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Questions tagged [citizenship]

For questions about citizenship status, acquiring, naturalization, laws in regard to, or applications for.

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Will it be possible to get French citizenship?

I was born in Tunisia. My great grandfather is French by birth. We have all of the papers to prove that. He got married in Tunisia and had kids, he didn't register his kids with the French consulate ...
tasnim O's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Can I claim French citizenship by descent if my French father passed away in 1992?

My father was a French citizen but he passed away in 1992 in India. He lived in France and passed away during his visit to India. My mom and I are still Indians as we couldn't track my dad's documents....
Sam's user avatar
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10 votes
1 answer
5k views

Can I get a UK passport?

I was born in the United States in 1980 to a British father and American mother. My father still lives in the US and has a green card. At the time of my birth, no attempt was made to get me a passport ...
user30903's user avatar
  • 203
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

Grandfather served in the French army for 4.5 years: Can I get French nationality?

I am Indian citizen and my grandfather served in the French army for 4.5 years in France in second world war time. My grandfather registered only my paternal uncle as French citizen and he is ...
Djea Isaivendhan's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
321 views

Approximately how long does one have to wait for the naturalization interview after submitting the N-400 Application for Naturalization Form?

The estimates I read regarding long one has to wait for the naturalization interview after submitting the N-400 Application for Naturalization Form (mirror) vary from 4 months to 14 months: Souce ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

As a French PhD student in the US, what can I do to get the US citizenship as quickly as possible?

I (French citizen) started a PhD in computer science in the US one year and a half ago: what can I do to get the US citizenship as quickly as possible?
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
110 views

Acquiring Dutch Nationality

My father was born in the Netherlands, moved to SA in 1959, but became a South African citizen before I was born in 1967. My son (27), however, wishes to apply for Dutch citizenship. Is this at all ...
Hanno Hutten's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
255 views

What's the approx. processing time of online FOIA requests for entry/exit to prepare for N400 (Application for Naturalization)? Days, weeks, months?

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1730?language=en_US (mirror) mentions: It is common for individuals to submit a FOIA request to receive travel history records when applying for U.S. ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Can I get French citizenship if my grandfather had a French passport?

My grandfather went to Russia in 1934 to study in Moscow. He had an Indian passport (under British rule) and travelled there from Kenya via Germany and France. On his return, he went through France, ...
S.CHANDRA's user avatar
42 votes
5 answers
12k views

Can I lose my US citizenship for accepting employment with a foreign government?

In my US passport, there's a section entitled "Important Information" located just before the visa pages. Item number 13 deals with circumstances in which one might lose their US citizenship (emphasis ...
Tim Post's user avatar
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24 votes
16 answers
16k views

What countries offer descendant citizenship (by blood) further back than 1 generation?

Most countries can offer citizenship to people with at least one parent that is currently a citizen. What countries' (if any) nationality laws exist that will allow citizenship by blood for people ...
Raystafarian's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
3k views

Under what circumstances must a US citizen forfeit their citizenship when obtaining a new one?

For some reason I have been under the impression that US law prohibits US citizens from retaining their citizenship if they ever obtain a new citizenship. Is this always, sometimes, or never true? ...
Flimzy's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
2k views

If you have dual South African and New Zealand citizenship, are you able to get an Australian one as well?

Or will you be required to give up one of the other two citizenships before you are able to gain it?
Mark Mayo's user avatar
  • 3,946
6 votes
2 answers
450 views

Does derivation of US citizenship through parents' naturalization cause loss of German citizenship?

This question is about eligibility for German/US dual citizenship when a minor acquires US citizenship at the time that his parents naturalize. Suppose a child is born outside of the United States to ...
nibot's user avatar
  • 193
5 votes
1 answer
280 views

I have received the green card: what should I keep track of to be prepared to apply for naturalization in five years?

I have received the green card: what should I keep track of to be prepared to apply for naturalization in five years? For example, one needs to be able to provide the accurate travel history of the ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
267 views

Mother lost French citizenship due to US naturalization, then regained it due to change in law. Was I born French?

My mother was born a French citizen in Algeria in 1952. She emigrated to the U.S. And was naturalized in 1970 or so. French law only permitted men to hold dual citizenship until 1973, at which point ...
user18987's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
881 views

Can stateless individuals in the European Union legally reside and work there?

