Poll:What's your citizenship

[ejman]

Looking at the percentage totals we must have a LOT of dual citizens...

 

[Meadbh]

Looking at the percentage totals we must have a LOT of dual citizens...

How do you figure that? I added up the percentages in each category and got 97%. (not 100% due to rounding).

Those of us with dual citizenships are just diversifying.

 

[ejman]

How do you figure that? I added up the percentages in each category and got 97%. (not 100% due to rounding).

Those of us with dual citizenships are just diversifying.

Well, I just added US 86.26% + Canadian 11.54% + UK 3.85% and I'm already at 101%+ not counting all the other nationalities...but I'll be the first to admit I'm not good at math.

 

[tmm99]

I didn't realize until now that I am not the only Japanese here! (Japan does not give out dual, so as long as my mom/dad are alive (in Japan), I am keeping my Japanese citizenship, although I've lived here since my 20's.)

Hey,
UK
France
Germany and
Other European

C'mon! We need to break down the Europe a bit more. (We already have 8 votes on it.)

 

[FIREd]

183 people voted. 211 choices were selected. That would make 28 people dual citizens (unless there are people with more than 2 citizenships out there).

 

[tmm99]

This is starting to look like the Olympics...(Maybe I watched too much TV the last couple of weeks...)
USA leading with more medals...

 

[traineeinvestor]

This is starting to look like the Olympics...(Maybe I watched too much TV the last couple of weeks...)
USA leading with more medals...

+1

Whoever set up the poll even managed to combine Australia and New Zealand - just like some of the Australian media did with the Olympics medal table

 

[nun]

+1

Whoever set up the poll even managed to combine Australia and New Zealand - just like some of the Australian media did with the Olympics medal table

I did that. The difficulty became only having 20 max possible choices. I know I've pissed off Aus and NZ by combining them...but I though I'd appeal to the old ANZAC spirit.

As for Europe, I included the 3 largest countries and then just put "Other European". I would have liked finer sampling, but the 20 category limit made me make some compromises.

There is also an error in the way the poll calculates percentages as it divided by the number of voters and not the total number of votes.

 

[nun]

You misspelled "State of Jefferson". Jefferson - The 51st State - Northern California / Southern Oregon - A State of Mind

and I neglected to include Deseret or claim Oregon for Britain

 

[nun]

183 people voted. 211 choices were selected. That would make 28 people dual citizens (unless there are people with more than 2 citizenships out there).

I'm not surprised at the percentage of dual citizens given the number of people that immigrate to the US. I'm UK/US myself and probably have a fairly common history of immigration and then getting US citizenship thus ending up with 2 passports.

If I had asked "What's your residency?" I bet it would be almost entirely US.

 

[Danmar]

What are the advantages of dual US citizenship? Wouldn't there be tax disadvantages if you ever moved away from the US?

 

[nun]

What are the advantages of dual US citizenship? Wouldn't there be tax disadvantages if you ever moved away from the US?

Having US citizenship and living in another country makes for complicated tax returns as you have to comply with the tax regimes of the US and your country of residence. If you move to a country with lower taxes than the US you'd loose out as you'll still have to pay US tax on your worldwide income. But if you retire to most 1st world countries your US taxes will probably be covered by foreign tax credits. Also US citizenship limits the types of foreign investments you can conveniently have and can make foreign banking difficult. But I'd be nervous to have nearly all of my assets in the US including many years of FICA payments and be an NRA and there's also 30% withholding on pension payments to NRAs, unless that is modified by a tax treaty. So there are pluses and minuses, becoming a US citizen and living abroad complicates finances and taxes, but at least you have the protection of US citizenship when it comes to SS and any other US assets.

 

[Alan]

What are the advantages of dual US citizenship? Wouldn't there be tax disadvantages if you ever moved away from the US?

Our children were aged 4 and 6 when we came here in 1987 so getting US citizenship for them was a priority for us. I believe most (all?) Federal jobs were/are restricted to US citizens and we wanted to give them their best shot. I can't see either of them wanting to go back to England.

Having citizenship gives us the right to vote, and b$itch about the government . Taxation without representation, and all that.

I didn't consider taxation issues at the time, but I'm sure it wouldn't have changed our minds.

