I don't care if I'm a "real citizen" or not. The passport gives me a piece of mind, that I can live wherever I want without the restriction that I can lose my status. And I'm in the good position that I can keep my European citizenship which opens up a huge job market without any visa restrictions!
My 22 year journey comes to a close
- Thread starter Dedo
- Start date
There are also many Americans who think that anyone who's not a citizen is an illegal immigrant. When I received my citizenship, a few of my acquaintances congratulated me on finally becoming "legal", to which I responded that I was legal since the day I came here and explained to them about the Green Card. Truthfully, I'm not surprised that most natural born citizens are clueless about the immigration process. After all, why would they need to be?
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Most are clueless about most things that are beyond their garden fence.
Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
Did you mean NOT surprised?
LOL!! that is too funny. Everyone along the way takes precautions and then the mail man just screws it all up....that's funny
Well of course there has been, but generally, passport renewal for me used to be a 2-3 day affair, carried out every 10 years. My point actually was that this is a period of time that I have no travel document...my last is no longer valid for travel, and the US passport wont arrive for 4-6 weeks. That part I have not experienced before...
And hence the immigration debate keeps focusing on the illegals, and not on how we can improve the legal immigration process so we can attract the best and brightest from around the world. Now one understands so no one give a damn
Jackolantern
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I had the same response when I got my green card. "So you're legal now!".
Dude, I've always been legal.Another one: "So you're an American now!"
No, green card doesn't mean American citizenship.What's scary about this one is that she once worked abroad for the US embassy, so you'd think she'd know the difference between green card and citizenship.
CalGreenCard
Registered Users (C)
I understand your point Dedo--although the timings for me were a little different. Getting my new, first US passport was only a 1-2 day affair--of course I was travelling imminently.
By contrast, one of my renewals of my Canadian passport before naturalizing took 3-4 months--during which time I had no travel documents as I had to surrender the expiring document for cancellation as well as send in my underlying proof of Cdn citizenship. And this time period couldn't normally be expedited.
Of course, there is a tendency to perhaps--because of geographical proximity and a culture that is, in some ways, very similar--think of the US-Canada border more "casually" than international travel to other countries. In the pre-9/11 world, that may have been a very accurate view--however it is not that casual any more. Being without any travel documents for 3-4 months in the post-9/11 America was definitely an uncomfortable feeling.
I do think Canada has speeded up passport processing so that it isn't so bad now. But there was a bad phase where it seemed to always take months.
CalGreenCard
Registered Users (C)
Although most born citizens are generally unfamiliar with immigration, I do think that most people have heard of the green card--and do understand that it confers some form of legal status. But very few born citizens would know anything about the plethora of different statuses that one might have pre-GC and still be legal.
CalGreenCard
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Naturalized citizens can run for president. It is just that naturalized citizens can't actually BE president.
In practice, of course, there isn't much difference because the ineligibility to actually assume the office would mean that no naturalized citizen would ever get any traction beyond that of a fringe candidate. In theory, though, a naturalized citizen could enter a brokered presidential convention with a significant number of delegates and play a powerful role in determining who the eventual candidate actually would be--even though the naturalized citizen would eventually have to step aside for a natural born citizen.
CalGreenCard
Registered Users (C)
Yes I'd agree that the naturalization certificate isn't easy to replace--and this is another good reason for getting a US passport (and keeping it in a different location from the naturalization certificate): it is a good backup proof of citizenship.
However it isn't always so easy for born citizens as you say. Some, especially the elderly, if they lose their birth certificate, find that it is very hard to replace as old official records may have gotten lost or never were very reliable.
Jackolantern
Registered Users (C)
I think it's illegal for a naturalized citizen to run for president because they would have to lie about their eligibility on the paperwork which is involved in getting their name on the ballots.
Yes. That's what happens when I type too fast!
CalGreenCard
Registered Users (C)
Not on this form they're not required to certify their eligibility:
FEC FORM 2 STATEMENT OF CANDIDACY
In fact they aren't required to certify they are citizens at all.
Again, none of this is to suggest that a naturalized citizen can actually assume the presidency or that a non-citizen can actually become a congressman/woman or senator. It just says that there is nothing to stop them from mounting a futile run for such a position.
Actually getting on the ballot is a state matter which must be pursued separately in each of the 51 jurisdictions. I'd imagine the rules differ from state to state as to what needs to be certified in each state.
Thanks Jefkorn. Yes, we got really lucky, and I especially did because of an officer who was willing to go the extra mile to review my travel and approve same day, even after he indicated that he would do it later. Sometimes things just work out!