Dual Citizenship Problems

Dual citizenship is when a person maintains citizenship in two countries. This is possible because citizenship is determined your parents' country of birth, your country of birth or your spouse's country of birth. Maintaining a dual citizenship comes with a unique set of problems.

Employment

Maintaining a dual citizenship can cause problems for people who desire a job with a country's government. Security clearance can be denied to those who maintain a dual citizenship. This is done to protect sensitive information from foreign powers. In the United States, there is not a blanket rule which would prevent employment with a state or federal department but the Bureau of Diplomatic Security must be involved in evaluating applicants and overseeing their security clearance.

Conscription

Many countries beside the U.S. and Canada require a period of military service from citizens or hold a national draft (conscription) for military service. Citizens are legally required to respond to a call to service and failure to do so could lead to imprisonment in the country of origin. Serving in a foreign military causes a United States citizen to lose their citizenship permanently.

Taxation

Many countries require you to pay taxes on income earned at home and abroad. Dual citizens may owe taxes in both countries. Legal counsel should always be consulted when determining what tax liabilities a citizen is responsible for in each country when dual citizenship is maintained. Failure to do so can lead to lawsuits, fines and imprisonment.

References

• U.S. Department of State: Advice About Possible Loss of U.S. Citizenship and Dual Nationality
• U.S. Department of State: Dual Citizenship- Security Clearance Implications
• Government of Canada: Dual Citizenship- What You Should Know