I am curious if anyone has found a solution to staying in the E.U. as a stateless person, with rights to reside and work? A U.S. citizen is allowed to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship at any U....
Jim Kaufman's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
303 views

If my father earned French citizenship, do I have the right to apply for it?

My father became a French citizen about 9-10 years ago. I am a 16-year old Syrian living in Turkey. Can I apply for citizenship or something at the French Consulate? I have no idea about the laws ...
Mohamad Issa's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
785 views

Do I have British citizenship by descent?

I'm curious to see if I am eligible for British citizenship. My brothers and I were born in the US between 1957 and 1961 to an English mother (she was born in England) and a British father (he was ...
Matthew Verbinnen's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
241 views

Born in USA to French father - how do I prove it?

Does anyone know what proof you have to give that your father was French? He passed away years ago. He served in the French Navy. Would proof of that be good enough?
user9543's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
212 views

Staying outside the US between 6 and 12 months while keeping US employment & US home: will it disrupt the continuity of residence for naturalization?

I read on 8 C.F.R. 316.5(c)(1)(i), echoed by https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-d-chapter-3: (c) Disruption of continuity of residence - (1) Absence from the United States - (i) For ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
135 views

Apply for Portuguese citizenship from India?

My father had a Portuguese citizenship. I am a full-time student in India. Can I and my brother claim or acquire Portuguese citizenship through my father?
Rehaan Music's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
107 views

Expat needing to know about renouncing US citizenship

Ok, If you renounce your US citizenship and are stateless, can you work? Can you register for residency? Everything I have read or watched, seems to just brush over a lot of the details. I am really ...
katra4813's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
723 views

How does one count the 3-month requirement to apply for naturalization in a US district/state?

To be eligible to apply for US naturalization in a US district/state, one must have lived/resided for 3 months in that district. I'm confused on how one counts the 3-month requirement to apply for ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
78 views

How many days does the 30-month presence requirement for the US naturalization (N-400 form) represent?

I read on the U.S. Naturalization Requirements Information (mirror): An applicant for naturalization must [...] show that [they] have been physically present in the United States for 30 months. How ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
66k views

Can a naturalised British citizen live anywhere in the world without losing UK citizenship?

Following up on How do i get a British citizenship?, I realised that one of the requirements is you’ll continue to live in the UK When googling for the question I'm asking here, unofficial ...
ilakast's user avatar
  • 325
13 votes
2 answers
18k views

My father is French can I get French citizenship?

My father was born in France (to French parents) and has a French passport. I am a 26yo Australian citizen. Can I get French citizenship? I have read a lot about it on various forums but was unable ...
vaughan's user avatar
  • 339
11 votes
2 answers
3k views

How can a minor foreign-born child of a US citizen parent and non-US citizen parent get US citizenship if the US citizen parent refuses?

Zork, 12, was born in a foreign country to a US citizen parent and a non-US citizen parent. At the time of Zork's birth, the US citizen parent had (and currently has) all the requirements to pass US ...
NickNo's user avatar
  • 371
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

How do I get a British citizenship?

I want to move to United Kingdom and I already know that I want to get a citizenship. What can I prepare in advance so I can spread the cost over before applying. Are there any tests to get a ...
Piotr Kula's user avatar
  • 1,508
7 votes
2 answers
367 views

Cheapest commonwealth nationality to acquire

I have a US citizen friend who is a (legal, permanent) resident in the UK (ie with ILR), who would like to vote, but naturalisation as a British Citizen is very expensive - £906 is the current fee. ...
Richard Gadsden's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Am I a UK citizen by descent, and can I get a passport as an adult?

I was born in the USA to a British mother and American father in 1986, but they were never married. According to gov.uk… You might be a British citizen However, you might not be a British ...
jlmakes's user avatar
  • 195
7 votes
1 answer
640 views

UK Nationality Applications and Previous Overstays

I saw that the Home Office has published new guidance for people applying for British Nationality (March 2015). Most notably, the section on good character has been profoundly expanded; it now ...
Gayot Fow's user avatar
  • 3,214
6 votes
0 answers
133 views

Dutch-born, Belgian nationality, living in South Africa, can I get Dutch citizenship?

I was born in Nijmegen on 23.03.1943. My mother before her marriage was Dutch and was born in Meppel. She married my father who had Belgian nationality at the time of their marriage and of my birth, ...
Martje Aalbers's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Apply for British citizenship under a British mother born before 1983

I am trying to apply for a British passport. I have learned that since I was born to a British mother and an American father, and was born in 1972, that I do not qualify under my mother for ...
Stella's user avatar
  • 51
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Irish citizenship revoked if I live abroad after naturalization?

