A Question for the Canadians: Do you plan to become a citizen?

[Autumnchik 6]

My hubby is passionate about being a Canadian and the act of renouncing his citizenship at an oath ceremony, even if it is not recognized by the Canadian government and is symbolic, makes him not want to pursue dual citizenship.

[Caladan 19]

You don't have to give up Canadian citizenship. But you do, if I understand it correctly, give up your rights to use your Canadian citizenship to be treated as a Canadian citizen by the U.S. government. (I can't think of many ordinary circumstances where this would come up.)

Our intention now is for C. to get his citizenship mostly so it reduces the number of immigration agencies that can potentially be on our case to 1.

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

You don't have to give up Canadian citizenship. But you do, if I understand it correctly, give up your rights to use your Canadian citizenship to be treated as a Canadian citizen by the U.S. government. (I can't think of many ordinary circumstances where this would come up.)

Our intention now is for C. to get his citizenship mostly so it reduces the number of immigration agencies that can potentially be on our case to 1.

I agree....you don't have to give up your Canadian citizenship..they recognize both.

You simply give up being treated as a Canadian. You are both. Canadian and American.

[warlord 72]

I voted yes, because I became a US Citizen last year. Right now I have both passports, however the US passport is good for 10 years, so will probably not re-apply for a Canadian one in the future and just keep the US one. It'll mean I'll have to declare myself American when going to visit Canada, but I do that now anyways, I just can't be bothered to go through the passport hassle with Canada again, plus not keen on taking 2 passports with me to the border.

And yes for those who want to know, Canada reconizes dual citizenship. The US just tollerates it, but you do not lose your Canadian one because you take on another nations. Germany and India and Peru for example do not allow dual citizenships, so those people actually have to renounce their homelands citizenship when they take on a US one. Canada does not. Hence you can claim at customs Dual when entering Canada, but you must declare yourself US if you come back to the US as dual isn't really reconized.

Many many good reasons to get US citizenship. Some happens after retierment, others allow you to work in any sector and any job (many are for USC only), security of resiendcy, no more having to do a AR-11 everytime you move, etc...

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

I voted yes, because I became a US Citizen last year. Right now I have both passports, however the US passport is good for 10 years, so will probably not re-apply for a Canadian one in the future and just keep the US one. It'll mean I'll have to declare myself American when going to visit Canada, but I do that now anyways, I just can't be bothered to go through the passport hassle with Canada again, plus not keen on taking 2 passports with me to the border.

And yes for those who want to know, Canada reconizes dual citizenship. The US just tollerates it, but you do not lose your Canadian one because you take on another nations. Germany and India and Peru for example do not allow dual citizenships, so those people actually have to renounce their homelands citizenship when they take on a US one. Canada does not. Hence you can claim at customs Dual when entering Canada, but you must declare yourself US if you come back to the US as dual isn't really reconized.

Many many good reasons to get US citizenship. Some happens after retierment, others allow you to work in any sector and any job (many are for USC only), security of resiendcy, no more having to do a AR-11 everytime you move, etc...

Congrats on becoming a Citizen!

Now that you put it that way, it would be advantageous to pursue citizenship.

I know dual is possible but I've heard the US frowns upon it. I had a friend in high school who had dual citizenship (he was born in the US and his mother is Canadian) and he was held up for hours at the US border when they saw that he was holding 2 passports. The officer actually told him that he was going to destroy one of them because carrying 2 was illegal. He got across with both passports intact and later found out the border official was dead wrong.

I guess I have a few years to decide

[Cassie 8]

I plan on becoming a dual citizen (we want the flexibility of moving between the two countries with the minimum amount of paperwork needed), but I do have concerns about the US cracking down in the future -- this is not out of the realm of possibilities, since they are finally getting off their rear ends about the issue of passports needed to cross the Can/Am border. J and I talked about it when I first read this thread, and he told me that if it ever came down to "renounce your Canadian citizenship or leave" -- we'd leave.

[Allie 5]

What happens when a U.S citizen takes up residency in Canada and becomes a Canadian citizen. Do they lose thier U.S citizenship and do they have to apply to become a U.S. citizen again if they wish to come back to the U.S.

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

What happens when a U.S citizen takes up residency in Canada and becomes a Canadian citizen. Do they lose thier U.S citizenship and do they have to apply to become a U.S. citizen again if they wish to come back to the U.S.

As far as I know, Canada does not require that you renounce citizenship to any other country.

[warlord 72]

OK I'm all confused loll

I voted yes because I want dual citizenship but why in the world would we have to pay a fee to stay a citizen of our own country ???

And how can we be dual if we have to give up one or another ???

If you are Canadian getting a US citizenship you do not give up your Canadian. Canada will reconize you as still being Canadian unless you personlly go and denounce your citizenship.

If you lived in Germany they won't allow you to be a citizen of any other country so those people would give up their German citizenship to be an US one. The US doesn't reconize dual citizenship, but Canada does, so in the US eyes you have removed your alliegance to any other nation. In Canada's eyes, it doesn't matter what the US states, you're still Canadian to them.

Hope that clears it up. Just if you are a new USC, don't ever declare yourself as anything other then a USC when comming back across the border and only use your US passport. Don't claim dual either.

Now if you natrualized as a USC and then moved to another country say somewhere in Europe say, and took up a 3rd citizenship, you would be at risk losing the US citizenship but not the Canadian. For natural born US citizens I think that is different and they would still be seen as a US citizen. Not 100% sure on that. Most people move and then just don't inform the US that they have another nationality...

Edited February 11, 2008 by warlord

[Allie 5]

What happens when a U.S citizen takes up residency in Canada and becomes a Canadian citizen. Do they lose thier U.S citizenship and do they have to apply to become a U.S. citizen again if they wish to come back to the U.S.

As far as I know, Canada does not require that you renounce citizenship to any other country.

I think you're right Canada doesn't require one to renouce allegiance or sovereinty to another State or Country. What I'm trying to find out is how does the U.S. look at a U.S. citizen becoming a Canadian citizen. By doing so is thier U.S citizenship revoked. Does the U.S citizen have to re- apply for U.S. citizenship

If we ever moved back to Canada and Lorry became a Canadain citizen but then say several years later she missed her home and family and wanted to move back to the U.S. would she have retained her U.S. citizenship or is she immigrating

[Allie 5]

Okay after some searching I found my answer

http://www.richw.org/dualcit/faq.html

[bradcanuck 1]

Yes, I plan to work as a Police Officer in a few years. In order to do so I have to at the least have APPLIED for citizenship. So that's the plan.

[rhymeswithcandi 0]

Yes, I plan to work as a Police Officer in a few years. In order to do so I have to at the least have APPLIED for citizenship. So that's the plan.

Oh that's a good reason to become a US citizen

My mom tried to convince my husband to become a "Mountie" so we could live in Canada but he doesn't like the hats.