Indians Will you take US citizenship?

[trinket 30]

With the other thread going on about bringing foreign spouse to India I am wondering will you Indians will go for US citizenship when the time comes?

India doesn't allow dual citizenship, so if you do take US citizenship you will have to give up your Indian citizenship status. You can always get PIO or OCI but at the end of the day its not the same as being an Indian citizen.

I have 1 year left before I can apply for US citizenship, personally I don't want to get US citizenship, I do have 10 year GC so I can wait a bit longer and hope India changes its rules about dual citizenship. My USC husband though wants me to get US citizenship, I do see his points and do realize in practicality that would be the better thing to do, but then my civic pride and all the emotional being doesn't want me to even think about giving up my motherland.

Decisions decisions to make.

[Amit-N-Melody 11]

Wow, this is a very interesting subject even in my own family. My Husband does NOT want to give up his Indian Citizenship and actually by the time that he would have to choose I believe we will be in India anyways and he wouldnt have to.

[^_^ 5,021]

My wife naturalized.

[Vijay 0]

I am an Indian citizen with 10 yr GC and have applied for Naturalization. I thought long and hard about it and based my decision on two things.

1. The fact that US citizens could go to mostly any country without the hassle of applying for a visa first.

2. I wanted to apply for defense jobs as there are ton of awesome research/development going on here in Baltimore/DC with respect to Lockheed Martin/Boeing/Northrup Grumman and others and you need a security clearance for which you need to be a US citizen.

These were my reasons and I was planning on applying for OCI once I become a US citizen. I would be interested in hearing others opinion on becoming a US citizen or staying as a Indian citizen with a GC.

[DoneWaiting 15]

I completly understand how you feel. Put your pride [i think is appropiate word] on the side and become USC... nobody will take away who you are [indian], is just technicality and the fact is, you live here now... Just a thought

[sachinky 465]

I would only naturalize if and when India allows dual nationality. I will NOT surrender my Indian passport. It is an irrational sentiment, but that's how I feel. I remember when I was ten years old and I received my first passport and read the first page. "These are to request and require in the name of the President of the Republic of India all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford him or her, every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need. -- By the order of the President of the Republic of India."

I still remember how how proud I felt at holding that booklet and how deeply I was touched that the President would show such profound concern for an ordinary citizen like me. Of course, I was a lot more naive back then.

I love the US, I have now been here for five years and I enjoy the time I spend with my husband. I know plenty of Americans I am proud to call friends. I'm grateful for the thirty-two flavors of ice-cream and buffalo wings with blue cheese that is available in the supermarket aisles. It is a beautiful country and I am happy to call it my home. But I doubt I'd ever feel American. Not now, not if I lived here for another twenty years.

Though the thought of naturalizing is tempting just to be done with USCIS. Of course, it would be a lot more convenient in terms of travelling but I cannot, in good conscience, swear an oath I don't truly believe in. To me, my flag and soil are sacred and I refuse to give that up.

There, that's my $0.02 on the subject.

Edited July 7, 2010 by sachinky

[Amit-N-Melody 11]

I would only naturalize if and when India allows dual nationality. I will NOT surrender my Indian passport. It is an irrational sentiment, but that's how I feel. I remember when I was ten years old and I received my first passport and read the first page. "These are to request and require in the name of the President of the Republic of India all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford him or her, every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need. -- By the order of the President of the Republic of India."

I still remember how how proud I felt at holding that booklet and how deeply I was touched that the President would show such profound concern for an ordinary citizen like me. Of course, I was a lot more naive back then.

I love the US, I have now been here for five years and I enjoy the time I spend with my husband. I know plenty of Americans I am proud to call friends. I'm grateful for the thirty-two flavors of ice-cream and buffalo wings with blue cheese that is available in the supermarket aisles. It is a beautiful country and I am happy to call it my home. But I doubt I'd ever feel American. Not now, not if I lived here for another twenty years.

Though the thought of naturalizing is tempting just to be done with USCIS. Of course, it would be a lot more convenient in terms of travelling but I cannot, in good conscience, swear an oath I don't truly believe in. To me, my flag and soil are sacred and I refuse to give that up.

There, that's my $0.02 on the subject.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Well, looking at all the mess we're now in here in the Land of the Brave and Free, I sometimes think what it would be like if the colonists had not declared their independence way back when. We all would be still under the protection of the Crown: Americans, British and Indians united, free to travel pretty much anywhere. Back then Independence from the British Monarch sounded like a good idea and in fact it certainly was for some time, the blood shed notwithstanding, but today I wouldn't mind the USA being part of the Commonwealth.

