You're either an American by choice or birth. All or nothing or they shouldn't be allowed American citizenship!

I agree that divided loyalty no matter the resaon is a form of sedition. America, the GREAT and MIGHTY nation, as we have known is falling due to the infiltration of foreign agendas in the disguise of political progressivism and correctness.

I m a dual citizen of USA and AUSTRALIA. Boy am I glad. I cant wait till I have the cash to get out of this hell-hole of bureaucracy. The government here is all about taking the peoples hard earned dollars and wasting it on useless crap.

Whoever wrote this shit must never have left Alabama.
P
eople like me want to keep thier dual cit so that they can return to a FREE country like AUSTRALIA with FREE DENTAL/HEALTH for everyone, FREE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION for citizens, 18 means adult- when you get your driving liscence (the government actually trains and tests young drivers, unlike the US which is full of dumb shit drivers who dont know common driving practices) and drinking privlages are also granted at the same age you may sign up to fight in services-18, and if you are caught with marijuanna it is a $100-200 fine, not years of probation, criminal punishmwent, and the "justice" department taking your money each month for granite walled courthouses.

ALSO, when communist obama becomes president this whole place is going to hell, especially since stupid fucking G.W. BUSH DIDNT EVEN FIND OSAMA BIN LADEN. When the attacks start again, myself and the other Dual citizens will be on a coach class ticket to our safe neutral countries

Oh, and there is plenty of space, low living cost, better sports, animals, and the land is respected, not raped for resources.

USA USES & RAPES ITS PEOPLE, ONLY THE TOP 5% REAP THE BENEFITS.
WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO BE STUCK HERE.

And you my friend are exactly the type of dual "citizen" we don't need in this county. Get the hell out, you have no loyalty to our country. A "citizen" indeed.

As for having never been out of Alabama, I have lived in many different states and been to many countries, including Australia. I have respect for other countries and their cultures. Don't bring your culture here, criticize mine and claim to be a "citizen".

You guys are so full of shit. You can have dual citizenship because like a lot of things in America the Oath of Allegiance is just words that are said to get what you need or want, in this case citizenship in the United States. You don't really have to give up your citizenship in other countries. As for the whole thing about split loyalty, that first requires loyalty. Why would you want to be loyal to a country that rewards or even tolerates bull shit and lies? All countries do and all countries suck. I don't understand what you think you're being loyal to. When it comes down to it you're really just slaves to the ideologies of someone else. Try being creative and showing some ingenuity because that is what made the United States thrive in the first place and we are going down hill because people are stupid these days and can't think for themselves. North Korea is a perfect example of how loyalty and protectionism doesn't work. You have to change and adapt with the times or your future will be dark because the world is always changing whether you like it or not.

I tell you what, several of Bush's administration holds Israeli citizenship, and also several members of congress do...so, IMO this should be absolutely illegal even criminal!

I have citizenship for Australia and the UK, and permanent residency (soon to be citizenship, I hope!) for the US. My parents are both British (hence the UK one), I was born in Australia (hence the Australian one), and I'm married to an American (hence the US one).
I don't really see how a piece of cardboard can define me. I travel a lot, so having access to the EU and Australia is extremely convenient - but neither of them mean that I love the US any less. I am a global citizen, but the US is my home. If home is where the heart is, then how can you question my loyalty? Isn't America the epitome of eternal convenience? Whether it is filling up my gas tank, or traveling around the world, I am all for easy, fast, and hassle-free. That is what dual-citizenship is. Convenience.

I'm afraid that the situation is rather more complicated than you suggest.

For one thing, those who are naturalised in the USA and take the citizenship oath are taking an oath that purports in and of itself to constitute a renunciation of former nationality, but often fails. Each nation is free to decide, within the context of its own constitutional and legal structure, who is and is not one of its nationals. The UK, for example, says that a British citizen will normally remain British unless and until he/she goes to the nearest British consulate, completes the appropriate paperwork, and pays a fee to facilitate the issuance of a document certifying that British nationality has been lost. Some other countries' laws make it impossible to renounce their citizenship and assert that all those who were ever nationals will forever owe them allegiance without regard to any declarations or other efforts to lose that nationality.

Many US citizens who hold another country's nationality will never have taken the naturalisation oath. Most US citizens acquire nationality at the moment of their birth (either from the 14th Amendment by birth in the US or via statute due to birth abroad to US citizen parents). Some of those people may well automatically acquire another country's nationality because of a parent (or even grandparent, depending on the laws of the country) who was a national of a particular country. They could have been born abroad to US citizen parents and automatically acquired both the parents' citizenship and the citizenship of the country of birth as a result of the effect of both countries' laws at birth.

