Citizenship VS Greencard Opinions?

[-Trinity- 513]

1 hour ago, mallafri76 said:

I’ll become a USC because it’ll allow my husband and I to move to Sweden for three years, so he can get Swedish citizenship. After that, we can pretty much move anywhere in the world. 😊

My husband and me talked about this too, he would like to obtain Dutch citizenship. But we have some couple years more to figure this out.

[Jamnan_n_Steve 17]

Seeing as you have plenty of time to decide I would review your respective pension rights as green card holders in some countries face additional hurdles to receiving US Social Security and that right is more subject to change than the right is a US citizen (e.g. current tax bill will disqualify parents without papers who file taxes with a taxpayer ID from claiming child credit for their US citizen children).

 

On the other hand both US citizens and green card holders are subject to US financial reporting and tax laws which can make your financial, estate, and retirement planning much more complicated assuming you accrue assets and rights during your life here.

 

For us it was clear that citizenship was preferable but every situation needs to be evaluated based on the particulars of family, finances, and flag.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

4 hours ago, Andrina said:

I know for Germany I would have had to apply to keep my German citizenship. That's why I didn't bother with it. 

How complicated is it to apply to retain it? I also have to do so for SA but it’s just filling in a form and paying a fee. 

 

I personally see very little downside to dual citizenship. I can understand reluctance to naturalize more if one has to renounce country-of-origin citizenship. 

[Wuozopo 4,285]

The OP IS British. The Brits never mark you off their roles unless you fill out a form and pay money to renounce your British citizenship. You can get your British pension in the US. I plan to get my private pension and full state pension. If eligible for Social Security in the US, it is reduced by what you get in UK state pension, but not your private pension. But chances are if you have 30 years paid into National Insurance, then you are most likely semi retired in the US anyway and won't have a huge amount of Social Security wages or time to build them up significantly. Basically you can't double dip and get full UK State pension and your full allowed Social Security benefits. You make choices. Everybody in the UK gets a flat fee state pension depending on years paid in.  US Social Security is based on earnings. A high wage earner will get more SS because he paid in more than a minimum wage earner. Most here on VJ are youngsters and probably won't have enough NI built up to worry about a state pension. Their potential is more likely in US Social Security being their only choice. 

[little immigrant 800]

1 hour ago, SusieQQQ said:

How complicated is it to apply to retain it? I also have to do so for SA but it’s just filling in a form and paying a fee. 

 

I personally see very little downside to dual citizenship. I can understand reluctance to naturalize more if one has to renounce country-of-origin citizenship. 

I would have to convince the German government that I have good reasons to keep it. There is even a chance that they deny you. 

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

I'm a little confused why this was even a concern, tons of us are British/American citizens, myself and most of my family included (some of them are Australian rather than American, but you get the drift).    Denmark finally allowed dual citizenship a couple of years ago for adults, so my husband will have both.  

 

We wouldn't keep it just to move back per se, as starting life over in other country is silly at this point in our lives - we have a house, community connections, my husband has a career, etc.  I honestly think it is a little jarring moving country to country and should only be reserved for the young or those with really extenuating circumstances.

 

Several pluses to US citizenship for us are: inability to get deported (theoretically there are a few situations, but we'll ignore those) and ability to work at US government facilities as a contractor.  We live near a military base and several installations and it is possible my husband could be assigned to do a project there, but wouldn't be able to as a LPR.  Then, of course, there is voting and ability to travel back for an extended period to maybe care for an ailing parent without concern for re-entry issues.

[Brittani 484]

14 hours ago, JFH said:

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! 

He works in construction driving the big machine/heavy equipment and is actually considered a "self employee". If he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid to keep it simple. He is 37 years old and has been working for his "boss" (his company) since he was 16 years old so he thinks a lot of him and he's good at what he does.

