To naturalize or not to naturalize.

[keysjangle 145]

I will be eligible to naturalize beginning June 2015.

I've been thinking about it a lot.

To those of you in my shoes, what's on your mind?

To those of you who have naturalized, how did you come to your decision?

To those of you who have decided not to naturalize, what was/is your rationale?

Not looking for an answer to my own journey, just curious about where all the other Canadians stand.

No holds barred - political, religious, etc - speak your mind!

Edited August 23, 2014 by Gervl

[Trav&Shell 83]

Ooooh, interesting topic! We would have been doing naturalization had we been staying here. No particular reason, it would have just been easier. However, we're in the process of actually moving back to Canada. So many reasons behind that (economy, health, jobs....you name it).

What do YOU figure you will choose? Naturalization or no?

[kc247 22]

I am thinking that I won't, partly because we don't plan on living here forever. My husband will be done school in a year and a half, we will either plan to move to Canada then, or if he gets a job where he would like, they have a couple locations in Canada, so he would work here for a year or so and then put his name in to transfer to one of those locations. So either way we hope to return to Canada shortly after his graduation. Though I am not opposed to living on the east coast of the US, closer to my family than I am now...if that were to happen I might choose to naturalize mainly because it would be easier to cross the border

If it wasn't for the fact that the oath mentions renouncing any foreign citizenship...I would be more for it. I know it is just words & you are not actually renouncing it, but it still bothers me and I don't take it lightly. I am a proud Canadian and in no way want to take any other citizenship before my Canadian citizenship. I know they don't make you renounce it & it is just words..but that is just how I feel. Maybe I will be okay with it in the future.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Not Canadian, but noticed your post.

For my British husband, he gets to be both now...British and American. As British he could travel or move freely around the European Union. He could move back to the UK for a bit, then freely return to the US without abandoning his greencard or having to do immigration paperwork all over again to move back to the US.

We can use the short line at immigration entering the UK and US.

He can apply for any job he wants and skip all the greencard stuff.

But best in my opinion is never thinking about USCIS again. No reporting change of address. No card to keep up with. No renewal to do in ten years...twenty years...etc. Done.Yay!

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

I naturalized after 23 years of being here. Just was stupid not to do it sooner. Didn't care one way or another and busy raising a family, things were so much

easier with immigration back then too. I feel more secure with being naturalized, you never know what hassles they will dream up next

with green cards and I can vote as a USC, which is important to me. I live here so I might as well have a tiny part in shaping my world.

[canuckbos 10]

I will not be naturalizing simply because if my spouse were to pass away I would most likely return to Canada. If I naturalize, I will by law have to file a US tax return until the day I die. There are no advantages except to vote which is an important one but the tax return requirement is something that would never go away. I am 61 so not raising a family here etc. My husband is 68 and in great health so I'm hoping for a long life together, but there's no guarantees.

[semi-immigrant 1]

No holds barred - political, religious, etc - speak your mind!

Someone I know told me you could have pensions from both countries if you have two citizenships.

Don't know details since it is a bit premature for me.

[VeeNDee 44]

I will not be naturalizing simply because if my spouse were to pass away I would most likely return to Canada. If I naturalize, I will by law have to file a US tax return until the day I die. There are no advantages except to vote which is an important one but the tax return requirement is something that would never go away. I am 61 so not raising a family here etc. My husband is 68 and in great health so I'm hoping for a long life together, but there's no guarantees.

Not to be morbid but I thought I read somewhere on a 'benefits of US citizenship' page that if a USC spouse passes away and the surviving spouse is not a US citizen, then they have to pay extra estate taxes beyond what a citizen would have to pay? Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

Edited August 24, 2014 by VeeNDee

[keysjangle 145]

I had totally forgotten about having to file income taxes each year here, even if you didn't earn an income.

So if I naturalized, and for whatever reason moved back to Canada and re-established residence - would I have to file income taxes each year? Even if I wasn't living in the US anymore? Or would giving up residency to move back to Canada null all of that?

A big plus for me to naturalize is that my Canadian citizenship is retained. It would be easier to travel while carrying two passports, assuming that's still allowed. Entering Canada with my Canadian one, then returning with my American.

The other plus for me is not having to deal with USCIS anymore. I would have access to federal/government jobs is nice too.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Not to be morbid but I thought I read somewhere on a 'benefits of US citizenship' page that if a USC spouse passes away and the surviving spouse is not a US citizen, then they have to pay extra estate taxes beyond what a citizen would have to pay? Someone correct me if I'm wrong?

It is the person who dies, the decendent's noncitizenship or non-residency that determines the tax form to file. And the estate, after all allowed deductions, has to exceed $5,250,000.00 before estate tax even comes into play.

I had totally forgotten about having to file income taxes each year here, even if you didn't earn an income.

If you earned no income or if it was under the filing threshhold, then you don't have to file....same as if you lived in the US.

So if I naturalized, and for whatever reason moved back to Canada and re-established residence - would I have to file income taxes each year? Even if I wasn't living in the US anymore? Or would giving up residency to move back to Canada null all of that?[

If you earned enough income worldwide that required you to file, then yes you would file a return if you were a USC. That doesn't mean you would owe US income tax. There is the foreign income exclusion that could exclude your Canadian income or the foreign tax credit for taxes paid to Canada on the money. You would not pay tax to both countries on the same income. Your tax bill could easily be zero but the return is filed for informational purposes if you earn anywhere in the world.

Revoke your US citizenship if you don't want to file a few pieces of paper each year.

[VeeNDee 44]

It is the person who dies, the decendent's noncitizenship or non-residency that determines the tax form to file. And the estate, after all allowed deductions, has to exceed $5,250,000.00 before estate tax even comes into play.

$5,250,000.00 ?!?!?!? Well then nevermind haha. Good info to know though, thanks!

[chiggins82 88]

Plan A for me is to get citizenship. I have not looked into everything, but my fiance and I want to be able to do what we want whether that is living in Canada or the US and it seemed easiest if we went for citizenship. He wants to be a Canadian citizen as well, so we plan to do that after I get my US.

I have not looked into this part very much though. I don't know what the pros and cons are totally... we just figured it would be easier and if we are going to all this trouble to get visas and green cards, why not go the whole way.

I would not consider this if I had to give up Canadian citizenship and I think that is the same for my fiance.

Interested to hear others opinions on pros and cons though!

[NikLR 13,232]

My husband, the USC, is under the impression you cannot get Canadian citizenship without giving up your USC.

I'm with Kc247... I have a weird issue with saying an oath that I won't mean. Maybe by the time it gets to that point, I'll be happy to.

[Sweetmelissa 82]

If I naturalize, I will by law have to file a US tax return until the day I die. There are no advantages except to vote which is an important one but the tax return requirement is something that would never go away.

This!

At first I was all for it "because I can so why not" type of mentality. After talking to my sister about it (her and her hubby are chartered accountants in the Cayman Islands) my mind has started to sway. She said to think VERY carefully about it because of the whole tax issue, as the Americans on the island have to keep filing taxes there indefinitely, where they don't have to as Canadians. I don't actually know much about the legalities of it, but its definitely something that I will be putting more thought into when the time comes.

[NikLR 13,232]

Just as a note, if I do naturalized it will be at 5-10 years not 3. I do not want to send more relationship evidence to the USCIS. I'm already not looking forward to ROC.