American Dual Citizenship Laws

The U.S. policy concerning dual citizenship is best described as tolerance.

Dual citizenship, sometimes referred to as dual nationality, is when a person holds citizenship status with two countries at the same time. Dual citizenship is a relatively new concept not appearing until the 20th century. There are many arguments against dual citizenship, and no single world agreement has been made in favor of or against it. Dual citizenship can be obtained through birth or through naturalization depending on the second country's individual policy.

U.S. Policy

The laws of dual citizenship vary by country. Some countries recognize, some countries disallow and some countries neither allow nor disallow but simply fail to recognize. The United States rests in the third category; it is neither allowed nor disallowed. U.S. citizenship law does not state that it is illegal to be a citizen of two countries at once; however, it does not state permission to do so either. Therefore the policy in the United States is that dual citizenship is allowed though is not technically recognized. This means that an U.S. citizen can gain another citizenship without automatically losing U.S. citizenship, and foreign nationals can obtain U.S. citizenship without being forced to renounce their former ties. However, in the eyes of the U.S. government, you are nothing more than an U.S. citizen and must use your U.S. passport to enter the U.S.. U.S. policy rests on the fact that a person will never be required to give up his foreign citizenship in order to maintain or obtain a U.S. citizenship.

Foreign Country Policy

Though the dual citizenship law of the United States is "tolerance," other nations disallow dual citizenship. In cases where a country does not allow its citizens to hold a dual citizenship, either the automatic stripping of citizenship will occur upon obtaining a new one (such as obtaining U.S. citizenship) or the an applicant for citizenship will be required to renounce her former citizenship (such as an American being required to denounce her U.S. citizenship in order to gain citizenship of a country that does not allow dual citizenship). It is crucial that you seek the individual policy of the nation you have citizenship with or wish to obtain citizenship with before applying for citizenship of any country to avoid the possibility of a surprise renouncement requirement.

Diplomatic Protection

A person who holds dual citizenship with the United States is recognized as an U.S. citizen when in the United States; therefore, his diplomatic ties to the second country, such as France, are not recognized, and he is treated as an U.S. citizen and not as a French citizen. Furthermore, a U.S. citizen who holds a second citizenship, such as Chinese citizenship, is no longer protected by U.S. diplomatic aid while in China. A U.S. Chinese individual is recognized only as Chinese when in China.

References

• USDS: US State Department Services Dual Nationality