Becoming a US Citizen Rather than renew Green Card

[inneedofhelp 1]

Hello all,

 

Long story short,

 

I entered the US on a K1 Visa from England back in 2009. The relationship didn't go so well but I did end up staying in the States and received my Green Card. I am now happily remarried and I was hoping to receive some useful information from all you wonderful members on this site who have gone through the process of becoming a US Citizen over renewing your Green Card every 10 years.

 

I would really like to understand the pros and cons on becoming a US Citizen from peoples experiences who have gone through the same process. My biggest concerns/questions would be about - 

 

Social Security - If I were not to become a US Citizen, would there be an issue later in life to claim the SS that I would have been paying for decades? I've heard different answers/opinions on this subject.

 

Passports - If I were to become a US Citizen, would I be able to have dual Citizen? Meaning would I have a UK passport as well as a US passport?

 

Thank You all in advance for your input/answers, it is greatly appreciated.

 

 

[KazuriSana 324]

• Your SS benefits would be less, I believe, than they would be if you were a US citizen.
• You can have both passports if 'England' allows dual citizenship. The US doesn't care, or rather looks the other way.
• As a US citizen, you do not have to worry that some deranged, somewhat sickeningly crazy politician inhabiting a house with white paint will wake up one morning and declare all 'Englanders' banned from the US.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

The last line of the last comment was pretty funny; but highly doubting you will ever have to worry about that part of it.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[Illiria 980]

You can be a dual citizen, basically both countries ignore the fact that you are a citizen of the other country so you need to use your uk passport to enter the uk and the us passport to enter the us. 

 

Technically you swear to renounce all allegiances during the us oath ceremony but the uk doesn’t care what you promise the us and doesn’t count this as renouncing your uk citizenship. 

 

The only downsides  I have come across are some financial liabilities and extradition. Worldwide taxation but as I have to do my husbands taxes every year doing it together isn’t any more onerous than as separate should we move back to the uk. If you inherit in the uk as the us taxes worldwide you have to pay taxes on it but the pay off is if you inherit from your spouse in the us as a citizen you don’t have to pay as much as you would do as a permanent resident inheriting from a us spouse. There is the fact that if you commit a crime in the us you can’t run to the uk as they can extradite you much more easily than if you weren’t a duel citizen but the uk has an extradition treaty with the us anyway so that isn’t much of a change. 

 

I just passed my test, we decided the pros won out and I wanted to be done with USCIS. 

[Seabird 7]

I do not think SS retirement is affected by Green Card, but other claims like SSI (disability, etc.) may be limited.

The above is from memory, not hard data, s,. do check the specific benefits status.


The estate issues of the non-US surviving spouse can be taken care with a trust scheme called a QDOT (as I have), but it is another piece that would have to be executed with lawyer $$$, and done just right, in a time of difficulty.

Older person, I hoped for citizenship, partially for the estate aspect ( and the ridiculous amount of time I stayed as GC holder!).

Edited February 15, 2018 by Seabird
added estate

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I'm 60 years old now, and I still appreciate the opportunity to learn something, so maybe you can help me out.

Name ONE, just one, any one reason, why you would NOT want to become a US citizen.

 

I'll tell you one reason:

You are worth $500,000,000, make about $5,000,000 per year without lifting a finger, and don't want to live in the United States of America anymore. You live on your private island in the BVI, like that Virgin dude Branson. Or your net worth is $350,000,000, like Tina Turner's, and you live with your husband in the most expensive part of Switzerland. And, again, you don't mind never setting foot on US soil again. To avoid double taxation in such a case, you should not become a US citizen. Short of that, there is NO reason whatsover I can think of.

 

You will die as a British citizen, no matter what you do, even if you were to kill off the entire Royal family.

[Going through 5,671]

When my ten year card was up for renewal last year, I hemmed and hawed about going the Naturalization route as well.

 

The deciding factor for me, personally, was four things:

 

-as a USC, rather than a LPR, I felt my status was "more secure" somehow, given the current climate.

-I could leave the US for any amount of time and be guaranteed entry as a USC instead of stressing out at the border whenever I went on a long-ish vacation.

-the fee for the N400 and the fee to renew the GC was relatively comparable.

-my dealings with immigration would be DONE...and I looked forward to my amicable divorce with USCIS.

[NikLR 13,228]

12 hours ago, Brother Hesekiel said:

I'm 60 years old now, and I still appreciate the opportunity to learn something, so maybe you can help me out.

