If a US Citizen Becomes a Citizen of Another Country is Anything Lost Here?>>>>>>>>>>
Not according to international law, but citizenship in another country of a US citizen is not recognized by US law, except in very limited instances.It is possible to conduct oi=neself as a foreign citizen so that one can loose US citizenship, but generally a court hearing and due process are required for a loss of US citizenship.
It used to be that an American could not take another citizenship.
But that is long gone.
Dual Citizenship is a lie. One can not be a loyal citizen to two different countries, because their is the possibility that those two countries are or will be opposed to one another.
But it is a lie that many sophisticated people are comfortable telling, so I guess there is no downside... except for all the lying.
There are thousands of dual nationals working in the Federal Gov’t. Many dual nationals hold top security clearances.
One can even serve in a foreign military and hold top US security clearance.
A neighbor, from Barcelona told me he is now collecting SS benefits from Spain and the USA...
Under Mexican law, a person born in the US of Mexican parents is automatically a Mexican citizen.
Is there any downside to taking on another citizenship?
If a person is retired military, he will forfeit his retired status (DoD FMR Vol 7:
060101. Overview
The right to retired pay based on years of active service or disability for Regular or Reserve officers and Regular enlisted personnel, is generally contingent upon the continuation of their military status.
A. Article I, section 9, clause 8 of the Constitution of the United States prohibits any person "holding any Office of Profit or Trust" under the United States from accepting any present, emolument, office or title, "of any kind whatever," from a foreign government without the consent of Congress. This provision prohibits employment by a foreign government of retired personnel with a continuing military status, including Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve, unless prior congressional consent is granted. Without prior congressional consent, it also subjects such persons to withholding of their retired pay in an amount equal to the amounts received from the foreign government. This constitutional provision also considers retired regular officer and enlisted members of regular components to hold an office under the U.S. military.
B. While receiving retired pay, a retiree remains subject to rules, regulations, and recall to active duty as required. A retired member of the Armed Forces who becomes a citizen of a foreign country by naturalization and who voluntarily renounces his or her U.S. citizenship loses the right to retired pay when entitlement to the retired pay depends upon the retiree’s continued military status.
C. The effect of a member’s loss of U.S. citizenship upon payment of retired pay must be determined by reviewing each case according to individual circumstances, governing laws and regulations.
As far as social security and medicare, the biggest question becomes one of residence rather than citizenship. Receiving social security is dependent upon whether you made the necessary 40 quarters of FICA "contributions", so unless you move to a country where the US is prohibited from having financial relationships -- like North Korea or Iran -- there shouldn't be an issue (and even if you do, if you were to have your check deposited in a bank in a country where we do have a relationship, there should still be no issue).
On the other hand, Medicare would be considerably more complicated. If you hypothetically renounced your US citizenship and then turned around and got a residence visa or green card, you'd still be able to use Medicare (as, so far as I know, is based upon whether you made the necessary "contributions" or not). However, so far as I know, Medicare doesn't cover hospital or doctor visits outside the US, so whether you're a citizen or not, you'd be SOL if you are overseas.
As far as other Federal benefits, I would refer you to 8 U.S. Code Chapter 14 Subchapter I - ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL BENEFITS. Having said that, unless the plan would be to renounce your citizenship and then turn around and apply for a residence visa or Green Card, the point would be moot, as most of those benefits are contingent upon residence vice citizenship.
BTW, all of the above is my opinion. I am neither an attorney nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. Therefore, those opinions plus about $5 will get you a cup of coffee.
You can not serve two masters.
It’s almost Biblical.
If you get citizenship automatically, as in marriage to a UK citizen, or by birth, no problem. But if you apply, you have to denounce US citizenship. when we returned to the Philippines, as a returning citizen he was automatically given his Philippine citizenship back but kept his US citizenship. Since only locals can own land etc that left him own our house. However, I am ineligible for Philippine citizenship unless I give up my US passport. it varies from country to country, and children of US citizens born overseas often end up dual citizens automaticaĺy.
When I was in the seminary (this was back in the early 70s) a classmate of mine got an official-looking letter from Italy. My friend was born in Queens New York and is an American citizen. His parents were naturalized Americans who had emigrated from Italy.
The letter was in Italian, and he only knew a bit of the language so he handed it to his father. It was a draft notice - he was being drafted into the Italian Army! The letter ordered him to report to such-and-such location in Caserta Province (where his parents were from) in a month, or face arrest.
Apparently, when they were naturalized, his parents (or someone in the US government) neglected to inform the Italian government of the family’s status. Thus, to Italy, everyone was still Italian citizens, and my friend was subject to the draft.
Several trips to the Italian Embassy eventually straightened things out (whether it helped that my friend was in the seminary, I don’t know).
The US recognizes dual nationality.
I do remember when there was no such thing as dual citizenship. I thought it would need Constitutional change for a US citizen to take on a second citizenship or visa versus. When did it change and why?
No, you do not lose anything - except being owned by one country.
Second citizenship provides a level of freedom of travel and opportunity you can not have with just one citizenship.
If your friend does not live in the U.K., he will not pay income taxes there (unlike citizens of the US and Eritrea - the two countries that require taxes regardless of residency).
A U.K. Passport is a valuable travel document and can be passed to the next generation in most cases when citizenship by descent is involved.
That person loses no benefit earned in the US, like Social Security.
Now that the US has given itself the power to deny free travel if you owe taxes or alimony or a growing list of other reasons, I would encourage your friend to get this citizenship/passport as “emergency equipment.”
Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
I know of a girl that has Tri-citizenship. Her dad was a dual citizen of US and another country, her mom was from a third country, and the girl was born in the Mom’s country.
So the girl has 3 passports (I have personally seen all 3).
Based on this case, I would guess it possible to have quad citizenship if both parents were dual citizens of different countries.
As long as we keep USA citizenship too, we pay double taxes... :/
I believe as long as you are technically a US citizen then each year if your uncommons over something like $80,000 US dollars in that year then you do you would owe taxes.
and there is still a yearly income reporting requirement though each year that you are outside of the USA you will qualify for something like a 6 week or 3-month extension for your 1040, or whatever.
The really big deterrent to overseas living ever since Obama is that the vast majority of banks don’t want to open accounts for people with a US passport:
the US government imposes extremely onerous reporting requirements on them. For them such reporting is a nightmare and if they don’t do it the US Government Can impose extremely stiff penalties upon them, penalties that are hair-raising.
so a lot of banks simply will not open accounts for Americans.
It used to be completely the opposite, the time erican clients were actively courted, but now we are the leper/AIDS victims of the banking world.
If you renounce your U.S. citizenship you are no longer eligible for most benefits, including Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps & so on. About the only thing you retain is Social Security. That you get to keep. Not sure if you lose veteran’s bennies if you renounce.
No, but if you sneak in here Illegally, you get a whole bunch of stuff.