Some people who are US citizens may well choose to become naturalised in a foreign country for whatever reason. I, as someone born in the United States, have not needed to take the US citizenship oath. I will be eligible to apply for British citizenship next year and may well do so. Rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States in Afroyim v. Rusk and other cases indicate that the right to citizenship in the 14th Amendment means that someone in such a situation will only lose US citizenship if it can be shown that they acted both voluntarily and with intent to renounce citizenship. This has been codified into the statute on loss of nationality at 8 U.S.C. § 1481(a). Therefore, even if I become British, the fact of the matter is that it is my legal right to choose to remain a US citizen.

You may argue that bearing true allegiance to two countries is impossible, but your argument is weak. The obligations that come with nationality are numerous, but most countries' requirements of their nationals are very unlikely to ever come into conflict with the obligations placed on US citizens unless the two countries are at war. As to identity and feelings of loyalty, people can well feel a strong bond and sense of obligation to more than one country. Moreover, many nationals of any country may lack such emotions regardless of whether they have another country's nationality.

Hi;
Im so sorry about the previous Australian guy who posted - not everyone is such an ungrateful bogan.

I am a 27 y/o girl from Australia, and I married an American man. We spent so much time and money to get to America, endured so much from officials and things who wanted us to "validate" our relationship and who were constantly doubting the love my husband and I share.
Well, 3 years later we are happily married STILL, and the government refused to recognise this because we did not have any children or started to buy a house.
I don't know anyone who gets married and then buys a house RIGHT away, and we wanted to wait a bit and enjoy each others' company before we started to think about kids.
So subsequently, we were advised by an official over the phone that if we didnt have kids (adopted or otherwise) or a mortgage or ANY other large loan (and a whole bunch of other stuff that we already had provided evidence of) then our best thing was to withdraw my application to live in America and leave the country, before I would be "subject to removal".

We had 1 month to figure it out.

There was no way in the world I was going to leave America without my husband so we had his petition approved so he could move to Australia with me.

All Im really saying is, if I had dual citizenship this wouldn't have happened, and I would be allowed to visit my birth country without having to pay for expensive visas etc.
Honestly tho, right now we're saving up so that in a few years we can try to move to America and try again - hopefully the government will realise that after 8 years of marriage we ARE serious about each other and not trying to run a stupid scam.

I miss America :(
-Jecka.

I am an American married to an Australian. We both want our dual citizenships so that we have the ability to raise our children to know both sides of their family. I want to be able to come home and spend Christmas with my family, and be able to attend a funeral if need be without having to worry about whether or not one of us can get into the country. I also don't want to have to pay thousands of dollars on top of air fare to be able to visit either side of the family. I am not personally going to war, and not defending either country. To me it is more about being able to still have a life in both countries and not having to choose one family or the other.

It can be as simple as people wanting to keep their families together even when they are worlds apart...it doesn't have to be so serious. America and Australia recognize dual citizenships...that's life.

Thank god for the Australians who hold a open mind with the ability to contribute to those outside, who are in their own tunnel visioned worlds. I too am an Australian married to a senior US Naval Officer, who also previously did some time in the Australian Navy. Do I need to remind anyone that these two countries are also allies and that there are a number of US Military also stationed in Australia? I gave up and sacrificed a beautiful country in order to be with my husband and support none other than the US military and the United States. I just don't understand how this person above justifies the negative effects of dual citizenship. I remain an Australian citizen although my husband would like for me to acquire US. He is tired of me being treated poorly and with great disrespect whenever I return to the US from travel. I have my bags torn apart and have been sent to a holding area...asked why my husband isn't with me... He's not with me because he's currently fighting for your freedom while I am here alone waiting for him!!! I have never even received a bloody parking ticket my whole life yet I continue to be treated like a criminal each time. For the narrow minded American way above...our last trip together also had immigration officers treat my long serving husband with great disrepect. More proof that there is no respect here for each other, no matter what your position or citizenship. Note... the only travel I have done alone is to visit him while on deployment in support of him and us! It's true, America expects you to pay taxes and behave accordingly but offer no respect in return. I will continue to love, support and stay wherever we may be stationed, but I along with many others deserve the respect for everything we do to support the US. Australia recognizes dual citizenship and respects the melting pot of people that makes that country what it is. The US risks losing valuable military officers like my husband because of narrow minded views on topics like this. America, you are making your own loyal and important contributers want to leave.... Another reason why many military members love getting stationed overseas and never want to return to the Continental US. Is it really so wrong that some of us would like the dual citizenship for the sake of being able to travel or visit our families without having to constantly pay the price in many ways just to return home to the US?

To those who object.... maybe you need to shut your mouth until you've known what it's like to sacrifice in support of two countries that are fighting in alliance towards the same goal. Does that make sense to you?????

