If you became a US Citizen, did you give up your home country citizenship to do it?

[Philly Mom]

Title says it all. If you can also say what your home citizenship is or was, that would be helpful. DH is English. He does not want to give that up. I want him to become a US citizen. Can he be both?

[lfp2n]

Yes you can be both and retain your UK passport.

[Philly Mom]

Yes you can be both and retain your UK passport.

This is what I thought, but DH wants "proof" from real people. The BBB qualifies as real people for him.

[123LuckyMom]

He and our children absolutely can be both. It's called dual citizenship. I had UK citizenship and US when I was a child. The laws in the US as they were then did require me to choose, and I chose US. I could have my UK citizenship reinstated now, though, under current law, but I haven't gotten around to doing that. Since we work and live here and travel infrequently to Europe, and since my husband wouldn't be eligible for a EU passport, though my children might be, I don't really see the advantage right now. Your husband can become a naturalized US citizen and retain his UK citizenship and hold both US and EU passports.

[DualvansMommy]

I hold dual citizenship, with Ireland as an Irish citizen. I believe UK allows you to hold dual. Although, I'm not sure if it may apply to your DH, but I had to surrender my Irish passport during my US naturalization application. Once I was sworn in, they gave my Irish passport back to me.

[georgiegirl]

DH is dual US and Bulgaria. Most other countries encourage dual since they are more likely to be the reject country when someone gains US citizenship. I don't think DH could stop being a citizen of his home country.

[TwinFoxes]

I know several people who have dual citizenship with Great Britain. It makes traveling in Europe super easy for them.

[lfp2n]

My husband was naturalized recently. He didnt have to turn in his UK passport and now holds both.

[Philly Mom]

My husband was naturalized recently. He didnt have to turn in his UK passport and now holds both.

That is really good to know. I think even the thought of having to temporarily turn in his passport would make DH nervous. I am going to get him to do this now. We don't plan on traveling back for a year and his work travel should be quiet for a few months so hopefully won't have an issue.

[niccig]

If you can hold both depends on the UK if they allow it. I'm Australian and old law was you lost Australian citizenship if you actively took out another citizenship as an adult. If you had 2 citizenship by birth that was OK. Then they changed it. I wouldn't have become a US citizen if I would lose my Australian citizenship. You do have to swear an oath that giving up all ties to another sovereignty and that you will defend the US - but nothing in that oath takes away citizenship that another country has given you. Your kids can also have dual citizenship. DS has US citizenship by birth and I applied for his Australian citizenship by descent, so he has both.

There are tax implications between citizen spouse and non-citizen spouse, so it was advantageous for me to become a citizen eg. differences with gifting between spouses and inheritance when the citizen spouse dies. It made sense for me to become a citizen. It also meant I no longer had to go through hassle of renewing green card. Though now I do get called for jury duty..