Canadians for US Naturalization/Citizenship....

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

I thought I would start a VJ thread here on the VJ Canada forum for all you Canadians, especially to those who are in the process and/or applying for the Naturalization/Citizenship stage of the immigration game.

Feel free to post any questions, concerns, suggestions, or whatever else you want, about this process, from the perspective of a soon-to-be or already are Dual Canadian/US Citizen.

Hmmm...For example:

1) If you have US Citizenship, will you give up your Canadian citizenship?

2) Why do you want to be both a Canadian and American Citizen?

3) Which do you identify yourself more as: A Canadian or An American?

4) Have you been or will you think you will be treated differently as a dual citizen?

5) Any questions/concerns about the paperwork process and/or other issues about this stage of the game...

6) Etc......Post anything else you can think about being both Canadian/American...

Have fun posting! Good luck with all your citizenship immigration journeys too!

Ant (Soon-to-be Dual Canadian/American...)

Edited July 9, 2009 by AntandD

[Flames9_RN 358]

1) One doesn't have to give up CDN citizenship,and its 1 thing I would NEVER do!

2) I am an USA citizen, but don't really want to be, but not going into details on that!

3) I consider myself 100% Cdn! I actually forget that i have USA citizenship!

4) the process was very simple and fast, i was actually hoping it would take a bit longer,lol Don't waste $$$ on buying books, study cards for the interview. The questions they ask can ALL be found on the USCIS website.

[TimandJoyce 1]

ahhhh this could be a pinned topic. By the time I get to that stage I won't find the thread!! Then again, this thread will have 5000 pages, and I may not want to read all of it...

Guess I'll just keep sneaking peeks, and learning as I go...

[Sam and Ben 2]

Out of curiosity, is there any legit reason why someone would want to give up their Canadian citizenship?

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Out of curiosity, is there any legit reason why someone would want to give up their Canadian citizenship?

Not everyone is dying to keep it - we probably shouldn't make that assumption. many of us do feel stringly about maintaining our Canadian ties, others may be more forward looking.

Me - I'll be keeping both

PS - by the way a good legit reason would be to obtain high levels of clearance if doing Gov't work

Edited July 9, 2009 by Udella&Wiz

[scandal 951]

I don't know if I have much to offer on this thread, since I am not naturalized in either the US or Canada, and did not have to make a choice to take citizenship in either.

However I thought I'd just say "hi" because I am a dual US/Canadian citizen from birth. My parents are Canadians who were living in the US when I was born. So I have a NY state birth certificate, and I was registered as a Canadian born abroad.

I grew up in Canada and for my entire life until my 20s, my US citizenship didn't matter to me at all, it was just a footnote in my personal biography. However at a certain point it did become important to me and I've lived in the US for a significant period of time now, taken a very active interest in US domestic affairs and politics, and probably think of myself as more American than Canadian at this point. I do still love going back to visit friends and family in Canada, and always feel some pride in seeing Canada mentioned (in a good light) on the world stage. But the US is home now.

BTW - to add to my confusing story, I'm also a citizen of a third country - Israel, which I acquired as an adult.

[trailmix 77]

I am also a dual citizen. I was born in Canada I acquired my U.S. citizenship.

I am a Canadian, I always will be. I am an American on paper.

[Sam and Ben 2]

Out of curiosity, is there any legit reason why someone would want to give up their Canadian citizenship?

Not everyone is dying to keep it - we probably shouldn't make that assumption. many of us do feel stringly about maintaining our Canadian ties, others may be more forward looking.

Me - I'll be keeping both

PS - by the way a good legit reason would be to obtain high levels of clearance if doing Gov't work

Oh, I didn't mean anything by it... simply that, (as far as I know) since you'd have to actively seek out to renounce it, what harm would there be in keeping it.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I have my citizenship interview on August 13th but even though I will be a dual citizen (a citizen of "North America", hehehe), I am Canadian first and foremost. My reasons for pursuing US citizenship are practical, not idealistic.

[neiks 19]

My reasons for pursuing US citizenship are practical, not idealistic

I agree with Kathryn on that one and that will be my reasoning if I do choose to pursue US citizenship. Ironically though I still will probably be working for the CBSA "protecting Canada", even though per the US citizenship oath I'm not suppose to have any alligence to another country "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same" My alligence will always be to Canada, "To Serve and Protect"

Edited July 9, 2009 by neiks

[neiks 19]

4) Have you been or will you think you will be treated differently as a dual citizen?

People in general aready assume you become an American automatically when you marry a USC. Only different treatment will be at the US border and the fact they can never refuse me entry into the US.