Disheartened, your arguments have nothing to do with citizenship and everything to do with our incompetent, unhelpful and unkind TSA agents.

I recently traveled out of country and was treated just as poorly as you have described. It has nothing to do with your citizenship, military status or anything of the kind.

Even with dual citizenship you'll still be treated like crap by these people.

Agreed Digger with all that however it wasn't TSA. It was immigration/border patrol, who also fall into the "have no idea" category.

People,
I know some of you object. All I can say is that it would be nice to at least have an open mind because the postives and negatives do balance out. People make verbal statements each day and do not live by them. Can you honestly say that you have never ever your entire life said something and not followed through... I mean seriously! You would be a liar if you said you hadn't. Until the US enforces renounciation by requiring proof from people renouncing their previous citizenship this is a dead end argument that will continue to make dual citizenship here possible.

How about sailors serving in the Navy who are not US Citizens.. That's a whole new thread you can all argue over. They are doing more for this country and showing more loyalty than some of the lowlifes around here.

Loyalties change and evolve. People can demonstrate loyalties to two countries without contradiction in most cases. Should dual citizenship even be an argument over divided loyalties, instead of something that seems more important like contribution and the ability to behave like a decent, law abiding human being? I for now will remain Australian but a loyal spouse to a US citizen. At some point people will probably then have something to say about me residing in the States forever and not changing my citizenship. Lose lose, there's always something people will complain about.Over it! OUT!

I was born in the US my parents decided to raised me in Australia. I am a dual citizen of both countries. My Mother is an Australian my Father is an American. I have family in both countries, my Sister, Aunts, Uncles in the US and my Parents and Grandparents in Australia.

I ask you how do you cut off one side of your family how do you make that choice! How do you deny the blood that runs in your viens if you are both by birth?

I feel a deep conection to both countries I cannot deny a conection to both. If you have the answer Digger tell me, I would like to know how one comes to peace with themselve when they are of two Nation equal in value?

About Disheartened.
I know exactly what you are saying! Being an Australian citizen travelling to and from the US the last 20 years plus. I recently acquired US Citizenship and noticed the huge change and can vouch for frustration. I dealt with the green card fiasco for years and when I finally came back into the USA with that nice new shiny US Passport I could do nothing but laugh at the immigration officer upon inspection. She asked me what I was laughing at and I proceeded to tell her about my previous ordeals and how the fact that "you guys" cant jack with me anymore as I have a US passport. She smiled and said yeah your right have a nice day!
I also am in the US military and had a green card for years and still got jacked with even with my US military ID. Yeah, thats right can you believe that? Jacking with this ex-Parramatta boy was the wrong thing to do. If you cant beat them join them. I hope down the road there will be some benefit to all this madness. Good luck to anyone going through the process to get US Citizenship because its one of the hardest things you will do! I know!

As an Aussie living in the US (currently a legal permanent resident with my US Citizenship application in the process as I type) I am surprised by the experiences of others. Despite not having kids and only having an apartment at the time, I was granted Permanent Resident status without having to jump through hoops to prove that my marriage was genuine. I have returned to Australia to visit family and come back without incident - in fact at LAX I am allowed to use the same line as US Citizens by showing my green card. I guess I must be lucky. As to those who think you shouldn't be allowed to have dual citizenship I say "Piffle". As proud as you are to be an American by birth - I am equally proud to be Australian by birth. I live here because I fell in love with a wonderful American man who did not feel that he could live outside of the US - he's a Mommies boy :) I have been here for 9 years, I work hard, pay a lot of taxes (I earn a pretty good living) and I have not had so much as a parking ticket since I got here. Trust me - you want me to be an American - I'm a keeper. I pay my taxes but use no social services - I don't even have kids that have to be educated. As someone who will spend the rest of her life here (contributing to the financial pot that is the IRS) I should have the right to vote - and that is the ONLY reason I am applying for citizenship. I don't need to take an oath to show my support for the US. I do that every day by contributing, not committing crimes, giving to charity, ensuring my actions do not have a negative impact on those around me and doing my level best to be a good person. There is nothing about me that an American should not want to claim as their own - but I will not give up my Australian citizenship for the right to vote in the country that is now my home. I will always be an Australian and you should not want to take that away from me just because I now love the US too. This is a silly argument by those flag wavers who give the US a bad name internationallly - there is a reason some Americans are seen as intolerant and ignorant.

I am ready to leave the US and live in another country such as Autrailia. I believe wholeheartedly that America is about to go bust and take me and all my life savings along with it. What is my first action?
Get a Passport? Go visit Autralia and apply for Citizenship there? It Dual Citznship beneficial or should I just give up US Citizenship and get a Visa if I want to visit my family in America ?I have read all sorts of posts and still do not know how to go about reaching my goal Corinne