Citizenship

[spicytuna]

Originally Posted by godwine

Is there some kind of registry that keep track where peope are? I mean let say, I have a dual citizenship of Canadian and Japanese. I left Canada with a Canadian Passport, and entered Japan with a Japanese passport. What will happen? Will there be a record that I left Canada but never entered any country?

That's an interesting question. Since Canada is a country which permits dual citizenship, I'm sure that they run into this scenario on a regular basis where people present their other passport upon re-entry.

I'm sure that there's some sort of registry in place which involves international collaboration (to capture fugitives at the very least) but I wonder how in-depth it is.

[Noaks]

Originally Posted by spicytuna

That's an interesting question. Since Canada is a country which permits dual citizenship, I'm sure that they run into this scenario on a regular basis where people present their other passport upon re-entry.

I'm sure that there's some sort of registry in place which involves international collaboration (to capture fugitives at the very least) but I wonder how in-depth it is.

I am on the same boat as Spicytuna.
Australia allows dual citizenships. I hold a Japanese citizenship.
I soon become an Australian citizen but I don't want to give up the Japanese citizenship.
Have you ever traveled between Canada and Japan ,using Canadian passport at Canada end using Japanese on the other side?

[spicytuna]

Originally Posted by Noaks

I am on the same boat as Spicytuna.
Australia allows dual citizenships. I hold a Japanese citizenship.
I soon become an Australian citizen but I don't want to give up the Japanese citizenship.
Have you ever traveled between Canada and Japan ,using Canadian passport at Canada end using Japanese on the other side?

Actually, I never bothered to retain my Japanese passport since I had no intention of moving there.

I'm entertaining the idea now but I'll simply apply for a "Child of a Japanese national" visa if I decide to move to Japan.

[nobora]

Originally Posted by Kenpachi11

its were you are a citizen in two countries. like for example you have citizenship in united states but also korea.

Is that legal?

[Kenpachi11]

Originally Posted by nobora

Is that legal?

if the country that your already a citizen in and the other country that you want to be a citizen in allows it then yea it is legal.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by nobora

Is that legal?

It is depending on the country. Most places allow it, very few do not (Like Japan, China, and India are the ones I can think of at the moment.)

[StangGuy]

Originally Posted by Kenpachi11

if the country that your already a citizen in and the other country that you want to be a citizen in allows it then yea it is legal.

It isn't quite that simple. Many countries that allow you to have dual citizenship don't allow you to take on a second citizenship without the risk of losing the other. Ex. The US allows dual citizenship, however, if you voluntarily apply for citizenship from another country you are at risk of losing your US citizenship. Also, part of the oath for acquiring US citizenship via naturalization is renouncing your previous citizenship.

[Kenpachi11]

Originally Posted by StangGuy

It isn't quite that simple. Many countries that allow you to have dual citizenship don't allow you to take on a second citizenship without the risk of losing the other. Ex. The US allows dual citizenship, however, if you voluntarily apply for citizenship from another country you are at risk of losing your US citizenship. Also, part of the oath for acquiring US citizenship via naturalization is renouncing your previous citizenship.

How so?

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by StangGuy

It isn't quite that simple. Many countries that allow you to have dual citizenship don't allow you to take on a second citizenship without the risk of losing the other. Ex. The US allows dual citizenship, however, if you voluntarily apply for citizenship from another country you are at risk of losing your US citizenship. Also, part of the oath for acquiring US citizenship via naturalization is renouncing your previous citizenship.

Not quite. You`re at risk of losing your US citizenship if you hold a high level government position in another country... But it`s hard to give up your US citizenship even if you WANT to.
The only situation I can think of where you would actually directly lose it would be serving in the military of a country in conflict with the US.

In any other situation, you have to actually choose to give it up.

[StangGuy]

Here is the actual text of the law for loss of nationallity by a US citizen.

US CODE Title 8,1481

(a) A person who is a national of the United States whether by birth or naturalization, shall lose his nationality by voluntarily performing any of the following acts with the intention of relinquishing United States nationality_

(1) obtaining naturalization in a foreign state upon his own application or upon an application filed by a duly authorized agent, after having attained the age of eighteen years; or

(2) taking an oath or making an affirmation or other formal declaration of allegiance to a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after having attained the age of eighteen years; or

(3) entering, or serving in, the armed forces of a foreign state if

(A) such armed forces are engaged in hostilities against the United States, or
(B) such persons serve as a commissioned or non-commissioned officer; or

(4)

(A) accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years if he has or acquires the nationality of such foreign state; or
(B) accepting, serving in, or performing the duties of any office, post, or employment under the government of a foreign state or a political subdivision thereof, after attaining the age of eighteen years for which office, post, or employment an oath, affirmation, or declaration of allegiance is required; or

(5) making a formal renunciation of nationality before a diplomatic or consular officer of the United States in a foreign state, in such form as may be prescribed by the Secretary of State; or

(6) making in the United States a formal written renunciation of nationality in such form as may be prescribed by, and before such officer as may be designated by, the Attorney General, whenever the United States shall be in a state of war and the Attorney General shall approve such renunciation as not contrary to the interests of national defense; or

(7) committing any act of treason against, or attempting by force to overthrow, or bearing arms against, the United States, violating or conspiring to violate any of the provisions of section 2383 of title 18, or willfully performing any act in violation of section 2385 of title 18, or violating section 2384 of title 18 by engaging in a conspiracy to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, if and when he is convicted thereof by a court martial or by a court of competent jurisdiction.


(b) Whenever the loss of United States nationality is put in issue in any action or proceeding commenced on or after September 26, 1961 under, or by virtue of, the provisions of this chapter or any other Act, the burden shall be upon the person or party claiming that such loss occurred, to establish such claim by a preponderance of the evidence. Any person who commits or performs, or who has committed or performed, any act of expatriation under the provisions of this chapter or any other Act shall be presumed to have done so voluntarily, but such presumption may be rebutted upon a showing, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the act or acts committed or performed were not done voluntarily.

But you are right in that it is difficult to give up US citizenship. The department of state website says that even if you do partake in these acts they will assume you wish to retain your citizenship. However, that is policy not law and policy doesn't have to be followed.

I have heard of cases where the consulate or embassy refused to aknowledge a citizens renunciation of US citizenship. This has been used by some US/Japanese dual nationals to retain both nationalities. If the person chooses their Japanaese nationality they are supposed to atempt to renounce the other. However, the consulate can reject the renunciation of US citizenship and thus the person is stuck as a Japanese/US dual national.