Advantages / Disadvantages of becoming a US Citizen.

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

21 minutes ago, USAjune2016 said:

Interesting topic! Thanks everyone for sharing your opinions, Why almost everybody is saying a green card can be revoked? is that very common? other than the fact you can't stay abroad for too long or give up your residency here. So If I have a 10 years greencard and I bought a house or started a business I could simply lose my status and lose everything? 

 If you are a law abiding citizen and made no misrepresentation to get the green card in the first place, you generally don’t have to worry about getting it revoked. 

[Twomoles 8]

On 11/25/2019 at 10:41 PM, craftercool said:

Hi there community!

Well, the title says it all, recently I got my conditions removed and now a have a Green Card that's good for the next 10 years, and that was thanks to this forum, thank you, thank you, thank you very much!! 

 

So now my options are:

• Stay as a law-abiding permanent resident (green card holder) for... who knows? It may be forever.
• Start studying and preparing everything to become a US Citizen.

 

But I wanted to ask for an honest opinion on what advantages (and disadvantages) comes with it, can't wait to read y'all answers. Peace 👍

 

It depends on where you are from. I was waiting for my own country to change laws about dual citizenship or kids, so I do not have to revoke my birth country passport, and laws were pretty harsh, if you become citizen of another country you are pretty much shunned. OK that was figure of speech, i would have to give up my old citizenship. But I wanted both me and my daughter to be able to be citizens of a EU country too, just thinking of future , for example if she wants to go to college there ( or needs expensive medical care-, lets be real here). Now that I can also have dual citizenship and add my daughter too, I am applying, I will become US citizen too and my kid can apply to be citizen of my country.

In your daily life there are no advantages or disadvantages, you just do your life, banking, shopping, education etc it is all the same. (But I do remember that one car insurance wanted to add " penalty points " that was few years ago, I wish I remembered who they were.) I know that if you look at education certain reputable scholarships are not available to non-citizens, certain military posts too i think. I personally cant wait to have the honor to be on jury duty or voting. I have been here long enough, over 10 years, I should face it  - that for the foreseeable future my home and my loyalty is here in US.

[TBoneTX 45,663]

Here is your, uh, study guide for the citizenship test:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/382775-mrs-t-b-the-citizenship-test/
 

[JohnE 57]

The other good point is you keep your Mexican citizenship as you will have dual citizenship.  We travel to Mexico City numerous times a year.  Wife leaves the US with her US passport, enters Mexico with her Mexican passport, leaves with her Mexican passport, enters the US with her US passport.  Since she is a US citizen she can stay outside the US for as long as she wants.  Also being a US citizen you cannot be denied entry into the US.  

 

  Not to mention being a US citizen you never have to deal with USCIS ever again!   

 

God bless

 

[craftercool 7]

Thank y'all so much for your answers, I'll start studying and hopefully become a US citizen this year (I don't even know how much time it takes).

[Octavespan 5]

To me, it was a very difficult decision to make. Mainly due to having to renounce my citizenship from my country of birth as they do not allow dual citizenship. So I took a long time to think about it. After staying in the US for 7 years  as an LPR, I finally made the decision to naturalize, as my life is now here and my heart was ready.

[jess100 53]

You might want to look into the rules for Social Security for a citizen vs LPR and see how that applies to your future.

 

 

[Thegirl 225]

On 1/2/2020 at 3:16 PM, craftercool said:

Thank y'all so much for your answers, I'll start studying and hopefully become a US citizen this year (I don't even know how much time it takes).

Depending on where you live it could take over a year. Based on timelines I've seen, at least 6 months. 

[Undecided 78]

I’m probably one of the longer serving LPRs here - I’ve been here 36 years and have only recently filed for citizenship. For me, it was that I simply could not make the pledge of allegiance in all honesty. But over the last couple of years I’ve come to realize that I do now have more in common with the USA than my own country and want to be a full member of this society. To vote and serve on a jury. To be able to contribute financially to political candidates. 

[Alonso Ramirez 32]

Typically people can't wait to become citizens of the United States. I am surprised you are thinking not doing it.