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Dual Citizenship

Questions regarding holding valid citizenship in more than one country at a time.

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Does a child of two illegal immigrants acquire US citizenship by being born in the US?

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Yes.

Originally, several of the legislative creators of the 14th amendment intended that the children of foreign citizens born in the US would NOT be US citizens.

Section 1 of the 14th Amendment states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

While the original drafters proposed the idea that foreign citizens were not "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" and therefore their children born in the US would not be US citizens, this idea does not appear to have been of any concern during revisions of the Amendment. It appears NOT to have been a substantive question addressed by either the House or Senate, with most of the focus in writing the 14th Amendment being on excluding Native Americans from citizenship, and on related issues around revocation of citizenship.

The wording of the 14th Amendment was changed with no real debate about its impact on US-born children of foreign citizens. During ratification in the US Senate, there is no record of any objection to this change in wording, and no mention of caring about its impact on US-born children. The issue appears to have either been completely overlooked, or ignored.

This left the final wording a bit vague, with no real legislative record as to the meaning intended by Congress. The Supreme Court, in an 1898 decision known as U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark, settled this vagueness with an interpretation that children of foreign citizens born in the US soil are US citizens.

A new Supreme Court decision overturning this precedent or a new Amendment superseding the 14th Amendment would be necessary for children of illegal aliens to be excluded from citizenship.

AnswerAt the current time, any child born on US soil regardless of the status of the parents becomes a US citizen. Answer

This is true, anyone born on American soil is an American citizen. Most illegal think that by having their children in America, that they will be able to stay here when caught. That is wrong. America will not deport the child, but the parent will be deported. If it is not a deportation because of an arrest, they will be able to take their children with them. However, if it is deportation because of a criminal arrest, the children will be placed in foster care of with a legal family member. The child's citizenship status has nothing to do with the parent's status.

What is dual?

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A dual processor can be defined as a computer with two central processing units. It can also be defined as a dual-core central processing unit: two processors combined into a single integrated circuit or package. .

What is the cost for a permanent resident in the US to become a citizen in the US?

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In order to become citizen you have to live in U.S. for 5 years (in my case I had to have a greencard and live in States for 4.5 y. before I could apply) You will need to fill out I-400 form and send a check for $390, $320 for I-400 form, $70 for biometrics. In order to become citizen you have to live in U.S. for 5 years (in my case I had to have a greencard and live in States for 4.5 y. before I could apply) You will need to fill out I-400 form and send a check for $390, $320 for I-400 form, $70 for biometrics.

Can a US citizenship apply for dual citizenship?

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Yes. Currently, a U.S. citizen can apply for citizenship in another country (i.e. Naturalization) without losing U.S. citizenship.

A person with a US citizenship can become a citizen of another country through any means other than naturalization. Applying to get naturalized when the person is already a US citizen will lead to his/her losing the US citizenship and there will be no way to revoke it.

What does having a dual citizenship mean?

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Dual citizenship means exactly what the name implies-that an individual is a citizen of two countries, in possession of 2 legal passports.

How long can a British citizen stay in Philippines?

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You can stay in The Philippines for up to a month with a United States visa. You can get extensions on this visa for up to a year and a half.

If a male US citizen marries a Mexican female citizen in Mexico is their marriage legal in the US?

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The answer to this question depends. Divorces obtained in other countries will generally be recognized by the United States as long as no person's rights were violated. This means that contested divorces may not be allowed unless the defendant spouse was notified and had a chance to respond. Uncontested divorces are generally recognized, however, and are often very easy to obtain. You mentioned that it was a "quicky" divorce. You need to make sure that the divorce followed the procedures for Mexican divorces because if it is not valid in Mexico, it certainly will not be valid in the United States

Do you lose your Canadian citizenship if you apply for dual citizenship in US?

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Not unless you renounce your Canadian citizenship voluntarily.

Can you leave the country after you apply for the citizenship?

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Well, there is no law prohibiting to go on a vacation while waiting for your naturalization certificate. However, they can deny you re-entry to the US if they find you are inadmissible; but this unlikely if you are a permanent resident and have not been convicted of a crime while residing in the US. If you have, then you should consult an attorney.

How does a non US resident get the citizenship of US?

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In order to get US citizenship the basic eligibility criteria is to be a green card holder for minimum 5 years and above the age of 18 years. The green card can be obtained when petitioned by a relative, through marriage or employer. If green card was got through marriage to a green card holder or US citizen its only minimum of 3 years of continuous physical presence in US to be eligible for naturalization.

When an irishman marries a US citizen?

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No, marrying a U.S. citizen does not automatically grant an immigrant permanent resident or citizenship status. http://www.uscis.gov

Do you have current members of Congress possessing dual citizenship?

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Yes congressman michelle bachman has Swiss citizenship

Can you be an American citizen and a French citizen?

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Duel citizenship is not forbidden in the United States. There is no reason that this would be impossible. Wikipedia has a page on that (United_States_nationality_law#Dual_citizenship)

Can a US president have dual citizenship?

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Answer #1 No.