[Brittani 484]

3 hours ago, Wuozopo said:

The OP IS British. The Brits never mark you off their roles unless you fill out a form and pay money to renounce your British citizenship. You can get your British pension in the US. I plan to get my private pension and full state pension. If eligible for Social Security in the US, it is reduced by what you get in UK state pension, but not your private pension. But chances are if you have 30 years paid into National Insurance, then you are most likely semi retired in the US anyway and won't have a huge amount of Social Security wages or time to build them up significantly. Basically you can't double dip and get full UK State pension and your full allowed Social Security benefits. You make choices. Everybody in the UK gets a flat fee state pension depending on years paid in.  US Social Security is based on earnings. A high wage earner will get more SS because he paid in more than a minimum wage earner. Most here on VJ are youngsters and probably won't have enough NI built up to worry about a state pension. Their potential is more likely in US Social Security being their only choice. 

Well, I am I guess a "youngster" haha but my fiance however is 37 and has been working since he was 15/16 years old so not quite 30 years but a decent time. So basically all he would do is just apply for citizenship here after having a greencard for so long and that's it? 

[Brittani 484]

6 hours ago, mallafri76 said:

I’ll become a USC because it’ll allow my husband and I to move to Sweden for three years, so he can get Swedish citizenship. After that, we can pretty much move anywhere in the world. 😊

 

Also, as a USC, you’re allowed to vote and have a say in how your community, state and country is run. Plus you can get jury duty. I’ve always wanted to do that. 😃

 

But if you want to, you can keep extending your permanent resident card indefinitely. 

 

I don’t blame you for wanting to move back to England at some point, I lived there for six years and feel more at home in Britain than I do in my home country Sweden. 😊 The UK is a very beautiful and interesting country. So much history and the countryside is just breathtaking. 

Oh it's so wonderful and see I am the definition of a small town American girl. Up until my fiance I only traveled to my state's capitol and lived in metro cities to the big capitol for a couple of years. My town consists of less than 4,000 people but when I finally got to go over there I fell in love. I enjoyed visiting London though I could never live there. WAY to rush, rush and expensive for me but love day trips there.

[Brittani 484]

I never expected all the feedback but it was honestly very insightful. Thank you everyone, so glad I asked!!

[Diane and Chris 651]

15 hours ago, JFH said:

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.

While I understand that your country of origin will always be your home, I don’t understand why you would not want to be a naturalized US citizen. IMO, if you are not too thrilled about pledging allegiance, then you probably shouldn’t. The United States needs citizens that really want to be citizens. I couldn’t be more proud to be an American.  

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Edited.

Edited November 5, 2017 by N-o-l-a
wrong

[JFH 12,189]

5 hours ago, Diane and Chris said:

While I understand that your country of origin will always be your home, I don’t understand why you would not want to be a naturalized US citizen. IMO, if you are not too thrilled about pledging allegiance, then you probably shouldn’t. The United States needs citizens that really want to be citizens. I couldn’t be more proud to be an American.  

You don't need to understand. The OP asked for opinions and I gave mine. I'm pleased you're proud to be an American. My experience with the government of this country may have been different from yours. So my opinion on citizenship of a nation that has made some of the decisions that it has is bound to be different from yours. I don't think you get to decide who should and shouldn't be a citizen (ironically that's one of the attitudes here that I was referring to that makes he not want to take citizenship) but I thank you for taking the time to recommend that I shouldn't. 

[Brittani 484]

Please no arguing guys. I do agree in patriotism but I also agree in one's own opinions and after all that's what it's all about.

[JFH 12,189]

 

6 hours ago, Brittani said:

Well, I am I guess a "youngster" haha but my fiance however is 37 and has been working since he was 15/16 years old so not quite 30 years but a decent time. So basically all he would do is just apply for citizenship here after having a greencard for so long and that's it? 

He can apply for citizenship three years less 90 days after the "resident since" date on his green card, assuming you two are still married. If you are no longer married at that point, he has to wait until 5 years less 90 days from his "residence since" date. There are certain requirements regarding character, physical presence in the USA, etc and he needs to know some basic civics stuff. There is also an English language requirement but that's not usually an issue for Brits.