Dual Citizenship

WHAT IS DUAL CITIZENSHIP?

Dual citizenship means that an individual is a citizen of two countries at the same time.  Sometimes dual citizenship occurs as an operation of law.  For example, a child born in the U.S. to foreign parents is usually both a citizen of the U.S. and his or her parents’ home country.

U.S. DUAL CITIZENSHIP

While some countries do not allow their citizens to hold citizenship in other nations, the U.S. government allows, but does not encourage, dual citizenship. It is important to understand that the U.S. does not have jurisdiction to take away another country’s citizenship from those who wish to naturalize.  Thus, an individual who becomes a U.S. citizen through naturalization may keep his or her original citizenship provided that the country of original citizenship does not prohibit dual citizenship.

Dual citizenship may also expose an individual to additional liabilities, including taxation.  Because dual citizenship carries unique rights and responsibilities, it is important to consider naturalization carefully.  It is equally important to understand the effect of naturalizing on one’s original citizenship.   As practitioners of U.S. immigration law, the attorneys at Curray York & Associates do not advise clients as to the laws of their country of origin.

Dual citizens should be aware that most countries have de-naturalization statutes that govern when a person loses his or her citizenship based on a particular action. An example of an action that could subject a person to losing their citizenship is serving in a foreign army.