Citizenship VS Greencard Opinions?

[Brittani 484]

We honestly just started the K1 process but I was just curious how others felt about this personally. At this point we think it's best that my fiance just continue renewing the greencard once he gets it and keep his United Kingdom citizenship. I understand it's a long time to think about but I'm just curious to hear from others. Is that even allowed? To just keep renewing the 10 year greencard over the years? Or is it required to apply for citizenship after so long?

 

The only reason we see that best for us is because we may want to move to England one day after our children are adults, it's doubtful but I do adore it over there so I wouldn't rule it out completely. Has anyone else ever done this before?

 

Please no negative feedback, just asking a general question.

 

Thanks in advance!

[GreatDane 366]

2 minutes ago, Brittani said:

We honestly just started the K1 process but I was just curious how others felt about this personally. At this point we think it's best that my fiance just continue renewing the greencard once he gets it and keep his United Kingdom citizenship. I understand it's a long time to think about but I'm just curious to hear from others. Is that even allowed? To just keep renewing the 10 year greencard over the years? Or is it required to apply for citizenship after so long?

 

The only reason we see that best for us is because we may want to move to England one day after our children are adults, it's doubtful but I do adore it over there so I wouldn't rule it out completely. Has anyone else ever done this before?

 

Please no negative feedback, just asking a general question.

 

Thanks in advance!

You can renew your green card until the end of time. But you'll have to pay the renewal fee over and over and keep going through the USCIS process. If you can get dual citizenship, it's a better option (my opinion). With a GC, if you leave for 6+ months, including living abroad, you will lose your GC and have to start the entire process over again with an CR1 visa, etc.

[Brittani 484]

1 minute ago, GreatDane said:

You can renew your green card until the end of time. But you'll have to pay the renewal fee over and over and keep going through the USCIS process. If you can get dual citizenship, it's a better option (my opinion). With a GC, if you leave for 6+ months, including living abroad, you will lose your GC and have to start the entire process over again with an CR1 visa, etc.

Sheesh, hate that everything is so difficult but that comes with the whole "this is not a right, it's a privilege". Honestly, as long as we are together that is all that matters to me. We'll probably quite happily enjoy going for visits.

Thank you!

[caliliving 606]

26 minutes ago, Brittani said:

We honestly just started the K1 process but I was just curious how others felt about this personally. At this point we think it's best that my fiance just continue renewing the greencard once he gets it and keep his United Kingdom citizenship. I understand it's a long time to think about but I'm just curious to hear from others. Is that even allowed? To just keep renewing the 10 year greencard over the years? Or is it required to apply for citizenship after so long?

 

The only reason we see that best for us is because we may want to move to England one day after our children are adults, it's doubtful but I do adore it over there so I wouldn't rule it out completely. Has anyone else ever done this before?

 

Please no negative feedback, just asking a general question.

 

Thanks in advance!

my uncle has had his greencard for years and travels back and forth between canada/usa no issues. i am not looking to get citizenship any time soon either (except to apply for Survivor)
 

IMO - if you are not an overstay you can move to a VWP country (UK) and give up your greencard and not have issues

if you overstyed before getting the greencard, once you leave for more then a year and give up the greencard you will never get another tourist visa!!! that is the issue.  you have been flagged and your name will come up! so that is the issues with overstaying a b2 visa. 

[caliliving 606]

32 minutes ago, Brittani said:

We honestly just started the K1 process but I was just curious how others felt about this personally. At this point we think it's best that my fiance just continue renewing the greencard once he gets it and keep his United Kingdom citizenship. I understand it's a long time to think about but I'm just curious to hear from others. Is that even allowed? To just keep renewing the 10 year greencard over the years? Or is it required to apply for citizenship after so long?

 

The only reason we see that best for us is because we may want to move to England one day after our children are adults, it's doubtful but I do adore it over there so I wouldn't rule it out completely. Has anyone else ever done this before?

 

Please no negative feedback, just asking a general question.

 

Thanks in advance!

This is an interesting topic you brought up because people do not think about the reprocusions about overstaying. 

[Brittani 484]

1 minute ago, caliliving said:

my uncle has had his greencard for years and travels back and forth between canada/usa no issues. i am not looking to get citizenship any time soon either (except to apply for Survivor)
 

IMO - if you are not an overstay you can move to a VWP country (UK) and give up your greencard and not have issues

if you overstyed before getting the greencard, once you leave for more then a year and give up the greencard you will never get another tourist visa!!! that is the issue.  you have been flagged and your name will come up! so that is the issues with overstaying a b2 visa. 

Yeah, that's what he's been coming back and forth on is the tourist and you get 90 days and he always stays roughly 70-80 days just because you never know what could happen as far as weather and flights. It's horrible. I so wish they would extend it to 6 months like the UK's that would be amazing. 

 

We honestly probably will just do the renew the greencard over and over option.

 

Thanks!

[Brittani 484]

Just now, caliliving said:

This is an interesting topic you brought up because people do not think about the reprocusions about overstaying. 

Oh, I know. Try explaining it to what I call "normal" people. You know people who don't deal with long distance and have no understanding haha. Not meant to insult them or us in anyway though. My family, friends, coworkers always ask "ugh why can't Stephen stay longer?" as if it's up to him like he is the one doing the deciding. I'm like hmmm well he can go back for a few months or he can overstay and get banned for up to years and pretty much screw his chances of ever getting to stay permanently.