The Constitution contains the term "natural born" for a US president. This term was used to prevent anyone with the possibility of having a foreign allegiance from becoming commander-in-chief of US forces, for obvious reasons (super fifth column, anyone?) A person with dual citizenship owes allegiance to both the US and the foreign government. They are required to obey the laws of both countries, which of course for a sitting US President would be disastrous to the US nation.

The term "natural born" is used to mean a singular allegiance to one and only one nation. Dual citizenship contradicts this.

(Note that it is unique that the US president is also the commander-in-chief, which entrusts the office of president with great power, so a concern of allegiance was on the minds of the framers of the Constitution. Senators and Representatives can be naturalized; the President cannot, because of the Commander-In-Chief power.)

All NATURALIZED citizens have to take an oath of ALLEGIANCE, to confirm they only have allegiance to the US and no other country. But this is not enough to fully repudiate possible allegiances to other countries.

So "allegiance" is the key here -- at the time of the writing of the US Constitution, "natural born" was a term carefully chosen to define that allegiance - it means having a singular allegiance that derives from one's having been born of the soil of the nation - in this case, the US nation. This results in a kind of "super-allegiance".

That is what the framers meant, and Constitutional lawyers have always recognized this to be the meaning.

So according to the Constitution, which explicitly and unambiguously uses with the term "natural born" when referring to qualifications for someone to be the US president, no, a US president cannot have dual citizenship. They must have that singular allegiance that can only be derived from having been born of US soil - "born here".

____________

Answer #2 Yes. But they shouldn't. The Constitution does not say anything to that effect, but I agree that a US president shouldn't, because he would owe allegiance to two countries. Would it not be a conflict of interests? ____________ Answer #3 Yes. And why not? In response to the above response and rhetorical question, I would suggest that in some circumstances, a person with dual citizenship might actually be a more effective president of the United States. John McCain, by the way, was born in the Panama Canal Zone. Many Americans, myself included, were born and educated in the United States, but also have additional education, travel, and work experience abroad. As a global citizen with a broad perspective on the world, I would consider myself and many of my ex-pat and dual citizen colleagues far more competent to run for president than some of our current candidates. The conflicts of interest that an elected official must avoid regarding seats on boards of directors, and affiliations with multi-national corporations, for instance, would be no different from the potential conflict of interest that might need to be addressed by a presidential candidate with dual citizenship. Certainly, there might be potential conflict of interest if the candidate were a citizen in a country that was at war with the United States, but the possibilities for greater reconcilliation and global peace and economic stability might actually be improved through the expanded depth and perspective of those who are multi-lingual, multi-experienced, and internationally educated. Citizenship, today, means much more than the owing of allegiance to a country. Simply because I might have allegiance to the United States, it would not mean that I could not support and even defend a nation with similar principles and objectives. A president, however, when he or she takes an oath of office, does so with full intent to uphold the office itself for the good of the country to which that office belongs.

What if an American has a baby girl in China?

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According to American law, if one or both of the parents are American citizens, the child is also an American citizen. If the child is also eligible for Chinese citizenship (such as one parent being a Chinese citizen), at a certain age the child will be asked to choose citizenship of one country or the other.

Can you have citizenship to three countries?

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YES

For more information and some examples visit the related link.

Is a person born in a foreign country who's mother is American and who's father is a national of that country considered a US citizen?

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If a person is born to two U.S. citizens on land owned by the United States such as an embassy or military base, they are a natural born U.S. citizen.

It means born in one of the fifty United States, or possessions (Puerto Rico, Guam, for example) of at least one American parent. Say, just for example, Barack Obama. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961, of an American mother. Hence, he is a natural born US citizen.

Can an American get Canadian dual citizenship by marrying a Canadian?

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American citizenship cannot be conveyed via marriage. The Canadian can apply for naturalization. American citizenship cannot be conveyed via marriage. The Canadian can apply for naturalization.

If you have dual citizenship can you still vote in the U.S?

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Yes, it doesn't affect it.

Citizenship by marriage?

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A common question about immigration is, "when can I file for citizenship." Before you can apply for U.S. citizenship under the immigration law with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - USCIS (formerly INS), you must first have a green card or permanent residence. If you received your green card through marriage to a U.S. citizen, you may be able to apply for citizenship through naturalization after having your green card for three years. In other situations, you must wait five years.

Do you have to be a US citizen to drive in the US?

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I was told at the usa border: - an American citizen, living abroad, can own a usa registered vehicle. - you must have a 'tie' to the usa (this is the tricky part, many situations can be seen as a tie) in order to own a usa registered car and NOT be a resident. I was told this by the border agent last summer. I am Canadian, live in Mexico, and have a USA registered vehicle... got into a long discussion about it, the agent said I had to EXPORT the vehicle out of the usa since I have no ties to the usa ... he did let me through, as a favour (he said) since I was driving back to Mexico from Canada ... I would like a DEFINITIVE answer to this question though: WHAT IS A TIE TO THE USA?

Where do you get a certificate of British citizenship?

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The same place you obtained your original. SEE LINK BELOW. Hopefully you will get to see this before yet another person deletes the answer.