Just curious- spouse not wanting to be a citizen

[mamaSue 38]

I don't see the point... My British passport is all I need

Unless in the future you want to stay out of the US for more that a couple of years, or vote! As a Brit, you can have dual nationality without a problem,

[afoyoswa 178]

We're planning for Aaron to go all the way to citizenship, mostly to be able to live outside the U.S. for as long as we want without having to worry about maintaining LPR status. In addition, I feel that it's important for us to be able to travel freely together, and if we have children, for him to be able to travel to the same places that they can. From what I have been able to tell, Uganda now permits its citizens to retain their Ugandan citizenship while acquiring another citizenship--I could even easily (and cheaply! ~$50!) become a UG citizen myself as the wife of a citizen (which is advantageous mostly for being able to run a business without keeping massive amounts of money on deposit in a UG bank, and to get out of paying $50 every time I cross an East African border). Our general plan is to spend some time in East Africa after we are done with immigration here, although that is of course subject to change depending on how well he likes the U.S.!

I can see how if you are planning to live in the U.S. permanently, and you already have a passport that lets you travel easily, naturalization might not be all that appealing. My boss is English, has been living in the U.S. for 20+ years, and doesn't plan to ever become a U.S. citizen (despite having a wife and children who are USCs). Whatever works.

Edited September 14, 2012 by afoyoswa

[Brad and Vika 129]

I can see how if you are planning to live in the U.S. permanently, and you already have a passport that lets you travel easily, naturalization might not be all that appealing. My boss is English, has been living in the U.S. for 20+ years, and doesn't plan to ever become a U.S. citizen (despite having a wife and children who are USCs). Whatever works.

I think this is exactly right. The decision to take US citizenship seems to be influenced not only by personal preference and circumstances, but by the utility of having a US passport. We balance property and tax issues in Ukraine against ease of travel and so forth. If my wife already had a UK or Canadian passport there migh be no need at all, since property rights, tax status, and the like have been worked out ages ago. Also, those passports (UK, Canada, and US) get you into most of the same places without hassle. So no great benefit perhaps to acquire a US passport. Many Ukrainians get US citizenship, and forget to tell Ukraine, so they keep their passports for Ukraine business (they have external and internal passports).

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Until I fell in love with an American I never even considered or desired the possibility of living in the US, let alone having US citizenship. That all changed when I married an American. Since Canada does allow dual citizenship I hold citizenship in both Canada and the US, and am happy to honour my responsibilities to both countries. My decision to become a US citizen was as much pragmatic as anything else - freedom to reside in either country without worries or hassles, more secure tax implications in our retirement and Estate planning (we are older adults), and no longer having to deal with USCIS and the fear that unforseen political changes could erase the relative freedom that comes even as a permanent resident. That being said, if Canada did not allow her citizens to hold citizenship in other countries and taking another citizenship would cancel out my Canadian citizenship, I would not have become an American. It is the 'as well', that makes it a viable option for me.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Kathryn41

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

My husband is British and he likes it that way.

I'm not sure we will even bother with US citizenship when we move back there.

[N M 96]

This country was built on the inequity of taxation without representation - yet they expect all LPR's to merrily pay their taxes without having a voice!

That for me is the core reason for applying for citizenship. If I'm paying in, I want a say. My boss is an elected politician - my neighbors get to choose who it will be, but as an LPR I have absolutely no say - and he's MY boss!

As a public servant, it's also practical from a career perspective (State, County and City jobs are open to me, but Federal posts are reserved for citizens), and like others have said I want the freedom of being able to move around. It's unlikely we'll ever be able to afford a vacation/ retirement home in Europe, but if we do it will be nice to have the option of using it for extended periods without worrying about whether I'm maintaining residency in the U.S.