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Nationality = Citizenship? or not

morandi

New Member
There is this question on DS-260: Do you hold or have you held any nationality other than the one you have indicated above?

If u have double citizenship than the answer is yes? I'm not sure what the term "nationality" means here....when u google the term "nationality" u get different answers...some say that nationality=citizenship some say that not.

So if I got a second citizenship 2 years ago I should of declare it on DS260? My interview is scheduled should i reopen DS260 and declare it?
 
There is this question on DS-260: Do you hold or have you held any nationality other than the one you have indicated above?

If u have double citizenship than the answer is yes? I'm not sure what the term "nationality" means here....when u google the term "nationality" u get different answers...some say that nationality=citizenship some say that not.

So if I got a second citizenship 2 years ago I should of declare it on DS260? My interview is scheduled should i reopen DS260 and declare it?


You should have declared it, yes. However, given that your case is scheduled you cannot reopen your DS260. You should declare it at the interview because background checks might have revealed it - but this error might lead to AP if they consider further checking is required. Hopefully that won't happen and the most important thing is to be truthful.
 
I got an e-mail from the embassy and it says that they can reopen it if I need to make some changes on DS. I think I will call them and tell them about this
 
I got an e-mail from the embassy and it says that they can reopen it if I need to make some changes on DS. I think I will call them and tell them about this

OK - the embassy have your case now - so yeah best to approach them before the interview.
 
Nationality is not equal to citizenship. "Nationality" is the thing that allows you to get that country's passport, and get that country's consular protection, etc. "Citizenship" is an internal term in each country that each country defines differently. For international purposes, only "nationality" matters. Someone who is a country's citizen is also that country's national, but not the other way around. For example, there are U.S. nationals who are not U.S. citizens, and there are several categories of British nationals who are not British citizens. Yes, you have two nationalities.
 
How many citizenships can you have? Is it OK for the american citizenship if I have 2 already or I have to give up one of them?
 
Is it a minimum period of stay in USA/year in order to maintain your green card?

You have to show "residence". So if you spend long periods of time out of the USA and have no permanent address/bills/tax filing and so on in the USA then you can be challenged on the basis that you are not truly resident. The GC is not intended as a super visitors visa..
 
So when filing the DS-260 form, I put hong kong as my first nationality and then I answered yes for second nationality question and then I put the UK as my second one.

Is that okay? since I was born in the UK and have both UK and HK passports. But I only put my HK passport on there because my UK passport is expired and they never ask for it when filling out the second nationality section.

another reason why I used Hong Kong as my primary nationality is because I need to claim HK as my foreign changeability. I would be ineligible otherwise.
 
So when filing the DS-260 form, I put hong kong as my first nationality and then I answered yes for second nationality question and then I put the UK as my second one.

Is that okay? since I was born in the UK and have both UK and HK passports. But I only put my HK passport on there because my UK passport is expired and they never ask for it when filling out the second nationality section.

another reason why I used Hong Kong as my primary nationality is because I need to claim HK as my foreign changeability. I would be ineligible otherwise.
The question is where you were born, n o t what your nationality/-ies are:

"For DV-2016, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years:

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.

Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible.

Eligibility
Individuals born in countries whose natives qualify may be eligible to enter.

If you were not born in an eligible country, there are two other ways you might be able to qualify.
 Was your spouse born in a country whose natives are eligible? If yes, you can claim your spouse’s country of birth—provided that both you and your spouse are named on the selected entry, are issued diversity visas, and enter the United States simultaneously.
 Were you born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but in which neither of your parents was born or legally resident at the time of your birth? If yes, you may claim the country of birth
of one of your parents if it is a country whose natives are eligible for the DV-2016 program.(excerpts)"
 
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The question is where you were born, n o t what your nationality/-ies are:

"For DV-2016, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years:

Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.

Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible."

So I should put UK as my first one and claim that I have a second nationality which is HK?
 
So I should put UK as my first one and claim that I have a second nationality which is HK?
On what exact basis did you apply in your original DV registration, as relates to the above information? You stated earlier that you were born the UK, no? Therefore which of the two exceptions applies to you?
 
On what exact basis did you apply in your original DV registration, as relates to the above information? You stated earlier that you were born the UK, no? Therefore which of the two exceptions applies to you?
I applied using my mom's nationality which is Hong Kong. but I hold HK and UK passport.

1. Put HK(an eligible country) as my primary nationality and then claims UK as my secondary.

or

2. Put UK as my primary since thats where I was born, and then put HK as my secondary,

PS: Please note that they only ask for passport information on the first nationality. IF you claim any additional nationality, there are no options to put in passport info
 
I applied using my mom's nationality which is Hong Kong. but I hold HK and UK passport.

1. Put HK(an eligible country) as my primary nationality and then claims UK as my secondary.

or

2. Put UK as my primary since thats where I was born, and then put HK as my secondary,
:) ... I'll let Britsimon explain this to you, he is a true specialist in terms of applicable exceptions in this respect. I'd suggest you hold off spending too much time on your DS-260 in the meantime. Good luck to you.
 
I applied using my mom's nationality which is Hong Kong. but I hold HK and UK passport.

1. Put HK(an eligible country) as my primary nationality and then claims UK as my secondary.

or

2. Put UK as my primary since thats where I was born, and then put HK as my secondary,

PS: Please note that they only ask for passport information on the first nationality. IF you claim any additional nationality, there are no options to put in passport info

You keep talking about nationality. Nationality has NOTHING to do with eligibility for the DV lottery. Your eligibility is based on birth country - and as you are already aware, as a British born person you are not eligible. However, there are a couple of exceptions.

One is through marriage to a person from an eligible country. YOu haven't mentioned being married - so I guess that is not the case.

Another exception is through parents. If NEITHER of your parents was born in the UK AND they were in UK on some temporary basis at the time of your birth (usually a work related posting to the country), then you might be able to charge to their country of birth (you can choose either parent).

Does that parent exception fit? Where were they born and why were they in the UK when you were born? When did they/you leave the UK?

Don't mention their passports or nationality/citizenship.
 
You keep talking about nationality. Nationality has NOTHING to do with eligibility for the DV lottery. Your eligibility is based on birth country - and as you are already aware, as a British born person you are not eligible. However, there are a couple of exceptions.

One is through marriage to a person from an eligible country. YOu haven't mentioned being married - so I guess that is not the case.

Another exception is through parents. If NEITHER of your parents was born in the UK AND they were in UK on some temporary basis at the time of your birth (usually a work related posting to the country), then you might be able to charge to their country of birth (you can choose either parent).

Does that parent exception fit? Where were they born and why were they in the UK when you were born? When did they/you leave the UK?

Don't mention their passports or nationality/citizenship.

Im not worried about the foreign changeability at this point. I just want to know if I should put UK first or HK first on the DS-260 form.
 
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