One of my initial questions on this site:) I have been searching about Irish naturalization requirements on the internet since quite some time and I see all the usual requirements: 5 years residence, ...
Jay Shah's user avatar
  • 163
5 votes
1 answer
843 views

What is the process to cancel my child's Chinese citizenship?

My child is born in Macau, I am Australian, and my wife is from Mainland China. My children by law can not be Macanese citizens or residents as neither the mother nor the father has Macanese ...
user9036's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
687 views

How to prove my father is a French citizen if he refuses to confirm we are his children?

I was born in Djibouti and my father was born before the independence. We have helped him reclaim his French citizenship and now it seems that he is giving us the cold shoulder. We found out that he ...
Ab Abdo's user avatar
  • 41
3 votes
1 answer
129 views

Request for French Nationality

My father had a French passport. His nationality in the passport was French. My family and I live in Yemen currently. Now after the death of my father, are I, my brother and my sisters eligible to ...
Abdulhaleem Abdulkareem Abdulh's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
992 views

Does a person lose their original citizenship when they become a naturalized citizen in the United States?

Here's the story. My wife was born in Peru, according to Peruvian law that granted her citizenship according to Jus Soli, additionally we still have her original passport from Peru. She was adopted ...
JPeck89's user avatar
  • 33
3 votes
1 answer
596 views

What is your legal status as PhD researcher in Spain?

I have a question that I have not found any related source, and my question is mostly focused on these group of people: "People of origin from Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, ...
Federico Navarrete's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
522 views

Recognizing French nationality through my mother

Thank you ahead of time for reading this and helping me understand if I can claim French nationality for me and potentially my children through my mother's nationality. I've read a number of the ...
tca90's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
1 answer
183 views

What happens to a Chinese-born citizen who acquires American citizenship by their parents naturalizing?

I was reading up on Chinese nationality law about dual citizenship. I noticed the law states: Article 9: Any Chinese national who has settled abroad and who has been naturalized as a foreign ...
SW Williams's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
146 views

Can't renounce my citizenship due to being a deserter; can I apply for a German citizenship?

I'm a Turkish citizen who is studying in Germany for the last 5 years. As you might not know, in Turkey, there is compulsory military service for every men. But, I don't want to do it (I don't even ...
unlucky-is-to-be-born-turkey's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
187 views

If a naturalization applicant has stayed in the US only for slightly over 30 months for the past 5 years, is it likely to derail their application?

If a naturalization applicant has stayed in the US only for 30 months + epsilon (e.g., a few days) over the past 5 years, is it likely to derail their application (assume all stays abroad were below 6 ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
3k views

Am I eligible for a Dutch passport when only my grandparents had citizenship?

Hoping someone can help me here, I am wanting to apply for a Dutch passport. My grandparents were born in Holland as was my father, but they moved to South Africa when he was 3 or so. from what I ...
Emily's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
114 views

French citizenship of an ancestor who died in Algeria before Independence

My grandpa lived and worked in France for a good amount of time and he sadly passed away and was buried there when Algeria was French which means it was still colonized. I was wondering if there's a ...
Ran Ya's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
2 answers
483 views

What documents are optimal to bring for one's naturalization interview, in the simplest situation, to minimize the time to obtain the US passport?

Assume the following simple case: single (no divorce), no kids, employed and living in the US for >5 years, filed taxes each year, no citations/arrests/warrants, >5 years with green card ...
Franck Dernoncourt's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
7k views

Do Canada and France allow their citizens to have 2 other citizenships?

For an individual being a citizen of both France and Canada, is it possible to obtain a third citizenship ? Let's assume this third country allows 3 or more citizenships, I am not interested in ...
Vince's user avatar
  • 1,488
1 vote
1 answer
372 views

Am I A Legal French Citizen?

My grandfather Jean Jacques Mialocq, was born Oct. 11, 1859 in Maslacq, France to two French citizens. My father, Urbain Leopold “Frenchy” Mialocq, born in San Francisco in 1914, was a dual French/...
Frenchy's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

How long does the German naturalization process take?

I hear cases like Greece and Italy, that it takes even years for the passport to get issued, after one applies for it. Assuming one has fulfilled all the requirements to obtain a German citizenship, ...
Snow's user avatar
  • 173