Pros vs. Cons of US Citizenship

[Nat & Mark 4]

My husband has been debating whether to apply for Citizenship or not. I told him whatever he decides to do I will support him.

 

What would be the advantages of him applying for Citizenship and what would be the disadvantages?

 

Thank you in advance for advice and information!

[Verrou 1,898]

i think the difference probably as citizen he can vote and also he can get a job that sometimes require being citizen. other than that,  its the same as green card holder 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

Nita applied for citizenship due to how estate assets and social security are handled for non-citizens (my idea not hers 😂)  

That is the main benefit and it is not talked about very often here.

 

Advised to do research.  

[aaron2020 11,651]

PROs.

A US citizen can't be deported and never has to deal with US immigration.  A green card holder can be deported and has to renew his green card every 10 years.

A US citizen can vote.  An LPR could get in lots of trouble for voting.  

A US citizen can live outside the US and has the right to enter the US.  A green card holder must live in the US and have trouble entering the US especially if he is outside the US for more than a year.

Some jobs require US citizenship.  

 

CONS.

A US citizen must report worldwide income.  An LPR does too.  However, the LPR can escape US taxation by giving up his LPR status.  

 

Getting US citizenship may result in losing foreign citizenship when those foreign countries do not allow for dual citizenship (China, Japan, etc.).

[Coco8 1,039]

I think it makes it easier to have a current passport and it's easier to have multiple US IDs. With the GC you constantly rely on that single document and if you misplace it,  it's a bit hassle.

[YecaCruz 374]

Big pro: (as previously mentioned)

 

freedom to travel / live in another country without worrying about maintaining the greencard. That's the primary reason why my husband went all the way with US citizenship. We want to live in Nicaragua one day. Being able to come and go to the US without having to apply for a tourist visa AND ever having to deal with US immigrations and their ever increasing wait times and fees is freeing!

[Pats5415 97]

My opinion: If you immigrate here and have the opportunity to become a citizen you might as well go all the way. It's absolutely worth it with all the examples listed In this post, especially not having to deal with immigration anymore. 

[Mike E 11,722]

2 hours ago, Nat & Mark said:

What would be the advantages of him applying for Citizenship and what would be the disadvantages?

Pros:

• Right to vote
• Opportunity to hold public office
• Opportunity to most jobs in federal government that are denied to non-citizens
• Right to some jobs in state and local government that are denied to non-citizens
• A single $500 traffic offense can in theory be enough to deport an LPR. The USA has lots of laws and eventually everyone breaks one of them
• Opportunity to petition a K-1 fiance(e)
• Opportunity to petition certain relatives that LPRs cannot
• Higher preference category for certain other family petitions
• Two passports means when one isn't available (being renewed, waiting on a visa stamp, lost, stolen), the other can be used to travel. E.g. if US passport is not available, use the UK passport to enter Mexico or Canada by land, and fly from there. On the return, walk into the USA with photo copy of the naturalization cert, suffer an hour in secondary, and head home.
• REAL-ID renewals are simpler (assuming you believe the government won't keep kicking the REAL-ID mandate down the road). Personally I will avoid REAL-ID for as long as possible.
• Mortgage applications since the PATRIOT act are easier for citizens
• No requirement to carry proof of lawful presence within the USA. Handy if you find yourself in an internal CBP check point
• Flexibility to travel internationally without worrying about the 180 day rule, the one year rule, the 2 year rule, and 50% rule
• Your spouse appears to be a UK citizen, and so the visa waivers are pretty much the same. Still from time to time there are significant differences with specific countries of destination: visa fees, authorized stay, etc. Remember the year Turkey and the USA stopped issuing visas to each other's citizens? Didn't affect me as a Canadian citizen. OTOH while I was an LPR, for a time, Canada and the gulf states were having a diplomatic row, and I wasn't able to transit through them.
• Easy for citizens to get a 10 year visa for India
• It is somewhat easier for US citizens to draw social security while abroad than it is for LPRs 
• Some states deny Medicaid (not the same as Medicare for which LPRs qualify)
• LPRs do get discriminated against in the work place, by land lords, lenders, etc. In some cases this is illegal and in others it is a grey area. Being a citizen takes care of that
• Security clearances are easier
• Certain federal offices are denied to LPRs. As a worker with a green card I could not visit NSA offices and some national laboratories.
• USA airports are constantly tweaking the passport control lanes. Sometimes citizens and LPRs can use the same lanes, and sometimes they cannot.
• CBP officers actually hate LPRs, which surprised me when I read this admission:  
   

