Naturalization and my British Citizenship

[catfrances 3]

Hi all,

I know the US and UK will allow dual citizenship but as I was reading through the guide to become a USA citizen it shows that you have to renounce your "home" citizenship. Will I at any point have to hand over my UK passport? I have had a couple of people say they had to do this only to be handed it back again?

Once you become a US citizen and you are still British you are seen as a dual citizen right?

Sorry if these seem like stupid questions, I want to make sure I know the facts before I submit my application.

I am going to become a US citizen after having my permanent GC for nearly 8 years. I just recently had a baby and she has her US passport and I just applied for her British passport, so I would like to do the same so we can freely travel back and forth from the US and the UK for longer than 6 months or potentially live back in the UK for a few years without having to worry about not being able to return to the US if we choose to do so.

I just don't want to loose my UK citizenship or my US life that I have worked hard to build, let alone pay out for with all the visas etc.

Once you have a passport for both countries that is it right?, you are a citizen of both and can come and go as you like. If this is correct then I am assuming that I do not need to do anything for my daughter if she get's her UK passport and already has a US one. If I can get my US passport we should be good?

To add once I am a US citizen I would be able to marry my partner and father of our daughter without any issue? I would not change my name but would like the option to move back to the UK if needed with him, I understand that I would still have to sponsor him as I would be considered a UK citizen still.

Thank you for any help/advice on becoming a US citizen!

[Cheezees 1,514]

Hi all,

I know the US and UK will allow dual citizenship but as I was reading through the guide to become a USA citizen it shows that you have to renounce your "home" citizenship. Where did you read this? Could you link its exact location? Thanks. Will I at any point have to hand over my UK passport? I have had a couple of people say they had to do this only to be handed it back again?

Once you become a US citizen and you are still British you are seen as a dual citizen right?

Sorry if these seem like stupid questions, I want to make sure I know the facts before I submit my application.

I am going to become a US citizen after having my permanent GC for nearly 8 years. I just recently had a baby and she has her US passport and I just applied for her British passport, so I would like to do the same so we can freely travel back and forth from the US and the UK for longer than 6 months or potentially live back in the UK for a few years without having to worry about not being able to return to the US if we choose to do so.

I just don't want to loose my UK citizenship or my US life that I have worked hard to build, let alone pay out for with all the visas etc.

Once you have a passport for both countries that is it right?, you are a citizen of both and can come and go as you like. If this is correct then I am assuming that I do not need to do anything for my daughter if she get's her UK passport and already has a US one. If I can get my US passport we should be good?

To add once I am a US citizen I would be able to marry my partner and father of our daughter without any issue? I would not change my name but would like the option to move back to the UK if needed with him, I understand that I would still have to sponsor him as I would be considered a UK citizen still.

Thank you for any help/advice on becoming a US citizen!

[JimmyHou 610]

Hi all,

I know the US and UK will allow dual citizenship but as I was reading through the guide to become a USA citizen it shows that you have to renounce your "home" citizenship. Will I at any point have to hand over my UK passport? I have had a couple of people say they had to do this only to be handed it back again?

Once you become a US citizen and you are still British you are seen as a dual citizen right?

Sorry if these seem like stupid questions, I want to make sure I know the facts before I submit my application.

I am going to become a US citizen after having my permanent GC for nearly 8 years. I just recently had a baby and she has her US passport and I just applied for her British passport, so I would like to do the same so we can freely travel back and forth from the US and the UK for longer than 6 months or potentially live back in the UK for a few years without having to worry about not being able to return to the US if we choose to do so.

I just don't want to loose my UK citizenship or my US life that I have worked hard to build, let alone pay out for with all the visas etc.

Once you have a passport for both countries that is it right?, you are a citizen of both and can come and go as you like. If this is correct then I am assuming that I do not need to do anything for my daughter if she get's her UK passport and already has a US one. If I can get my US passport we should be good?

To add once I am a US citizen I would be able to marry my partner and father of our daughter without any issue? I would not change my name but would like the option to move back to the UK if needed with him, I understand that I would still have to sponsor him as I would be considered a UK citizen still.

Thank you for any help/advice on becoming a US citizen!

1- The US does not recognize dual citizenship; it simply has no laws on the subject one way or the other (with the exception of point 4 below)

2- At no point will you be required to renounce your current citizenship or will you have to surrender your passport. Any officer who asks you to do so is overstepping his authority, and you should decline and ask to speak with a supervisor.

3- You are required to give up allegiance (not citizenship) to all foreign countries.