[TimandJoyce 1]

People in general aready assume you become an American automatically when you marry a USC.

Isn't that the truth? I've stopped explaining to people that I really can't become a US citizen for about 4 years from now!

Edited July 9, 2009 by TimandJoyce

[warlord 72]

1) If you have US Citizenship, will you give up your Canadian citizenship?

- No, not unless there is a reason too.

2) Why do you want to be both a Canadian and American Citizen?

- Because it's automatic when you become an American, why rock the boat and do extra work

3) Which do you identify yourself more as: A Canadian or An American?

- American. Canadian is just the place I was born in. I've never identified myself as Canadian even growing up.

4) Have you been or will you think you will be treated differently as a dual citizen?

- Not sure if I have or not, border guards are stricter now then I remember, but I cross the border maybe once or twice a year. On my US passport it shows the Country of Birth at the bottom. So they can see that it says Canada. So I may be more scrutinized by the Canadians and maybe even the US border, but it could be also just upped security. I have no way to compare other then I get more questions then I did before I was a citizen.

5) Any questions/concerns about the paperwork process and/or other issues about this stage of the game

- I have no more paper work. Been done for years.

6) Etc......Post anything else you can think about being both Canadian/American...

- Shouldn't this have said American/Canadian instead? Ha ha, I couldn't resist...

I have my citizenship interview on August 13th but even though I will be a dual citizen (a citizen of "North America", hehehe), I am Canadian first and foremost. My reasons for pursuing US citizenship are practical, not idealistic.

Well almost North America unless you have Mexican citizenship too...

Edited July 9, 2009 by warlord

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Wow, this has become such a popular VJ message thread already! Keep up the posting, everyone!....

On that note, here are my answers to the questions that I posted earlier...

1) If you have US Citizenship, will you give up your Canadian citizenship?

-No, as I believe: "Once a Canadian, always a Canadian". Canada will always have a place in my heart, as that's where I'm from and grew up in and can most identify with at the moment. I'll keep it! Citizenship card, Passport, Oh Canada, and all!

Both citizenships I have gained/will gain through the choices of naturalization. So in a way, acquiring these citizenships makes me feel prouder of having such since it was chosen and not forced upon for me....

Besides, I live so close to the Canadian/American border (about 1-2hrs away)....Canada still feels like home to me, distance-wise and travel too.

2) Why do you want to be both a Canadian and American Citizen?

-Ok...I have to admit...It's 50% patriotic and 50% practical...(lol..the practical part being "I don't have to deal with the USCIS ever again after citizenship!")

3) Which do you identify yourself more as: A Canadian or An American?

-Both...Can't decide as to which I'm "loyal" to. I'll just sit on the border of these two countries and carry two different passports and will fight for both armies (then again I don't like wars and that type of thing anyways) if I'm ever drafted...lol...

One country I see as my past, the other I see as my present and future...They both have a place in my life....

4) Have you been or will you think you will be treated differently as a dual citizen?

-Not sure about that really, but it does make for very interesting life stories to tell... It's funny how (another VJer mentioned about this too) others think that just because one marries an American, they become an American right away...Not true....(lol..unless one was around 50-100 years ago). Thus there goes the explaination about having to deal with the USCIS.....

The one thing I'm wondering about though is travelling...perhaps things will be easier when one is dual, but then again, it could get a bit more complicated and harder...who knows...I'll find that out later....

5) Any questions/concerns about the paperwork process and/or other issues about this stage of the game...

-Oh gee, there are so many questions/concerns that I have....Will post more about that later....

6) Etc......Post anything else you can think about being both Canadian/American...

-Being Canadian and being American are certainly two different things, as both are different cultures, countries, and have different viewpoints in the world.....But both has it's rewards, benefits, advantages! So why not be both?

7) Extra point: I too have another citizenship, though I acquired it through birth. This makes things more complicated in my already complicated life, in terms of being/will be associated with three countries...ughh..

This is the citizenship I want to give up (though in some ways I have given up already), more so because I can't relate to it in so many ways, but am unable to fully legally do such....sigh....So on that note....I don't want to bother with such a country...yet I have to deal with such....oh boy....

Being Dual Canadian/American or Dual American/Canadian is good enough for me! No other countries needed!

Ant (Soon to be Dual...)

P.S. Good luck, on the rest of your immigration journeys too! As well, good luck to Kathryn41 on your upcoming citizenship interview too.

Edited July 9, 2009 by AntandD

[Kathryn41 3,205]

hmm, I have always thought of Mexico as more central America than north America.