PS
As UK citizens we can't vote in the UK as we are not resident and therefore not UK tax payers. With the US you can't escape taxation but I believe you don't lose your vote either if you are resident in another country.

 

[MichaelB]

My children are dual citizens, as are all the nieces and nephews on DW's side, some more than two. There may be a few downsides but for the most part it means greater horizons.

As for taxes, I recall my grandfather saying when you're paying taxes it means you;re working, and that's better than the alternative.

 

[nun]

Our children were aged 4 and 6 when we came here in 1987 so getting US citizenship for them was a priority for us. I believe most (all?) Federal jobs were/are restricted to US citizens and we wanted to give them their best shot. I can't see either of them wanting to go back to England.

Having citizenship gives us the right to vote, and b$itch about the government . Taxation without representation, and all that.

I didn't consider taxation issues at the time, but I'm sure it wouldn't have changed our minds.

PS
As UK citizens we can't vote in the UK as we not resident and therefore not UK tax payers. With the US you can't escape taxation but I believe you don't lose your vote either if you are resident in another country.

Having 2 citizenships gets rid of the issues with immigration and work and when children and spouses come into the picture there are definitely positives in getting dual citizenship.

Access to Federal jobs is a big plus of having US citizenship, but having a second non-US passport complicates getting a job that requires a security clearance. This is perfectly sensible as you don't want divided loyalties. To get such jobs you are required to give up the foreign passport, but not your foreign citizenship, although if you are asked whether you would be willing to renounce that foreign citizenship the best answer is "Yes"

Actually non-resident UK citizens can vote in UK national elections. I've voted in 4 UK General elections since I came to the US in 1987. However, that right stops after being non resident for 15 years. The US lets expat Americans vote in Federal elections and for states its the usual patchwork. If I move to the UK I definitely won't even try to vote in any MA elections to make sure there's no question of me being MA domiciled and thus liable to MA state tax.

 

[Alan]

Actually non-resident UK citizens can vote in UK national elections. I've voted in 4 UK General elections since I came to the US in 1987. However, that right stops after being non resident for 15 years. The US lets expat Americans vote in Federal elections and for states its the usual patchwork. If I move to the UK I definitely won't even try to vote in any MA elections to make sure there's no question of me being MA domiciled and thus liable to MA state tax.

I never realized that, not that I ever wanted to vote once I'd become non-resident. It seems odd being able to vote for an MP when you don't pay taxes. What constituency do you register in when you don't have a UK address?

 

[golfnut]

Yeah, I could claim Irish citizenship. Too much of a hassle to get the paperwork together and I don't really see the benefit.

Ditto for me as my parents were born in Eire.

 

[nun]

I never realized that, not that I ever wanted to vote once I'd become non-resident. It seems odd being able to vote for an MP when you don't pay taxes. What constituency do you register in when you don't have a UK address?

I left my registration at my parents' address as that's what it was just before I left for the US. Just a point of contention, I don't think voting should be connected with whether you pay taxes.....

 

[NW-Bound]

Voted USA solely, although I came to this country as a young adult. I will die here too. This country has been good to me. To borrow from Groucho Marx,

"When I came to this country, I did not have a nickel in my pocket.
Now, I have a nickel".

 

[boatfishandnature]

Come on, guys, over 16,500 registered users and only 212 votes? Let's find out our group's geographic/nationality profile!

 

[Alan]

Come on, guys, over 16,500 registered users and only 212 votes? Let's find out our group's geographic/nationality profile!

It's a shy, retiring group (pun intended)

 

[nun]

I'm surprised that 25% of the responses to this poll are non-US citizenships; that's higher than I expected.

NB. That's calculated by taking the total of the votes (not the voters).

 

[traineeinvestor]

It's a shy, retiring group (pun intended)

Lots of INTJ types.....

 

[traineeinvestor]

I did that. The difficulty became only having 20 max possible choices. I know I've pissed off Aus and NZ by combining them...but I though I'd appeal to the old ANZAC spirit.

not "pissed" at all - more amused than anything else. Sorry if it came across otherwise

 

[JustCurious]

I didn't realize until now that I am not the only Japanese here! (Japan does not give out dual, so as long as my mom/dad are alive (in Japan), I am keeping my Japanese citizenship, although I've lived here since my 20's.)

It would not be Japan giving you dual, it would be the U.S.