Tricky Situation

M

Murad312

Registered Users (C)
Guys
I have a question:
Since I became permanent resident of the United States, I have applied and acquired Canadian citizenship and passport in addition to my native citizenship of India.
Although I never lived in Canada since I became permanent resident of the USA.
Would that cause any problem when I applied for the United States citizenship? Do I have to provide both citizenships on my application? Or only one? We can both now as an Indians.
Can I abandon my Indian citizenship and declare myself only as a Canadian citizen without causing any problem for my legal status in the United States or future US citizenship because I was Indian national during the whole Green Card process? And now I am not Indian but a Canadian? Should I inform INS about my citizenship change?
 
Wow, looks like a problem of 'plenty'. You being an Indian, have Canadian Citizonship, and US GC and want to get US citenzonship !! You go man, acquire thema all :) !!

Sorry, I do not have an answer to your actual question. Just thought your situation was exactly the opposite of so many ppl here, who are worried about status in one country, let alone 3 !!

cheers,
sertra
 
Originally posted by Murad312
Guys
I have a question:
Since I became permanent resident of the United States, I have applied and acquired Canadian citizenship and passport in addition to my native citizenship of India.
Although I never lived in Canada since I became permanent resident of the USA.
Would that cause any problem when I applied for the United States citizenship? Do I have to provide both citizenships on my application? Or only one? We can both now as an Indians.
Can I abandon my Indian citizenship and declare myself only as a Canadian citizen without causing any problem for my legal status in the United States or future US citizenship because I was Indian national during the whole Green Card process? And now I am not Indian but a Canadian? Should I inform INS about my citizenship change?
Click to expand...

Once you acquired Canadian citizenship you are no longer an Indian citizen. Indian law does not allow you to retain Indian citizenship once you take up another country's citizenship. The dual citizenship law in consideration only allows one to reapply for Indian citizenship, retaining Indian citizenship will not be automatic.

Indian citizenship laws require you to surrender your Indian passport to the nearest Indian consular mission.

Your status in US will not be affected by your Canadian citizenship.
 
nkm-oct23 Thanks.

Sorry for the confusion. I am canadian citizen now. My indian passport has been expired for last 6 months.
But I was Indian Citizen when I got the stamp on my passport for Adjustment of Status. Now I have received the plastic card.
Do I have to notify INS that my citizenship has been changed?as they have me an Indian Citizen in all the forms and petitions to them.
Again thanks for all the info
 
After you became Canadian citizen, your passports would have been either canceled and given it back to you or canceled and retained by Canadian office. You can legally carry only one countries passport at a time.
As far as India is concerned, you can only get PIO card as on today. The modalities of getting dual citizenship are still being worked out....
When you apply for US citizenship, you have to mention each country and period of your citizenship and residency.
 
Originally posted by Murad312
nkm-oct23 Thanks.

Sorry for the confusion. I am canadian citizen now. My indian passport has been expired for last 6 months.
But I was Indian Citizen when I got the stamp on my passport for Adjustment of Status. Now I have received the plastic card.
Do I have to notify INS that my citizenship has been changed?as they have me an Indian Citizen in all the forms and petitions to them.
Again thanks for all the info
Click to expand...

You don't really need to tell INS anything. If their records accurately reflect your citizenship at the time of GC approval then you are OK.
 
Originally posted by Murad312

Although I never lived in Canada since I became permanent resident of the USA.
Click to expand...

Murad312:

Unrelated question .... how did you acquire Canadian Citizenship without having lived there ?

Just curious -- I thought Canada had some residency rules to acquire citizenship ??!!

Thanks !
 
max2k1,
you are right. After getting the Canadian recidency..., one has to live in Canada for a specified period of time before one applies for Citizenship, that is similar to US.... May be Murad has mistakenly mentioned permenant recidency to citizenship...
 
Originally posted by peace_of_mind
...You can legally carry only one countries passport at a time.
...
Click to expand...

Care to back this statement with a source/proof? Thanks
 
Thanks Guys all the help.
Yes One has to live in Canada for 3 years after getting permenent residancy. I fullfilled that requirement but did not apply for citzenship untill recently in Canada. I have beem living in the US for last 2 years and applied for Green Card on my wife behalf as an Indian citizen but now I am a Canadian as I got my passport last month and my citzenship has been changed (from indian to a canadian) from the time I applied I-485.
Now when I will apply for citizenship for US , would that cause any problem? Should I call INS and tell them that I am not a Indian citizen anymore as I put myself as an Indian all the time during the Green Card process?
Your help is much appreciated.
Murad
 
Citizenship depends on perspective

It all depends on how a particular country views dual or triple citizenship.

Canada allows you to retain citizenship of another country when you become a Canadian citizen, and RECOGNIZE you as DUAL citizen.

USA allows you to retain citisenship of another country when you become a US citizen, but does NOT RECOGNIZE dual citizenship. That means, when you enter the US, or otherwise deal with a US agency, you MUST identify yourself as a US citizen. (My former dual canadian-us citizen boss spent a half a day--and this was before 9/11!!!--being grilled by border guards for not immediately declaring his citizenship upon requesting entry into the US--he resides in Canada, on entry gave them a Canadian passport, they suspected he was entering on business purposes and denied it, then he exercised his RIGHT as a US citizen to enter, which is when they swooped in on him.)

I don't know how India does its citizenship rules, but from what has been posted here, it appears the moment you accept another countries' citizenship, THEY no longer consider you an Indian citizen. From what you have stated, it appears that you are a Canadian citizen.

As for Naturalization application, I imagine--too lazy to look it up-- they'll be asking you about all prior citizenships and residences in their form/questionaire/interview. That will be the time and place for you to notify them of your citizenship status change.
 
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