Dual Citizenship

What is Dual Citizenship?

Dual citizenship means that an individual is a citizen of two countries at the same time.  Some times dual citizenship occurs as an operation of law.  For example, a child born in the United States to foreign parents is usually both a citizen of the United States and his/her parent’s home country.

U.S. Dual Citizenship

While some countries do not allow their citizens to hold citizenship in other states, the U.S. government allows, but does not encourage, dual citizenship. It is important to understand that the United States does not have jurisdiction to take away another country’s citizenship from those who wish to naturalize.  Thus, an individual who becomes a U.S. citizen through naturalization may keep his or her original citizenship provided that the country of original citizenship does not prohibit dual citizenship.  Dual citizenship may also expose an individual to additional liabilities, including taxation.  Because dual citizenship carries unique rights and responsibilities, it is important to consider naturalization carefully.