Renouncing citizenship?

[yankeelimer 1]

I ran across this blog of a US citizen who traveled to Slovakia and successfully renounced his US citizenship, he only had US citizenship and apparently does not even have permanent residency in Slovakia.

http://www.nostate.com/1359/im-officially-stateless/

Its kind of interesting extreme politics aside, I find it interesting for the mess it seems he has created for himself. I thought it was very hard to renounce US citizenship, especially if one was not a dual-citizen? So assuming Slovakia will not allow him to stay what will happen to him? If he is deported to the US what about the renunciation? Would not other countries get angry at the US for allowing citizens to renounce in countries where they only have a tourist visa and no other citizenship, basically stranding themselves?

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I ran across this blog of a US citizen who traveled to Slovakia and successfully renounced his US citizenship, he only had US citizenship and apparently does not even have permanent residency in Slovakia.

http://www.nostate.com/1359/im-officially-stateless/

Its kind of interesting extreme politics aside, I find it interesting for the mess it seems he has created for himself. I thought it was very hard to renounce US citizenship, especially if one was not a dual-citizen? So assuming Slovakia will not allow him to stay what will happen to him? If he is deported to the US what about the renunciation? Would not other countries get angry at the US for allowing citizens to renounce in countries where they only have a tourist visa and no other citizenship, basically stranding themselves?

7 FAM 1261 allows a US citizen to renounce their citizenship in spite of the fact that it will make them stateless.

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/115645.pdf

Renunciation and statelessness: Potential renunciants who do not

possess another nationality or a claim to one are nonetheless permitted

to renounce U.S. nationality. In doing so the individual becomes

stateless. You should explain the extreme difficulties that a stateless

individual may encounter trying to establish residency in a foreign

country or traveling between countries in order to ensure that the

individual understands the consequences of statelessness. See 7 FAM

1215 for additional information about statelessness. If the individual still

desires to proceed with the renunciation, you may proceed.

The consular officer has a responsibility to ensure that the person understands the consequences of their actions, has the mental capacity to make the decision, isn't being coerced or pressured to make the decision by any outside party, and isn't making the decision in order to evade responsibility as a US citizen, such as tax debts or criminal liability. If the consular officer concludes that there is no evasion, and the person knows and understands what they are doing, then the consular officer is compelled to allow them to do it.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

One just can't renounce their US citizenship from inside the US without being a citizen of another country as that would make it near impossible for Uncle Sam to get rid of such an individual.

No US citizenship anymore and with no visa equals (simplified) unlawful presence in the US which results in the former US citizen having to leave the US for his home country. However, without a passport and without a home country, that would be a challenge, now, wouldn't it?

That said, and even in light of presumed tax burden, only complete and utter idiots would renounce their US citizenship, with the single exception of individuals who become high ranking state officials in their "other" country of citizenship.

[cartaverde 12]

I'd be curious how the travel and life with his stateless travel document from Slovakia has been since.

How much hassle and harassment does he have to go thru when visiting countries inside or outside Schengen?

And what if (or when) he'd have to visit US for some reason? E.g. parents funerals or things like that that usually do require the presence, no matter in which part of the globe one habitually resides.

[yankeelimer 1]

No US citizenship anymore and with no visa equals (simplified) unlawful presence in the US which results in the former US citizen having to leave the US for his home country. However, without a passport and without a home country, that would be a challenge, now, wouldn't it?

Thats exactly what the man whose blog I linked to did, he renounced outside the US but he doesn't currently have any other citizenship. He is doing it for political reasons, he is an anarchist and doesn't believe in states.

[Jojo92122 1,924]

Renouncing US citizenship does not end the obligation to file US tax returns. A person who renounces US citizenship is still subject to 10 years of additional returns.

In the old days, very rich people would give up their US citizenship to avoid US taxes and move to a more tax advantageous location. The US changed its laws in response, so these expats are now still required to file and pay US taxes.

[jxn 86]

I'm very interested in this guy's case and I should chime in that he should be fine in the whole EU, as he specifically chose Slovakia because it was the only country in the world to sign three major international treaties on rights and statelessness.

[jxn 86]

Two of the conventions on statelessness I mentioned earlier are:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_relating_to_the_Status_of_Stateless_Persons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Reduction_of_Statelessness