Name ONE, just one, any one reason, why you would NOT want to become a US citizen.

 

To avoid double taxation in such a case, you should not become a US citizen. Short of that, there is NO reason whatsover I can think of.

 

You will die as a British citizen, no matter what you do, even if you were to kill off the entire Royal family.

1) I dont want to be called a US citizen?

2) I may retire in Canada and I dont want to file a  US tax return for the rest of my life?

 

You may find those things meaningless but I do not. 

 

But for the OP those things do not seem concerning so by all means, file away!

Edited February 16, 2018 by NikLR

[Lemonslice 4,915]

17 minutes ago, NikLR said:

1) I dont want to be called a US citizen?

2) I may retire in Canada and I dont want to file a  US tax return for the rest of my life?

 

You may find those things meaningless but I do not. 

 

But for the OP those things do not seem concerning so by all means, file away!

To this, I would add that the double taxation issues begin at income levels that are not that high, especially if retirement/next move is to a country without a treaty. 

[JT4/25 38]

you dont have to be a USC to collect social security.  just FYI.  A permanent resident can collect SS.  It does not decrease because you are not a citizen.  SS is based on credits you achieved while working here.  10 years is a minimum.  You can create a SS account on line...and take a look at what you are going to make when you retire.  Its not alot to live on by the way...so save away!

[ShanghaiSurfer 135]

Double taxation is the biggest issue. I believe US is one of only 3 countries that taxes worldwide income (I believe Philippines & Etrea being the other two).  

[jkstark 97]

Remember that double taxation applies to you even if you hold a green card - as a LPR, you are treated the same way for taxation.  So, if you are an LPR, and want to avoid the double-taxation, you would have to give up that status.  If you are a citizen and want to avoid the double-taxation, you would have to give up citizenship.

 

Then again, if you are in a country with tax agreements, you may not have any issue with double taxation to begin with...

[KazuriSana 324]

15 hours ago, Brother Hesekiel said:

I'm 60 years old now, and I still appreciate the opportunity to learn something, so maybe you can help me out.

Name ONE, just one, any one reason, why you would NOT want to become a US citizen.

 

I'll tell you one reason:

You are worth $500,000,000, make about $5,000,000 per year without lifting a finger, and don't want to live in the United States of America anymore. You live on your private island in the BVI, like that Virgin dude Branson. Or your net worth is $350,000,000, like Tina Turner's, and you live with your husband in the most expensive part of Switzerland. And, again, you don't mind never setting foot on US soil again. To avoid double taxation in such a case, you should not become a US citizen. Short of that, there is NO reason whatsover I can think of.

 

You will die as a British citizen, no matter what you do, even if you were to kill off the entire Royal family.

 

If, peradventure, this reason applies to OP, can you check for me if he is searching for a long-lost cousin 47 times removed?

[NYCruiser 423]

19 hours ago, BlessedAssurance said:

• Your SS benefits would be less, I believe, than they would be if you were a US citizen.
• You can have both passports if 'England' allows dual citizenship. The US doesn't care, or rather looks the other way.
• As a US citizen, you do not have to worry that some deranged, somewhat sickeningly crazy politician inhabiting a house with white paint will wake up one morning and declare all 'Englanders' banned from the US.

That last comment was rather stupid (coming from another Kenyan). Trump is enforcing our Immigration laws which is high time someone did it.

 

1. My spouse is a dual EEC Britist/US and Kenyan citizen and it is not a problem at all. The UK/EEC and the US as well as Kenya allow for dual citizenship.

2. SS benefits are the same.

3. Applying online is a superb process now. My spouse just applied for someone who is I-551 holder and who is a UK Citizen in December 2017 online. They got their fingerprints and then an interview in early February this month. It took 2 months to get her Naturalisation papers. I thought it took longer than this.

[NYCruiser 423]

1 hour ago, jkstark said:

Remember that double taxation applies to you even if you hold a green card - as a LPR, you are treated the same way for taxation.  So, if you are an LPR, and want to avoid the double-taxation, you would have to give up that status.  If you are a citizen and want to avoid the double-taxation, you would have to give up citizenship.

 

Then again, if you are in a country with tax agreements, you may not have any issue with double taxation to begin with...

Yes agreed. I believe this is being enforced now. A sibling who lives here got a letter from his bank in England requesting his SS number for US Tax purposes