Cons:

• Must serve on juries. In 2020, I was on call for state and federal jury duty and being stranded for two weeks was a drag. And that was with Covid. It will be worse post-Covid.
• Passport fees basically double 
• Renouncing green card status is cheaper than renouncing US citizenship
• Some customer related job tasks at some employers require "US Citizens on US soil".  As one of the few US citizens where I work, I get stuck with software bug troubleshooting while the non-citizens get to work on cool stuff. 
• Presenting a green card upon returning to the USA is just easier than handing over a passport. 

Non Issues / No difference

• There is a myth that being a US citizen means you have to suddenly pay / file taxes on world wide income and thus that is a disadvantage relative to being an LPR. No, LPRs as US Persons are subject to the same rule
• LPRs, like citizens are subject to the same restrictions about traveling to Cuba
• FBAR/FATCA/FINCEN: same for both citizens and LPRs
• Global Entry: yes LPRs can get it

 

Edited May 6, 2021 by Mike E

[Wuozopo 4,285]

As an Englishman, I celebrate 9 years as a US citizen next week. I applied as soon as I was eligible. I see it as holding two passports, not disloyalty to queen or country or some moral dilemma. The British will never mark you off their list. You go through the short line arriving at Heathrow using the British passport. Wife can go through that line with you. You go through the short line entering the US with the American passport. 

I am happy to be free of USCIS forever. You never know how politics will change and how immigration will go in the future. I can always come and go or live in either country at will. If my mum needs extended help at some point, I can stay as long as needed and not worry about re-entry paperwork, etc. I have no intention of moving back to England permanently but I could. Then I could change my mind and move back to the US without anything to do but get out my American passport and go to the airport. if I lived and worked in the UK, I would file a short US return yearly showing my UK income, then exclude it, and owe zero US taxes. 
 

I will collect my UK private pensions and State pension here in the US as I have all my years in.  I’ve already voted for US President in three elections. It’s made me more interested in US government. I still watch the Queen’s speech every Christmas morning. (9am for me).  I can’t say I have experienced any cons really. 
 

 

[Lemonslice 4,549]

If you plan to retire abroad, or have more than very basics assets/income, it is totally worth consulting with someone well versed in tax agreement, estate taxation, etc.  The pros for one might be the nightmare of the other... 

 

Good luck. 

[HKS 169]

This comment is not for OP, but for some ppl in countries that have the following problem.....

If u are a citizen of a country that has one of the worse passports in the world, becoming a us citizen will allow you to travel to places that you wouldnt be able to on your birth passport. 
 

I just wanted to throw a pro out for others that may be reading this. 
 

 

[SuznAaron 121]

17 hours ago, Nat & Mark said:

My husband has been debating whether to apply for Citizenship or not. I told him whatever he decides to do I will support him.

 

What would be the advantages of him applying for Citizenship and what would be the disadvantages?

 

Thank you in advance for advice and information!

For us we want the ability to go back and forth between our countries without worry. If we want to live 6 month in Ireland we can, if we want to live 6 months here we will. 

[JeanneAdil 6,190]

1 hour ago, HKS said:

This comment is not for OP, but for some ppl in countries that have the following problem.....

If u are a citizen of a country that has one of the worse passports in the world, becoming a us citizen will allow you to travel to places that you wouldnt be able to on your birth passport. 
 

I just wanted to throw a pro out for others that may be reading this. 
 

 

Definitely a pro in all ways for immigrants like my Adil who is Moroccan

we couldn't have traveled to Europe without the US passport so easily 

and he was able to vote in last election 

if you live in any country,  you want to be part and have a say in what happens

As said "if you are not part of the solution,  you are part of the problem"

and we are so happy to not have to deal with Immigration 

[RLA 323]

18 hours ago, Nitas_man said:

Nita applied for citizenship due to how estate assets and social security are handled for non-citizens (my idea not hers 😂) 

Could you elaborate on that, please?  How are they handled differently?

[RLA 323]

16 hours ago, Mike E said:

• Mortgage applications since the PATRIOT act are easier for citizens

My wife and I got a mortgage last fall.  I don't remember that my not being a citizen made any difference.