4- You can lose your US citizenship if you acquire a new citizenship (or require an old one) with the intention of giving up US citizenship. This usually only comes up when someone acquires a new nationality in a country that requires him to sign a statement renouncing all former nationalities. Even in such cases, loss of US citizenship is rare unless you apply for renunciation at a US embassy.

So for the US and the UK, you'll be a dual citizen, but the US will only see you as a US citizen.

You can live in the US or abroad as a US citizen, but you'll have to file taxes wherever you live (your deduction for UK taxes will probably mean that you'll pay nothing or close to nothing in the US).

[catfrances 3]

Perfect thank you JimmyHou

[yuna628 9,547]

You will not lose your British Citizenship, unless you do the following:

File paperwork with the UK government revoking and renouncing your British Citizenship in front of officials. No one would do this except in very rare odd circumstances I'd imagine.

Do something to make the HRH really mad at you. Unlikely.

Do something to make the UKG really mad at you. I expect also unlikely.

The US cannot compel you to revoke your UK citizenship in any way.

The US could ask you to merely consider doing so if you wanted a super secret agent job with the USG that required no other allegiances.

The US will have you make a statement about allegiances. This may make some uncomfortable, but it is a formality, no one will force you to not be a citizen of your birth country. You renounce allegiances only, and not citizenship. The US views you with welcome arms as a USC in this manner.

Your child is automatically a dual citizen. Register the birth at the consulate and obtain both passports and child is fine.

You may use your UK passport to enter the UK. And your US passport to enter the US once you become a USC. You no longer have to worry about losing your status while abroad.

On the flip side the UK government also don't mind your dual citizenship unless they should decide to change the law, which I doubt.

Once you have lived abroad full time in another country from the UK for 15 years you can no longer vote. Otherwise, dual UK citizens can still vote abroad by postal if they choose and continue to maintain residency in both countries.

You must still file taxes even if living abroad.

Edited September 1, 2016 by yuna628

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

I recently explained some of what you are asking in this post. You should read it http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/608019-aos-pr-health-insurance/?p=8286116

Also I can tell you my husband has naturalized and at no point in the interview or oath ceremony was he asked to turn over his British passport. It was never discussed. He holds and uses an American and British passport.

[catfrances 3]

Thank you for this!

Just to clarify, when you say register her birth with the consulate, what exactly does this mean? I have a US passport for her and US birth certificate so I guess that is done and I just sent off the paper work to get her UK passport but have not registered her anywhere in the UK...

You will not lose your British Citizenship, unless you do the following:

File paperwork with the UK government revoking and renouncing your British Citizenship in front of officials. No one would do this except in very rare odd circumstances I'd imagine.

Do something to make the HRH really mad at you. Unlikely.

Do something to make the UKG really mad at you. I expect also unlikely.

The US cannot compel you to revoke your UK citizenship in any way.

The US could ask you to merely consider doing so if you wanted a super secret agent job with the USG that required no other allegiances.

The US will have you make a statement about allegiances. This may make some uncomfortable, but it is a formality, no one will force you to not be a citizen of your birth country. You renounce allegiances only, and not citizenship. The US views you with welcome arms as a USC in this manner.

Your child is automatically a dual citizen. Register the birth at the consulate and obtain both passports and child is fine.

You may use your UK passport to enter the UK. And your US passport to enter the US once you become a USC. You no longer have to worry about losing your status while abroad.

On the flip side the UK government also don't mind your dual citizenship unless they should decide to change the law, which I doubt.

Once you have lived abroad full time in another country from the UK for 15 years you can no longer vote. Otherwise, dual UK citizens can still vote abroad by postal if they choose and continue to maintain residency in both countries.

You must still file taxes even if living abroad.

[yuna628 9,547]

Thank you for this!

Just to clarify, when you say register her birth with the consulate, what exactly does this mean? I have a US passport for her and US birth certificate so I guess that is done and I just sent off the paper work to get her UK passport but have not registered her anywhere in the UK...

Check out this and weigh if the advantages of registering it with the UK is appropriate for you. Personally, that's the course of action I would do for any children I would have. http://britishexpats.com/wiki/British_Consular_Birth_Registration

[rascalflatt 6]

Registering the birth abroad is a waste of time and money. I looked into doing that before realizing that you can just go ahead and apply for a UK passport for the child, as you have done.

[catfrances 3]

Registering the birth abroad is a waste of time and money. I looked into doing that before realizing that you can just go ahead and apply for a UK passport for the child, as you have done.

Agreed.

I even called someone at the registering dept and asked what the purpose was and why it is ever done. It is just to have a record in pen somewhere and the book get's closed (so to speak), she said getting a passport is more than enough.

I got her UK passport the other day that shows she is British - Job done

Thanks