Anyone else not planning on applying for citizenship?

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

My husband doesn’t currently have any plans to apply for citizenship. No real specific reason, just doesn’t feel the need to at this juncture. 
 

It does get a little annoying when I post about our 2 year+ wait for his ROC and 99% of the responses are just that he should just file for citizenship to push it along. 

[millefleur 5,046]

7 minutes ago, MorganandMichael said:

It does get a little annoying when I post about our 2 year+ wait for his ROC and 99% of the responses are just that he should just file for citizenship to push it along. 

Honestly, if he's been waiting that long I don't even know if the N-400 would necessarily push it along. I've seen people with N-400's pending for years too. It seems some people just end up with the sort end of the stick when it comes to processing times. It's a bit infuriating hah.

[Orangesapples 1,954]

41 minutes ago, Mike E said:

All it takes is a $500 traffic ticket to lose LPR status. That realization plus a simplified naturalization process caused me to file after 32 years as an LPR.

I don't think this is true

[Noname93 200]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

Interesting I heard something similar about Austria, which applies to @Noname93, that if you just ask the Austrian government for permission to acquire dual citizenship and I guess "make a case for it" (have a legitimate reason as yo why you should need it) and they approve it, then technically in some cases they might allow it. You just have to get permission first. So, it seems like some countries may not allow it as a rule, but possibly might allow exceptions.

I know Germany has that same rule. However, it's pretty easy to get an exception there. I haven't been able to find an approved case for Austria so far. They're extremely strict and it's worded vaguely on purpose.

[Marieke H 2,508]

1 hour ago, Ray.Bonaquist said:

 

Second although it is better to apply under the 5 year rule to reduce ones paperwork and eliminate the risk due to possible divorce and relationship problems, the reality is that from your K1, AOS, ROC trifecta they  have so much information on you that the additional updated info you will provide them during the citizenship process is marginal.

 

You make good points. However, for me the goal has never been to gain US citizenship and live in the US. My goal was to be able to live with my husband, which I can do perfectly fine as an LPR. If we would end up divorcing, I probably would move back to my country. So getting citizenship asap just in case my marriage won't work out really isn't necessary. 

 

We spent enough money on immigration stuff in the past few years, I really just want to enjoy living here for a while without spending time, money and energy on another process.

[millefleur 5,046]

18 minutes ago, Marieke H said:

We spent enough money on immigration stuff in the past few years, I really just want to enjoy living here for a while without spending time, money and energy on another process.

And not having the stress of checking your case everyday for updates is nice to have a break from.

[TBoneTX 45,293]

1 hour ago, millefleur said:

they might bypass the 5 year mark by the time they get their interview even if they originally applied under the 3 year rule.

"A decade here, a decade there, and soon we're talking about real time."

[DiamondEyes490 126]

My husband would like to eventually, but his English isn’t great. We will wait until he feels more comfortable in the language or I guess in the worst case he will eventually qualify (in like 17 years...) to just take it in Spanish.

[Chauncey 138]

18 hours ago, millefleur said:

I think it's a shame some countries don't allow dual citizenship. I can't understand it. In today's inter-connected world, what is the argument against it?

 

Russia just passed full dual citizenship just this year (2020) so maybe it will change for other countries too.

They did?? So Russians can become a us citizen keeping their Russian citizenship?

Because I was reading where it said if I went over there I would have to give mine up in order to become a Russian citizen

[Scandi 4,166]

Tons of people never become citizens because they don't want to. They can live their whole lives in the US with "just" an LPR status and be just fine with that, it's just a personal choice.

 

Personally I don't really care all that much if I have US citizenship or not, I'm fine being a LPR only, so I let my husband decide for me. He thought it was a good idea to get citizenship since I plan on living in the US for the rest of my life, he thinks it's simply "the right thing to do"  and I agree with him. Obviously that decision also takes into consideration that my home country Sweden allows dual citizenship, so it's not exactly a sacrifice for me to get a US citizenship. That's not the case for everyone of course (as you have experienced). 

 

In the future you may get the opportunity for dual citizenship though, the world is getting more and more global and people move around a lot more. Laws will change. Norway just recently started allowing dual citizenship for instance, many Norwegians that started their immigration journeys at the same time as me back in 2016 never even considered US citizenship as that would've meant they had to give up their Norwegian one. But now, when they've been US greencard holders for a few years they all of a sudden have the option of dual and they start debating whether or not to go for it. 

