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Green Card Finale

vek on 2002-02-20T05:18:57

Some closure has been brought to the whole Green Card process. I finally got the permanent card in the mail today. Even though it was approved back in November it's still nice to get the card in my grubby hands at last.

So now (according to the blurb that came with the card) I can apply for American citizenship. I won't though as I never plan on giving up my British citizenship. I'm quite happy with the current nationality arrangement thankyou. If at some point in the future that changes then perhaps I'll look to see if obtaining dual nationality is a possibility. Until then I'll just be a Brit living in the States - with a permanent Green Card - which is always a bonus.

Dual Nationality

paulg on 2002-02-20T12:34:09

As I understand it from a friend who has relatively recently become a US citizen, the oath sworn to take US citizenship includes a bit about renouncing allegiance to any foreign power. However, technically speaking, it is not possible to give up British Citizenship so he enters the UK on his British passport and uses the US one when he returns home. I'm not 100% sure what the INS would make of this, though :-)

Re:Dual Nationality

autarch on 2002-02-20T21:39:48

They don't like it but they don't really do anything about it.

Simply renouncing allegiance to a foreign power is probably enough, in the UK government's eyes, to actually renounce UK citizenship. So he still has it.

Similarly, if I just swear that I renounce US citizenship, that's not enough. I have to actually go to a US embassy abroad and fill out forms, declare it in front of witnesses, etc.

Be Careful

pudge on 2002-02-20T14:45:48

If you ever take up arms against the US in a foreign land while not fighting for an official government army, you might just wish you had that American citizenship!