public aid with that I-864.

Was a bit of concern that my wife could have been hit by a hit and run driver giving her a pre-condition that would kick her off our health insurance plan. With our current health insurance policies, they do that and those medical bills add up very quickly, even for a two minute visit costing over 500 bucks. With USC, that I-864 becomes history, yet another advantage of becoming a USC.

And while your FICA taxes are the same as a LPR or a USC, your benefits are at least better as a USC. Neither is worth a ####### for what you have to pay, but at least better as a USC. Just a small detail.

Besides the arrogance of the USCIS, also a bit of distrust, this distrust is mostly directed at the immigrant that made me wonder why I couldn't take part in my wife's interview, at least the proof with were married bit. If fraud is detected, the USC faces a $250,000.00 fine and five years in prison, immigrant simply gets deported. Exactly who is being protected by this law? Certainly not the USC if the immigrant is lying in the relationship. This board is loaded with such tragic stories of this nature, once LPR is maintained, USC still gets hit with the I-864 after his beloved departs him, using him to get here to marry someone else.

When I first read the I-751 form, this is really a bad joke for the reasons given where the immigrant has all kinds of options to stay here besides staying married to the person that went through the expense of bringing that person here. In our case, was a severe threat to our marriage in that we wanted to stay together. But if it is the purpose of the I-751 to prevent fraud, its pure 100% BS. That aggravation with the I-751 led us to apply for USC for my wife at the earliest possible date. USC is means to severe your relationship with the USCIS.

The USCIS leaves out the word family, in contacting them, my wife and my daughter is MY family, but I have no say in the immigration process, this again is BS, they want to speak to the immigrant directly. Since I sponsored them, brought them over, married my wife, would think I should at least have a say. More reason to get the USCIS out of my life, and frankly, never hae encountered such a bunch of incompetent people in my life? Could any of these people work for private industry where you have to produce to maintain your position? I sincerely doubt that. Lets see why your on-line status is, any idiot can do that, even me. And it was because of the screwed up on-line status was the reason for my call.

But after nearly five years of this BS, it was great to get this over with, kind of humiliating for a man that was told he has to die for the freedom of his country to encounter kids telling him what he can and cannot do. Felt I was fighting the wrong country for our freedom.

Wonder if I should take the USCIS to court, heard this with my own ears, wife is a USC just like she was born here. No problem with her wanting to run for president, but still has to maintain that damned foreign passport to see her mom. She is not a USC like she was born here, USCIS lied!!!

[Captain Oates 911]

I am really glad we have Visa journey - it helps us think through all these decisions and brings ideas out that we hadn't really considered.

For months I was really edgy about doing naturalization because of the 'tax returns forever' when I am in my 80's and 90's should I end up back in England on my own (I am in my 60's now) - but now I feel educated about the pros and cons and I am settled in my mind that I am going to do it.

After all, a nice long weekend in London with a 2 hour stop off at the U.S. Embassy will get rid of the problem should it become one.

I will have the run of every country in Europe and the whole of the US including Hawaii. If I get sick and the insurance says 'hah gotcha - go die in the gutter' like they do, I can go back to England for a year and get fixed (tell em I have resumed my residency), then come back to the US after.

Thats a lot of back up insurance and the run of two continents in return for the one off $675 naturalization fee.

ok now I have to learn the questions - 'What kind of wood was George Washington's false teeth made from ?'

Edited May 1, 2010 by saywhat

[fkdacis 0]

My main reason to become a USC is to get rid of this CIS ####### in my life. They are pain in the a$$ and I need to wipe them off my butt!!

The CIS is worse than the Communist, shame on them thinking how "democracy" they are.

The only thing I love about this country is American woman, I come to this country to marry a white blonde and have many many babies

Other than that, this country is a fullload of #######. No democracy, no human right.

I can sense that the inteviewer understood that I wanted to get rid of them in my life but you know what? I hired a lawyer each time when I see those rats!! Haha, they are so polite when they see my lawyers. I had an attitude for them, you know what? They still have to put up with me!

If you dont have a lawyer with you, you are subject to mental torture. thats how these dirty rats play games.

Now the game is over, I am a USC now and f@#k it all.

[Captain Oates 911]

My main reason to become a USC is to get rid of this CIS ####### in my life. They are pain in the a$$ and I need to wipe them off my butt!!

The CIS is worse than the Communist, shame on them thinking how "democracy" they are.

The only thing I love about this country is American woman, I come to this country to marry a white blonde and have many many babies

Other than that, this country is a fullload of #######. No democracy, no human right.

I can sense that the inteviewer understood that I wanted to get rid of them in my life but you know what? I hired a lawyer each time when I see those rats!! Haha, they are so polite when they see my lawyers. I had an attitude for them, you know what? They still have to put up with me!

If you dont have a lawyer with you, you are subject to mental torture. thats how these dirty rats play games.

Now the game is over, I am a USC now and f@#k it all.

You should have tried Sweden - lots of white blondes there..and free insurance ..they don't want babies though

Getting rid of the USCIS is a very valid reason. I was truly traumatised by the green card process and I didn't feel well for at least 18 months after it. Having our whole life and future hanging by their whim is most uncomfortable. As far as lawyers are concerned, I only made progress when I ditched the lawyer (I told him what to do but he did it his way and we got an RFE) and so we did it by using the fantastic advice I got on visa journey. I did all the short cuts - frigging the bar codes etc and it all worked out. We sat in the rain in Darwen, Lancashire (Really - the pits of the world) for a year and fought the battle day by day and form by form with many awful setbacks including FedEx losing stuff and the USCIS claiming my wife was not domiciled in the USA therefore must apply in London - and London saying she wasn't domiciled in England so must apply to Nebraska - and it going London - Nebraska - California - Nebraska - London - twice ! ....right up to the fiasco in the London Embassy when they claimed I was an intruder with no appointment who should not have got past the guards .

Yes, getting rid of the USCIS has to be the NUMBER ONE reason.