How can my wife 'drop' her third citizenship?

Hi everyone,

Would like to thank the mods who run this board - although I'm not a regular poster I've had so much useful info from you all and had put my mind at rest frequently through my wife's immigration process.

Wondering if anyone knows the answer to this question:

My wife was granted ILR through SET(M) in February of this year. Happy days. She will be eligible to apply for naturalisation next year.

The slight issue is that she already has dual citizenship - Canada and the US. Now evidently she can't hold three different citizenships so she'll have to drop one - the US one being our choice (family etc all live in Canada).

Wondering if anyone knows how, exactly, we go about 'dropping' her US citizenship? I'm assuming we need to let the US embassy know? Is there a form?

Any help much appreciated,

Nick

'scuse my ignorance ...

Why can't she hold 3 citizenships?

There is absolutely no reason why you can't have as many citizenships as you want...provided that all the nationalities are okay with multiple nationality.

Canada, the US and the UK all permit multiple nationality. If we were talking about Denmark or Japan or Norway, for example, that would be different. With the US, your wife just needs to make sure that she enters and leaves the US on an American passport if she ever visits there.

So stop fretting. Keep them all and get more if you like.

As far as I know all three countries allow multiple citizenship so there should be no need to give up any of them.

Had no idea you could hold more than two. Learn something new every day!

Thanks for the info.

Nick

Hi Nellis23

The other posters are right. I have just been granted British Citizenship, which now makes me a tri-national. I submitted both my passports at the time of application and there were no questions asked.

However, they only recorded one of my nationalities on the list at the Citizenship Ceremony. The one where all the UK immigration stamps are endorsed.

Good luck to your wife!

As noted by the others, there is nothing that prevents you from having three nationalities unless the laws of any one of the countries creates a problem. UK law is perfectly comfortable with dual and multiple nationality. US law now recognises dual and multiple nationality and provides that such acts as being naturalised abroad will only lead to loss of US citizenship if you perform the act with the intention to relinquish US citizenship. (The US does, however, have a strict policy of only dealing with US citizens in their capacity as US citizens. This includes a requirement that you use your US passport when entering and exiting the US.) I don't have any particular knowledge about Canadian nationality law, but I see no reason why the Canadian government would object to dual or multiple nationality.

If you really want to renounce your US citizenship, you can make an appointment with the US Embassy to make a formal oath and receive a certificate of loss of nationality. However, I don't think that this is a good idea given that your interest in losing your US citizenship was based entirely on a mistaken belief that you had no choice but to relinquish a nationality.

Whatever you do, don't renounce your US citizenship for tax reasons. If you are found to have done so, then you will remain liable to US taxation for seven years and will be prevented from visiting the US.

My son is British, Irish and Singaporean (he is under 21 though).

nellis83 wrote:
Wondering if anyone knows how, exactly, we go about 'dropping' her US citizenship? I'm assuming we need to let the US embassy know? Is there a form?

Any help much appreciated,

Nick

if you are still interested in giving up you US citizenship.
read here


A person wishing to renounce his or her U.S. citizenship must voluntarily and with intent to relinquish U.S. citizenship:

1. appear in person before a U.S. consular or diplomatic officer,
2. in a foreign country (normally at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate); and
3. sign an oath of renunciation

http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship ... p_776.html


Giving up Canadaian citizenship..
takes about 6 months and may cost you $100.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenshi ... ce-how.asp
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informatio ... iation.asp

petra

I know someone who has 4 citizenships: US, Canadian, Australian and British. I myself have three.
Dual citizenship implies multiple citizenship.

Many thanks to you all for the further useful information. As JulesN19 correctly summised, I was unaware that tri-nationalities (or more) were permitted. We'll be keeping both her US and Canadian passports, in addition to her gaining British citizenship.

Interesting point regarding requirement of multinational US citizens to present their US passport at the US border. My wife regularly crosses the land border between the Canada and the US on her Canadian passport. Will have to inform her that's a no no!