Dual Citizenship (living, costs, legal)

[thePR]

I searched and didn't find a thread like quite like this before so I apologize in advance if there was one that I didn't find.

I'm not looking, but just more curious maybe for future reference. What country, out of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and European countries (excluding Eastern Europe), is easiest to gain citizenship in while retaining US citizenship?

[Cornerguy1]

Ummmmmm, the US does not require one to renounce citizenship; dual citizenship is perfectly legal and held by thousands of US citizens.

[thePR]

Originally Posted by Cornerguy1

Ummmmmm, the US does not require one to renounce citizenship; dual citizenship is perfectly legal and held by thousands of US citizens.

Of course, but I don't know about the other countries I mentioned.

[Brontosaurus]

Depends what you mean by "easy". eg for the UK, if you marry a British citizen, it's a simple process but takes 3 years. If you go on a work permit it takes 6 years. You can probably find the information on various countries' embassy web-sites.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by Bob-666

Depends what you mean by "easy". eg for the UK, if you marry a British citizen, it's a simple process but takes 3 years.

I wouldn't say it's simple. You're more likely to be approved but there is still a ton of paperwork and applications - first for a visa, then for permanent residency, then for citizenship. Plus, you have to take the Life in the UK test which trust me, you really do need to study for (but at least I already speak English) and each step of the way costs hundreds! And even though you know you've done nothing wrong, the idea that your ability to live with your own spouse rests in the hands of someone else is very frustrating and nerve racking.

[manygeese]

In Australia if you have permanent resident status, it is just a formality. And no problems about remaining a US citizen.

Becoming a permanent resident may be harder. But that's not your question.

[Rob702]

I doubt it's "easy" in any country. The first step would be getting a residence permit. That's the hardest part. It is not like most countries just wait for people to hand out those permits to.
If you are well educated it shouldn't be too much of a problem though I assume.

[Chava61]

If one is Jewish, it is easy to get citizenship in Israel by simply immigrating there. (New Jewish immigrants get Israeli citizenship automatically after 3 months of residency.) There is no problem in keeping one's American citizenship along with Israeli citizenship.

[AJNEOA]

If you're an American citizen, I think that Canada would be the easiest of the ones you've listed. when I looked at their rules, I was already able to reach the number of "points" that you'd need for citizenship, but I'd need to put some time in. Of course, it all depends on what you do for a living, your education, your age, how many languages you speak, etc, etc, etc.

I've looked into citizenship in a handful of European countries, and none appear to be easy. They all pose the same criteria above (and more), but with a much different culture, less "openings" for visas/permanent residence. Each country will likely have different criteria around how/if companies can hire non-citizens (like Switzerland and banking jobs).

What it comes down to is securing a work visa and a job, keeping it for a long time, making sure you're on your best behavior, and being precise about your paperwork.

[thePR]

Thanks for the responses. Since this was purely hypothetical I was thinking citizenship without marriage.