Problems with the Oath

[cca 13]

Hi

I am applying for Citizenship and am starting to fill out the N400 form. At the end I noticed that it asked me to Denounce any allegiance with any Sovereignty etc which I have had Citizenship (so in my case the UK)

I am taking this very seriously. The UK has dual-nationality but my question is, if there is a situation where somebody has legally under oath denounced their citizenship will the UK cut ties with me? I understand that once I get my citizenship, the USA will just see me as American but I still want to keep my British Citizenship. Has anybody who is British taken this oath and been fine?

Thank you!

[aimar10 7]

huh. As long as the UK allows dual citizenship (I believe it does), it should be fine.

[cca 13]

On the UK passport renewel, one of its declarations says "I have not given up my Nationality" and then in the USA Oath it asks you to do just that. I do not want to take an oath if its means that I will give up my UK Citizenship. Yes, the UK does have dual but is this only if you havent renounced its nationality....right?

[Villanelle 4,122]

Its nice that you are taking this very seriously.

I am a USC and can only give you advice about the US gov POV. You can contact the UK gov for their POV if youd like though...

Generally dual citizenship is legal. So why do you have to take an oath and state you are giving up your prior citizenship? Its part of a Supreme Court Ruling. They said its OK for Congress to require newbies to renounce their old countries.

However the US no longer actively pursues anyone with 2 passports. So if you were to go ahead and renew your UK one after getting a US one- shrug. The US does not care one bit. Theoretically they could take action, but they dont and wont unless you really piss them off and get on the top ten most wanted list you know what Im saying?

Secondly- Most other countries DONT recognize when you take that oath with the US either. So to them you didnt really renounce them by standing in the USCIS office with your right hand up. How do they want you to renounce them?:> I dont know. Email them and ask... or maybe dont- if you want to keep your passport- lol.

I think in Canada you have to go to a special office and sign a form in front of an official to stop being Canadian. Other countries want to make sure you met the draft requirements before they let you go. Its complicated. But I dont think you are asking because you want to stop being both.

[aimar10 7]

I can see why you're cautious. But I don't think you need to "worry" about it that much. I mean, unlike I (Nepali national that automatically assumes that I've given up on Nepali citizenship after acquiring US citizenship), your current status (British Citizenship) allows you to have dual citizenship. You should be fine being a citizen of both the UK and the US. Besides, its not like the two countries are arch rivals or anything. Both countries act like two brothers/sisters.

[cca 13]

Thank you so much for your answers. Very helpful

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

There are many duel UK/US citizens here. I can't recall any of them ever having an issue with their UK citizenship after taking the US Oath.

[Boiler 45,516]

I know someone with 5 including US and UK.

If you want to be picky and read the wording very closely it is not an issue. You may be reading more into it than it says.

Otherwise just ignore it as everybody else does.

[Dualie 185]

Its nice that you are taking this very seriously.

I am a USC and can only give you advice about the US gov POV. You can contact the UK gov for their POV if youd like though...

Generally dual citizenship is legal. So why do you have to take an oath and state you are giving up your prior citizenship? Its part of a Supreme Court Ruling. They said its OK for Congress to require newbies to renounce their old countries.

However the US no longer actively pursues anyone with 2 passports. So if you were to go ahead and renew your UK one after getting a US one- shrug. The US does not care one bit. Theoretically they could take action, but they dont and wont unless you really piss them off and get on the top ten most wanted list you know what Im saying?

Secondly- Most other countries DONT recognize when you take that oath with the US either. So to them you didnt really renounce them by standing in the USCIS office with your right hand up. How do they want you to renounce them?:> I dont know. Email them and ask... or maybe dont- if you want to keep your passport- lol.

I think in Canada you have to go to a special office and sign a form in front of an official to stop being Canadian. Other countries want to make sure you met the draft requirements before they let you go. Its complicated. But I dont think you are asking because you want to stop being both.

I have never heard of Canadians being forced to renounce their citizenship. Is this something new?

[kcoyclay1 98]

Hi

I am applying for Citizenship and am starting to fill out the N400 form. At the end I noticed that it asked me to Denounce any allegiance with any Sovereignty etc which I have had Citizenship (so in my case the UK)

I am taking this very seriously. The UK has dual-nationality but my question is, if there is a situation where somebody has legally under oath denounced their citizenship will the UK cut ties with me? I understand that once I get my citizenship, the USA will just see me as American but I still want to keep my British Citizenship. Has anybody who is British taken this oath and been fine?

Thank you!

UK allows dual citizenship. See link below

http://best-citizenships.com/dual-citizenship-countries.htm

Edited November 11, 2014 by kcoyclay1

[Hypnos 6,576]

Technically, an oath to renounce your British citizenship has to be made in front of a British consular official and be compliant with British law. Since the oath you make at a US naturalisation ceremony is not in front of a British embassy official and is not their required verbiage then it is not considered valid under British law, and so your British citizenship remains intact.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

He said 'to stop being Canadian' - no one is forced to renounce their Canadian citizenship.

I have never heard of Canadians being forced to renounce their citizenship. Is this something new?

[I love San Diego 18]

I know someone with 5 including US and UK.

If you want to be picky and read the wording very closely it is not an issue. You may be reading more into it than it says.

Otherwise just ignore it as everybody else does.

How did they do that? Did they marry a different person in 4 countries besides their own?

[Dualie 185]

He said 'to stop being Canadian' - no one is forced to renounce their Canadian citizenship.

What the poster said implies that a Canadian would be "compelled" to renounce his / her citizenship. I was merely asking for clarification as I had not heard of such a thing before.

[BigDaddy28 228]

Hi

I am applying for Citizenship and am starting to fill out the N400 form. At the end I noticed that it asked me to Denounce any allegiance with any Sovereignty etc which I have had Citizenship (so in my case the UK)

I am taking this very seriously. The UK has dual-nationality but my question is, if there is a situation where somebody has legally under oath denounced their citizenship will the UK cut ties with me? I understand that once I get my citizenship, the USA will just see me as American but I still want to keep my British Citizenship. Has anybody who is British taken this oath and been fine?

Thank you!

Neither US or UK recognize dual citizenship/ What that means, even if you get US citizenship, to the UK you are a UK citizen. Same the US doesn't care about the UK, you are a US citizen once you take your oath. Renounce a citizenship does not happen when you give an oath to another country (some counties like india do take it seriously though). For example: Tunisia. In order to renounce my citizenship, I have to go to Tunisian embassy, show them I have another citizenship I keep, sign papers give back my passport and walk away like Im a foreigner (I don't want to do that though). UK is the same, Canada as well.

Even though that you are dual citizen, when on UK soil you are only a UK citizen (Not US citizen). Same with the US, when on US soil you are onyl a US citizen (not a UK citizen)

I hope I helped.