Is There Still Duel Citizenship?

00.12.02 | mlmr

[mlmr]

I just talked to a girlhood friend who is living in England. Circumstances have changed in her life, impending divorce!! and I asked her whether she would have to move back to the States. She said she is a citizen of England, and then explained that she now holds duel citizenship. She said it was a secret that the US state department doesn't want known...that US citizens can hold two citizenships at once...in this case British and American. Recently I was told by someone else that there are not more Canadian duel citizenships. Can anyone tell us more about duel citizenship in our government?

Thank you.

[mlmr]

All you have to do is to be married to a British citizen and live in the UK for three years and not be insane, etc

I cannot vouch for her sanity, as she is a leftist radical, but she did everything else right!

[ModernDayCato]

Bad duel jokes aside, I can help you out here. My wife is a British Crown subject. When she inquired about American citizenship, she was told by the Americans that she would lose her British citizenship if she was naturalized.

The British found this quite amusing. It's very simple ... the Americans cannot strip her of her British citizenship; only the Crown can.

So even though we claim dual citizenship is impossible, it is very possible. I talked her out of becoming an American citizen.

[Paleo Conservative]

Yes, but you must bring your own pistol.

LOL!

[Nellie 01]

Do people make these spelling mistakes on purpose?

[Lunatic Fringe]

Yes, under the Burr-Hamilton Act.

Good one...

[mlmr]

The post got moved to the Cheese-hole becasue I howeled at Illbay.

What a bore!

[Paleo Conservative]

Duelling is illegal in America, thus, no duel citizenship.

Is there a federal law on duelling, or is it illegal in all states?

[mlmr]

Do people make these spelling mistakes on purpose?

Absolutely! I sit around at night and dream up spelling errors to annoy the persnickity at Free Republic. Never mind what I plan for the self-appointed Proctors.

[PAR35]

You cannot become an American citizen through naturalization, however, and MAINTAIN a second citizenship, because your naturalization process requires you to renounce all foreign allegiances.

Not necessarily true. It depends on the law of the forign country. It is harder to lose citizenship some places than other. Mexico, as I recall, now specifically allows Mexicans to retain Mexican citizenship (and voting rights) when they become U.S. Citizens. There are also circumstances involving naturalization of children.

The citizenship Oath:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I 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; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. In acknowledgement whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

[Illbay]

This isn't the "Cheese Hole." It's "General Interest," the place where questions and discussions like yours belong.

If you get an answer to your question, what's your gripe?

Sometimes I think that people just want to see themselves "in print."

[mlmr]

As I said, you're a bore.

[Texas_Jarhead]

I doubt the founders would have approved of dual citizenry

[Cagey]

"Hold Muh Dualing Pistola Alert"

[mlmr]

Of course there is always Dual Diagnosis in the mental health field. It means substance abuse and someother major diagosis, like bipolar, Major Depression....

[sourcery]

If I ever have some wealth to hide I will certainly look them up...

Their focus is certainly on individual privacy and asset protection, but they do have the answers to your questions about dual citizenship (probably in far greater detail than you needed).

[struggle]

Yes, DUEL citizenship is allowed. My friend Kyo is the son of a Japanese family, but was born in Long Beach, California. In Japan, your citizenship is determined by a Koseki, a geneological tract of your family extending back generations. He was born in America and raised in Japan, thereby making him dual. On a side note, he is the laziest guy in the world, yet his grandfather is a "living treasure" in Japan, an award given to those whose exceed in some field, in his case Mashiko Pottery.

[mlmr]

Mashiko Pottery

a beautiful form of pottery I was recently introduced to. A number of potters I know studied in Japan. Beautiful work there...

[Restorer]

Winston Churchill held dual American and British citizenship as a minor. His mother was an American citizen.

When he turned 21, he chose to be a British citizen.

Our loss.

[SunnyUsa]

"Yes, but you must bring your own pistol. "

Very funny!!!

[bvw]

I hope you got a reasonable answer -- and thanks for the funny mistake, that allows us all to have fun with. This is the kind if question an official answer is the best for resolving. You can contact the embassey or local consulate of the country you want to "dualize" with, as well as our own state department, local passport office or local US representative.