[Calicolom 266]

18 hours ago, JFH said:

My country allows dual citizenship and I am applying for it but in an ideal world I wouldn’t. Because of my husband’s criminal record he is banned from my homeland so I am taking citizenship to ensure that we will always be able to live together. Voting is also important to me so that’s an added bonus. Other than that, I would have quite happily kept my green card forever. The advantage I have is that I, like the OP, come from a country with a very valuable passport in terms of travel. I have more countries I can visit without a visa than a lot of other people have. I have noticed on some of the citizenship threads that for many people they are excited about all the doors that a US passport will open for them. In my case (and yours, OP), they were already open. 
 

I have no desire to bring family members here either. That’s another reason that some people apply for citizenship as soon as they can. 

It used to be, non citizens had a lot of restrictions, Could not own Guns, had to register with the post office every year, could not work for company's with government contracts. This has all changed, non citizens have the same rights as citizens now. With Biden in power, it will change even more. There is no more benefit to being US citizen. The world will love us, so they say, but will they respect us. NO

[millefleur 5,046]

22 minutes ago, Chauncey said:

They did?? So Russians can become a us citizen keeping their Russian citizenship?

Russians have always been able to obtain other citizenships without renouncing the Russian one, as the government just didn't care/recognize the other one. So, technically the new dual citizenship law does not really affect Russians as it was already kind of passively allowed.

 

22 minutes ago, Chauncey said:

They did?? So Russians can become a us citizen keeping their Russian citizenship?

Because I was reading where it said if I went over there I would have to give mine up in order to become a Russian citizen

What changed in 2020 is, now non-Russians can acquire Russian citizenship without having to renounce their exiting one. So, yes, an American can now obtain Russian citizenship and become a dual Russian-American citizen, which was not allowed before the law passed.

 

Source: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/04/17/russia-passes-dual-citizenship-law-hoping-to-add-10m-citizens-a70036

Edited January 14, 2021 by millefleur

[Sukie 1,460]

7 hours ago, Orangesapples said:

Is there a difference if you own the house as joint tenants? 

Here's where the rub is:

 

Scenario:  Person 1 is US Citizen, Person 2 is LPR.

 

They bought a house together and paid $300,000 for it.

 

Person 1 dies 5 years later, and Person 2 inherits the house.  Person 2 needs to sell the house.  The house now appraises for $650,000.

 

If Person 2 sells the house, the capital gains basis on the house is $350,000.  If BOTH persons were US Citizens, there would be no capital gains liability on the house, as a married couple has an exemption for $500,000 of capital gains if the house is sold within 2 years of Person 1's death.  If the house is sold AFTER two years, Person 2 would be liable for $100,000 of capital gains, as a "single" person has an exemption for $250,000.

 

BUT if Person 2 is still an LPR, they get NO exemption, so the capital gains would be the full $350,000 amount.

 

This is what I meant by getting socked with an "estate" tax bill.  Sorry if my words were confusing.

 

Sukie in NY

[Chauncey 138]

35 minutes ago, millefleur said:

Russians have always been able to obtain other citizenships without renouncing the Russian one, as the government just didn't care/recognize the other one. So, technically the new dual citizenship law does not really affect Russians as it was already kind of passively allowed.

 

What changed in 2020 is, now non-Russians can acquire Russian citizenship without having to renounce their exiting one. So, yes, an American can now obtain Russian citizenship and become a dual Russian-American citizen, which was not allowed before the law passed.

 

Source: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/04/17/russia-passes-dual-citizenship-law-hoping-to-add-10m-citizens-a70036

That's such great news! I must've been reading an old article 🙄 thank you so much! 

So if you're a spouse of a Russian citizen is the residency requirement three years now to become a citizen?

Edited January 14, 2021 by Chauncey

[Orangesapples 1,954]

10 minutes ago, Sukie said:

Here's where the rub is:

 

Scenario:  Person 1 is US Citizen, Person 2 is LPR.

 

They bought a house together and paid $300,000 for it.

 

Person 1 dies 5 years later, and Person 2 inherits the house.  Person 2 needs to sell the house.  The house now appraises for $650,000.

 

If Person 2 sells the house, the capital gains basis on the house is $350,000.  If BOTH persons were US Citizens, there would be no capital gains liability on the house, as a married couple has an exemption for $500,000 of capital gains if the house is sold within 2 years of Person 1's death.  If the house is sold AFTER two years, Person 2 would be liable for $100,000 of capital gains, as a "single" person has an exemption for $250,000.

 

BUT if Person 2 is still an LPR, they get NO exemption, so the capital gains would be the full $350,000 amount.

 

This is what I meant by getting socked with an "estate" tax bill.  Sorry if my words were confusing.

 

Sukie in NY

Interesting, is this the case in all states? Do you have a source? 

 

I thought that you don't pay capital gains tax if you sell your primary residence. Someone's correct me if I'm wrong.