Dual Citizenship Information

The U.S. is a country of immigrants.

Dual citizenship, or dual nationality, means that an individual is a citizen of two countries at the same time. According to the U.S. State Department, dual citizenship is legal in the U.S., though most governments--including ours--do not encourage people to seek it. Dual citizenship is tolerated in the U.S. if the arrangement is one of necessity due to the citizenship laws of another country.

Birthright citizenship

A person might find herself with dual citizenship by way of birth. A child born of two U.S. citizen parents is automatically a U.S. citizen. On the other hand, some governments--including Argentina, Canada and the U.S.--automatically grant citizenship to any baby born inside their borders. This policy is called "jus soli," which is Latin for "by soil." A baby born of two U.S. parents while in Canada would have dual citizenship.

Marriage

A person might also become a dual citizen through marriage. A U.S. citizen can marry a foreign citizen and gain citizenship in his spouse's country through marriage without losing the U.S. citizenship, thus becoming a dual citizen. Conversely, when a foreign citizen marries a U.S. citizen, he can eventually become a U.S. citizen without losing his original citizenship.

Naturalization and Dual Citizenship

The U.S. does not encourage dual citizenship. When an immigrant goes through naturalization and applies for U.S. citizenship, she is required to renounce her citizenship in her native country upon acceptance. However, the U.S. will not reject the candidate just because his country of birth still legally considers him a citizen.

Losing U.S. citizenship

One of the only ways to lose U.S. citizenship is to actively renounce the citizenship and take citizenship in a different country. However, the courts only recognize a formal "renouncement" as taking a "policy-level" position in a foreign country (e.g., becoming a legislator or ambassador). You could make public statements or oaths renouncing U.S. citizenship, but the U.S. would not legally recognize these.

Other ways to lose citizenship include treason and what the State Department terms "conduct ... so inconsistent with retention of U.S. citizenship that it compels a conclusion that [he] intended to relinquish U.S. citizenship." You may also request a form from a U.S. embassy to voluntarily renounce U.S. citizenship.

Responsibilities of a Dual Citizen

A dual citizen is subject to the laws of both countries in which she holds citizenship. You may need passports from both countries to enter and leave their borders, especially if the two countries do not allow free travel over each other's borders.

References

• U.S. State Department: Dual Citizenship
• U.S. State Department: Advice on Loss of Citizenship