Dual Citizenship

Many immigrants are hesitant about becoming U.S. citizens because they don’t want to give up their home country’s citizenship. While it would be great to have all the rights of a U.S. citizen, you might not want to give up all the rights you have as a citizen of your home country.

The good news is that the U.S. does not place any restrictions on dual/triple citizenship! It is a common misconception that to become a U.S. citizen, the U.S. government forces you to give up the citizenship of your home country. In fact, even the language in the “Oath of Allegiance,” which Naturalized citizens must take during their Naturalization ceremony, is a bit misleading. To become a U.S. citizen you are required to state in a formal ceremony that you “absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen.” However, despite this strong statement, the U.S. immigration system actually does allow you to have multiple citizenships at the same time, without restriction.

It’s important to note, though, that not all other countries allow dual citizenship, so it’s essential that you research the dual citizenship laws and policies for your home country. Many countries take a similar approach to the U.S. and do not have restrictions on dual citizenship, but others do not allow dual citizenship under any circumstances, forcing their citizens to choose between becoming a U.S. citizen or keeping the citizenship of their home country.

There are also many countries that allow dual citizenship only in certain circumstances, or require that you complete a special application before applying for U.S. citizenship. It is important to confirm what your options are before proceeding with a U.S. citizenship application. A good place to start is by contacting your home country’s embassy or consulate.

As long as you confirm with certainty that your home country allows dual citizenship for someone in your exact circumstances, then you don’t have to do anything extra through the U.S.-immigration system to become a dual (or triple!) citizen. As soon as you receive your Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization from the U.S. government, you’d simply automatically be a dual citizen.

Testimonials

Request a Consultation