Is it true that Canada allows US citizens to have dual citizenship?

[Ness]

I heard this once a few years back. Is it true that if you are a US citizen, you can obtain canadian citizenship without living in Canada, and still maintain your citizenship of the US?

Do I actually have to go to Canada to do this, or can I just mail in paperwork?

I dunno, I just think it would be something interesting to do... for the hell of it, really.

 

[SSibalNom]

anyone know if this works w/ Mexico?

 

[MDE]

Canada may allow it, but the US doesn't.

 

[opticalmace]

Dunno about that...

I'm Canadian-born, and a dual citizen myself.
Dad was born in Canada, mom in California.

Google it. There's lots of government info online.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

Originally posted by: ness1469
I heard this once a few years back. Is it true that if you are a US citizen, you can obtain canadian citizenship without living in Canada, and still maintain your citizenship of the US?

Do I actually have to go to Canada to do this, or can I just mail in paperwork?

I dunno, I just think it would be something interesting to do... for the hell of it, really.

You can be duel citizen I imagine but its not like you can just ask them to do it. You actually have to go through the immigration process and live there and actually become a citizen.

 

[AFB]

Originally posted by: SSibalNom
anyone know if this works w/ Mexico?

For a US citizen. Why?

 

[StageLeft]

No, where the hell did you hear that? You have to go through the normal channels. You can't simply call up Canada and ask to have a citizenship card. You CAN be a dual citizen, but you have to go through normal channels to become one.

Canada may allow it, but the US doesn't.

Though that may be technically true, in practical cases it isn't. I think that the US requires somebody to swear off other citizenship when they become a citizen of the US; however, since Canada does not recognize this, the person is in fact a dual citizen.

And of course if one is born in the US they are automatically a US citizen. By virtue of one of their parents being a Canadian citizen they are also a Canadian, so that's the best route to dual.

 

[marquee]

Originally posted by: MonkeyDriveExpress
Canada may allow it, but the US doesn't.

If you read your passport carefully, you'll see the US allows dual citizenship.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: MonkeyDriveExpress
Canada may allow it, but the US doesn't.

I know several US/Canada dual citizens.

 

[Ynog]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
No, where the hell did you hear that? You have to go through the normal channels. You can't simply call up Canada and ask to have a citizenship card. You CAN be a dual citizen, but you have to go through normal channels to become one.

Canada may allow it, but the US doesn't.

Though that may be technically true, in practical cases it isn't. I think that the US requires somebody to swear off other citizenship when they become a citizen of the US; however, since Canada does not recognize this, the person is in fact a dual citizen.

And of course if one is born in the US they are automatically a US citizen. By virtue of one of their parents being a Canadian citizen they are also a Canadian, so that's the best route to dual.

Same thing works for US citizens, if your parents are US Citizens and you were born outside the US, you usually end up
with dual citizenship.

 

[BigSmooth]

A friend of mine was born on a US military base in Canada and I know he has dual citizenship.

 

[TwinkleToes77]

you can have dual citizenship.. which is what i plan to do.. but you have to live IN canada 3 of the last 4 years in order to get citizenship.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
that may be technically true, in practical cases it isn't. I think that the US requires somebody to swear off other citizenship when they become a citizen of the US; however, since Canada does not recognize this, the person is in fact a dual citizen.

Actually that works with any country. You can't really denounce a citizenship. Ofcourse I can say that I am no longer the citizen of UK, but did UK get any paperwork or documents from me saying that I denouced citizenship? No. It's just a word is bond kind of thing, which rarely comes up and is for official purposes only.

 

[kroq]

Same thing works for US citizens, if your parents are US Citizens and you were born outside the US, you usually end up
with dual citizenship.

I think US along with a few other countries are the only ones where you become a citizen being just born there?

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
No, where the hell did you hear that? You have to go through the normal channels. You can't simply call up Canada and ask to have a citizenship card. You CAN be a dual citizen, but you have to go through normal channels to become one.

Canada may allow it, but the US doesn't.