[caliliving 606]

1 minute ago, Brittani said:

Oh, I know. Try explaining it to what I call "normal" people. You know people who don't deal with long distance and have no understanding haha. Not meant to insult them or us in anyway though. My family, friends, coworkers always ask "ugh why can't Stephen stay longer?" as if it's up to him like he is the one doing the deciding. I'm like hmmm well he can go back for a few months or he can overstay and get banned for up to years and pretty much screw his chances of ever getting to stay permanently.

but he has a greencard so their is no overstaying. 

 

what i am saying is that PRIOR to his greencard did he overstay?? 

Edited November 4, 2017 by caliliving

[NikLR 13,220]

It's not like he would be giving up UK citizenship by one day becoming a US citizen.  Never having to worry about visas or the VWP and all that entails is a powerful attractant for people. 

As a Canadian citizen who doesn't even need to worry about the VWP, citizenship holds even less appeal to me. 

People who travel tend to like having US citizenship too but it looks like Germany is the newest most powerful passport.

 

The world's 25 most powerful passports

1. Germany, 176 countries can be visited without a visa

2. Sweden, 175

=3. Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain, United States, 174

=8. Austria, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, United Kingdom, 173

=16. Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, 172

=19. Canada, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, 171

=23. Australia, South Korea, 170

25. Iceland, 169

 

But in all honesty most countries tend to like you more without the American flag on your backpack.  

 

yes you can constantly renew every 10 years. i know people that have for 40 years from the UK that have no interest in being a US citizen. 

[JFH 12,189]

He doesn't need to give up his British citizenship if he naturalises here. He can be a dual citizen. 

 

It's a very interesting topic and one I am mulling over in my head a lot at the moment. Although I think I probably would take citizenship so that I can be sure I won't have to ever leave the USA (my husband has a felony and has a lifetime ban from the U.K. and would struggle to be able to move elsewhere so it's important for me that I can stay here indefinitely and with no chance of being removed) I am not too thrilled about becoming an American and having to pledge allegiance. The U.K. will always be home to me and will always come first. But, as with many things in this process, I'll go through the motions that I have to do in order for us to be together. I also know how Americans are viewed by many other nations in the world and although I don't believe in stereotypes there's no smoke without fire and I would hate to be seen that way by other countries. 

 

I wish I could have stayed 70 to 80 days per visit! I visited 40 times in the 5 years before I moved here but my longest trip here was 3 weeks (and 10 days if that was with work and then I added some personal time on the end to be able to spend time with my husband). Who does your fiancé work for? I need to work for a company with that amount of vacation! 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

6 hours ago, Brittani said:

We honestly just started the K1 process but I was just curious how others felt about this personally. At this point we think it's best that my fiance just continue renewing the greencard once he gets it and keep his United Kingdom citizenship. I understand it's a long time to think about but I'm just curious to hear from others. Is that even allowed? To just keep renewing the 10 year greencard over the years? Or is it required to apply for citizenship after so long?

 

The only reason we see that best for us is because we may want to move to England one day after our children are adults, it's doubtful but I do adore it over there so I wouldn't rule it out completely. Has anyone else ever done this before?

 

Please no negative feedback, just asking a general question.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

I am from the UK and became a US citizen approximately 3 yrs 7 mos after my K1 entrance. I do not have to continue to renew a greencard or deal with USCIS. I can leave the country and come back on my American passport anytime I want ...6 weeks, 6 months, 6 years...it does not matter. With a greencard, you have restrictions to follow or you lose your permanent residency. 

 

I also continue to be a British citizen. I hold US and UK passports. Your fiancé should do the same. I definitely consider the US "home" now because I have put down roots here. And I still feel very British. The choice to naturalise was a practical one, and not about ideology of more allegiance to one or the other. 

Edited November 4, 2017 by Wuozopo

[Scandi 3,970]

I'm never giving up my Swedish citizenship but it won't stop me from filing for US citizenship when that day comes, if approved I'll just have double citizenship.

 

You mention that your fiancé doesn't want to apply for a US citizenship because you might want to move to England one day. I say that's a good reason to actually get a US citizenship. What if you stay in England for 3 years or whatever and really don't feel at home there and want to come back to the US (I have seen countless of these cases in Swedish groups on Facebook)? A US citizenship would make that process so much easier, and I believe the greencard is even seen as "abandoned" after you being abroad for a few years, then you would have to start over with the whole visa/greencard ordeal. A double citizenship could make things so much easier in that regard, your fiancé could move back to the US just as easy as you.

[Lemonslice 4,549]

Anyone with assets, or income that is a little higher, should also carefully analyze the financial repercussions. 

[Lee & Lei 42]

The US cannot make you renounce your home country citizenship, even though they "recommend it." 

 

It's up to your home country whether THEY allow you to be a dual citizen. The only exception is if you want to work in a US government job that requires a security clearance -- you cannot be a dual citizen and hold a security clearance. 

Edited November 4, 2017 by Lee & Lei

[Boiler 43,396]

Most I have come across is someone with 6, reminds me I need to renew my Passport.