[^_^ 5,021]

Well, looking at all the mess we're now in here in the Land of the Brave and Free, I sometimes think what it would be like if the colonists had not declared their independence way back when. We all would be still under the protection of the Crown: Americans, British and Indians united, free to travel pretty much anywhere. Back then Independence from the British Monarch sounded like a good idea and in fact it certainly was for some time, the blood shed notwithstanding, but today I wouldn't mind the USA being part of the Commonwealth.

lol

[fabulous02 1]

I would only naturalize if and when India allows dual nationality. I will NOT surrender my Indian passport. It is an irrational sentiment, but that's how I feel. I remember when I was ten years old and I received my first passport and read the first page. "These are to request and require in the name of the President of the Republic of India all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford him or her, every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need. -- By the order of the President of the Republic of India."

I still remember how how proud I felt at holding that booklet and how deeply I was touched that the President would show such profound concern for an ordinary citizen like me. Of course, I was a lot more naive back then.

I love the US, I have now been here for five years and I enjoy the time I spend with my husband. I know plenty of Americans I am proud to call friends. I'm grateful for the thirty-two flavors of ice-cream and buffalo wings with blue cheese that is available in the supermarket aisles. It is a beautiful country and I am happy to call it my home. But I doubt I'd ever feel American. Not now, not if I lived here for another twenty years.

Though the thought of naturalizing is tempting just to be done with USCIS. Of course, it would be a lot more convenient in terms of travelling but I cannot, in good conscience, swear an oath I don't truly believe in. To me, my flag and soil are sacred and I refuse to give that up.

There, that's my $0.02 on the subject.

Even though I respect the sentiment and it kind of echoes my own, I'm not sure how it works if you don't apply for naturalization. Do you keep on just renewing your 10 year visa indefinitely? Wouldn't the US govt. have an issue with it?

[sachinky 465]

Yes, that's exactly how it works. You keep renewing your 10 year GC indefinitely. I know plenty of Indians who do that. Why on earth should the US government have a problem with it?

[ELW 5]

I have Indian friends, known them since I was a kid and their son was small (their son is a few years younger than me). The wife has citizenship and the husband chose to keep renewing his green card. They went and lived in India for like ten years, then wanted to come back to USA for a year or two, but his green card had expired and he had to go through the whole nearly one year visa process again, just to return to USA!

My husband will apply soon for Citizenship. He loves India (both of us do!) and he feels he will always be Indian, no matter what passport or paperwork he holds. He also has great respect for America. It is a simple case of convenience and practicality to get the USA Citizenship, which holds so many benefits like the American government taking care of its citizens financially and health-wise, being able get visas and travel to other countries easily, not to mention we can always travel back and forth between India and USA if he gets an OCI card and me, a PIO card. We want to settle in India and not only want the convenience of US Citizenship, but also don't want the hassle of green card renewal every few years.

Edited July 8, 2010 by ELW

[hobokenworkingman 4]

I'm a naturalized USC, but will always be Indian. regardless of what my passport says. I'm also an OCI (which I had to go thru tremendous pain and effort to get due to the ridiculous procedures of the Indian gov't in treating its ex-citizens; no matter what we're all Indian!). I love the freedom that I have with the US passport - go anywhere w/o a hassle. heck I could go back and live in India for the rest of my life now and not have it be an issue. so definitely some major, major perks w/ being a USC.

at the end of the day though, as it was remarked above, I will also never feel American, as I will always be Indian. But nothing wrong with that either!

[DanielParul 50]

Daniel and I have discussed it at length too. I did not want to naturalise and am still sad thinking about it (I have a year before doing it though). The truth is that its my heart that says NO and mind says YES, more practical to do it. I am going to naturalise for the simple reason that my husband and our son are USCs and it just feels a lot safer to have the same legal status. I still think about it and have doubts if I can do it but in the end no matter what country's citizen I become, I am 100% Indian at heart and will always be.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I am 100% Indian at heart and will always be.

I hear you and I perfectly understand where you are coming from. But let me ask you this: can you really in good conscience then take the Oath of Allegiance then? What if, the gods forbid, the USA enters a war with Hindustan? Wouldn't you have a huge problem with your husband throwing bombs down there on your former home, you ex friends and family?

(I know that this is a bit of an aggressive question, but I also think you'll understand why I'm asking it.)