Though that may be technically true, in practical cases it isn't. I think that the US requires somebody to swear off other citizenship when they become a citizen of the US; however, since Canada does not recognize this, the person is in fact a dual citizen.

And of course if one is born in the US they are automatically a US citizen. By virtue of one of their parents being a Canadian citizen they are also a Canadian, so that's the best route to dual.

Having naturalized myself, let me 'splain'.

In the swearing in ceremony, you make the following oath:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

The judge (or swearer-in guy) then tells you to hold onto your foreign passport as they are very valuable and useful. You are NOT required to give up your prior citizenship.

 

[Kenazo]

can a dual citizenship canadian become the president of the US? (assuming he was a canadian born in the US?) He could be the US's Pres for a few years, come to canada and be our prime minister. hmm... We will own N. America yet.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
can a dual citizenship canadian become the president of the US? (assuming he was a canadian born in the US?) He could be the US's Pres for a few years, come to canada and be our prime minister. hmm... We will own N. America yet.

One of the requirements for the office of president is being born here.

 

[Kenazo]

Originally posted by: Mwilding

Originally posted by: Kenazo
can a dual citizenship canadian become the president of the US? (assuming he was a canadian born in the US?) He could be the US's Pres for a few years, come to canada and be our prime minister. hmm... We will own N. America yet.

One of the requirements for the office of president is being born here.

 

[silverpig]

No, ya gotta live here for a few years, do the permanent resident thing, then go through the citizenship routine. It can actually be fairly difficult unless you already have family here.

 

[CraigRT]

I don't personally have a clue.. interesting

 

[Sketcher]

My sister (American) and brother-in-law (Canadian) both have dual citizenship. My wife because she is American born and lives in Canada (and passed some test), my brother-in-law because he is Canadian born, his wife is American and I (a family member and U.S. resident) signed paperwork vouching for custodial responsibility for him and his family under certain circumstances.

A requirement for maintaining his dual citizenship is that he visit the U.S. once a year. When living in Winnipeg he'd just drive down to the U.S. border, get some paperwork stamped, buy something at a convenience store to prove he'd paid Minnesota sale's tax and then go home.

There is wording in the swearing in (in becoming naturalized) as noted in a previous post but there must be a provision loosening some of those statements under certain circumstance. My brother-in-law is a CSIS agent and there would certainly be a conflict of interest if he did indeed have to forsake his Canadian responsibility just to maintain his dual citizenship. I think the effect of the naturalization oath is effective upon his actually living in the U.S. as a citizen resident or somesuch. I dunno, my eyes gloss over when the detail runs rampant. All I know is they're both legit citizens in both countries.

As long as both my sister and her husband maintain their citizenship, their kids are automatically granted duality [citizenship] upon birth. They are now Diplomatic Ambassadors to Canada living in Malaysia so their citizenship requirements are self maintaining until their post in Malaysia is over.

Diplomatic Immunity is interesting, or so I hear.

 

[Ynog]

Originally posted by: Kenazo
can a dual citizenship canadian become the president of the US? (assuming he was a canadian born in the US?) He could be the US's Pres for a few years, come to canada and be our prime minister. hmm... We will own N. America yet.

These are the requirements to be the President.
* be a natural born citizen of the united States
* be at least 35 years old
* have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years

These are the definations of natural born according to Title 8, Section 1401 of the U.S. Code
* Anyone born inside the United States
* Any Indian or Eskimo born in the United States, provided being a citizen of the U.S. does not impair the person's status as a citizen of the tribe
* Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
* Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national
* Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year
* Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21
* Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)
* A final, historical condition: a person born before 5/24/1934 of an alien father and a U.S. citizen mother who has lived in the U.S.



So Yes, If your born in the United States, you are a natural born US citizen and eligible to become President

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: TwinkleToes77
you can have dual citizenship.. which is what i plan to do.. but you have to live IN canada 3 of the last 4 years in order to get citizenship.

Yup, one of my ex's had dual citizenship with Panama.

One of the local talk radio show hosts is from Canada. He said that basically you can be a citizen of both, both in doing so you can't do the sam thing an ordinary US citizen can do..voting might be one of these.