Will divorce affect my citizenship?

[GaryVe]

Hi there,

After 12 very happy years of marriage, my Irish wife decided she wanted a new way of life and we are now heading to divorce

I did apply for and receive Irish citizenship by post nuptial citizenship declaration in 2003. Ditto our two kids who are Irish citizens by foreign birth registration.

Will the divorce in any way affect our continued right to citizenship?

Thanks for your help.

[agniukas]

No.

[Brigid from Ireland]

The divorce will have no impact on the rights of your children to Irish citizenship. Their mother cannot divorce them, she can only divorce her husband.

With regard to yourself, the divorce is likely to have no impact so long as you continue to live in Ireland.

If you decide to leave Ireland on a permanent basis, you should remember that the Dail (TDs) can change citizenship laws at any time, and those who acquired citizenship and then leave Ireland could have their citizenship revoked by the introduction of new legislation.

[GaryVe]

Thanks so much for the answers. Just a point of clarification: we don't currently reside in Ireland. So I guess I will remain at risk of the citizenship laws changing for non resident citizens.

[IntegratedMigrant]

Thanks so much for the answers. Just a point of clarification: we don't currently reside in Ireland. So I guess I will remain at risk of the citizenship laws changing for non resident citizens.

There is already a law that if you leave Ireland for a period of 7 years without given any good reasons to why to the foreign consular office where you reside, you will be striped (revoke) of your citizenship. You must remind the consular office on an annual basis why you are residing there.

Now this Law is hardly practiced but its the Law and your citizenship will be revoked on that basis.

To me it is nonsensical, as people of Dual Citizenship wont have full rights to reside in the country where they were born.

This is one Law in Irish Citizenship that I think should be looked at. People are meant to choose where they want to live in life and Irish Citizenship restrains them from doing that. It is purely nonsensical.

It is only in Ireland out of the whole world that this specific Law exists in Naturalisation. That one has Irish citizenship simply does not mean that they are meant to live and die in Ireland. ALAN SHATTER, time to change the Law

[jeupsy]

you should remember that the Dail (TDs) can change citizenship laws at any time, and those who acquired citizenship and then leave Ireland could have their citizenship revoked by the introduction of new legislation.

I would think that once the citizenship is given, it is very hard to take it back (especially for people who had to give up their previous citizenship in order to become Irish and therefore only have Irish citizenship, as there must be international conventions to prevent States from creating apatride people)

Maybe TDs could change the law to introduce conditions for new citizens, for example that anyone who commits a serious crime within 5 years after acquiring citizenship can lose it. Or some countries can have laws against sham marriage which threaten the citizenship acquired through marriage if you divorce shortly afterwards (not sure whether Ireland has that).

But in any case I don't think they could easily make that kind of law retroactive an apply it to people who became Irish before the new law.

So I would worry about something like taking it back from people who have had it for 10 years just because they don't live in Ireland anymore

[jeupsy]

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[jeupsy]

There is already a law that if you leave Ireland for a period of 7 years without given any good reasons to why to the foreign consular office where you reside, you will be striped (revoke) of your citizenship. You must remind the consular office on an annual basis why you are residing there.

Really? This sound a bit crazy ... what if you don't have any other citizenship?

Do you have a reference to that law?

[Malika]

Really? This sound a bit crazy ... what if you don't have any other citizenship?

Do you have a reference to that law?

I don't have a specific reference to the law but I read this in Metro Eireann since news mostly caters for immigrants, I tend to believe it.

http://metroeireann.com/article/new-iri ... nship,3326

Regards,

[IntegratedMigrant]

There is already a law that if you leave Ireland for a period of 7 years without given any good reasons to why to the foreign consular office where you reside, you will be striped (revoke) of your citizenship. You must remind the consular office on an annual basis why you are residing there.

Really? This sound a bit crazy ... what if you don't have any other citizenship?

Do you have a reference to that law?

I agree with you, it is crazy!. Irish Citizenship means nothing with that Law. Its like having a resident card or something which will expires after 7 years. You're better off obtaining a different Citizenship after your Irish Naturalisation as that will serve you well.

Citizenship is for life and not for 7 years basis!

Here are 2 references from undoubtable sources in regards to your question.

If you dont have any citizenship, you will be declared stateless

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/mo ... ation.html

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1956/en/ ... c0019.html

[jeupsy]

Thanks Brigid/Malika/IntegratedMigrant.

The other reasons make sense but the 7 years thing is really weird :-s

[IntegratedMigrant]

Thanks Brigid/Malika/IntegratedMigrant.

The other reasons make sense but the 7 years thing is really weird :-s

Weird as f**k ha. You should write to the minister asking him why such nonsensical Law exists in citizenship. And why such law exists only in Ireland!