Dual Citizenship Question

Is it possible to become a dual citizen of the US and Canada? I live near the Canadian border and there would be advantages to having 2 passports.

Yes.

But you need a reason for Canada to give you citizenship.

Basically, it’s not an easy process.

You can’t apply to become a Canadian citizen just because it would be convenient to get a Canadian passport, just like people can’t just show up in the U.S. and apply to be a citizen.

I have a Canadian friend who just got his U.S. citizenship last year after living and working here for decades, and still holds a Canadian passport, but that’s the opposite of what you’re talking about.

I am curious about the premise. What advantages would there be to having a Canadian passport? Is this for travel to Canada, or do you want to travel overseas without being identified as American?

Both really. It sounds like I would need to move to Canada, establish residency, and then apply for citizenship. Even though I could take my job with me I’m not sure Canada wants people moving there in order to become dual citizens. I need to do some research on that.

Yes, you do. You can’t even just up and move to Canada without applying for the correct visas–and hope you’re not in a hurry, because even after establishing permanent residency there’s a 4-year waiting period before you can become a citizen.

My father was born in Britain, emigrated to Canada and became a Canadian citizen. Many years later he moved to the US and became a US citizen. He had passports from all three countries just prior to his death.

IIRC, to become a Canadian, you have to apply for residency in Canada as a landed immigrant. (NOT easy, unless you have an in demand skill, or a job offer that the employer certifies they couldn’t find a qualified Canadian, or get in the queue and wait, wait, wait…) After 3(?) years of residency, you can apply to become a citizen. They have recently gotten fussy about people who spend too much of those qualifying years travelling/living abroad, so you would have to show you actually lived in Canada.

the line-up to get into Canada is difficult. I heard of one person whose Australian common law is still here; overstayed his visa for 10 years and knows if he left, even though they have a child, he would likely not qualify to even visit any more, let alone immigrate with just high school education. They assign points for education, language skill (French or English), job offers, etc.

Unfortunately, they days where it was a formality to move legally from one western country to another are long, long gone.

If either Parent was Canadian when you were born, you* are* a Canadian Citizen.

Yo do have to apply to get it recognized and then to get a passport.

Not necessarily. If a person is born outside of Canada to Canadian parents that person may not be able to transmit Canadian citizenship to his/her children.

If either Parent was Canadian when you were born,

The second generation born outside Canada cannot claim Canadian citizenship. I and my brothers and sisters have it, but as we were all born in the U.S., we could not pass it on to our children.

Yes, but that does not contradict in any way what I posted.

What? It absolutely does. I am a Canadian citizen. My child, not born in Canada, would not be even though one parent was Canadian.

Indeed. As I recall when my (now ex-) wife, who was American, decided to become a Canadian citizen, she had to specify where she went outside Canada, why, and exactly how many days she was there, within the last three or four years (I forget which). So she ended up listing things like, “Business conference in Chicago, March 2000, 4 days; Vacation in Colorado, September 2000, 14 days; Visiting Mom in Seattle, December 2001, 5 days”; and so on. There were a certain number of days she was allowed to be outside of Canada during that three or four year period, and she was well short of the limit. And since she fulfilled all the other requirements, she became a Canadian citizen, in addition to being an American one.

If her experience is anything to go by, the Canadian authorities are certainly fussy. It’s a lot more than showing up with a series of gas bills showing how long you’ve lived at an address.