Weighing the pros and cons of dual citizenship

Some immigrants in Riverside, California, may wish to become a U.S. citizen, but they may also want to simultaneously retain citizenship to their home country. This can be achieved through dual citizenship. According to the Embassy of the United States, dual citizenship is when someone possesses legal citizenship of two countries. This can be obtained through several means, such as by living in the U.S. long enough or through applying for naturalization.

Dual citizenship can come with a relatively large set of benefits. Some of these benefits include:

• Being able to work and vote freely in two countries
• Being able to pick and choose which country’s systems work best
• Being able to travel freely as a native citizen between the two countries
• Taking advantage of the location of a home or secondary country to visit the countries surrounding it

As USA Today pointed out, holding a U.S. citizenship in addition to retaining homeland citizenship means that a person has twice the opportunities, twice the access to travel, and twice the options for schooling, health care or anything else.

However, there are some potential limitations that people should also take into consideration if they wish to become a dual citizen. First, they should make sure that the government of their native land allows them to hold citizenship to the U.S., as this is not feasible in every nation. They should also be aware of the fact that a U.S. citizen is required to be loyal to the U.S. even if it directly conflicts with the law of another country, which could even lead to the revocation of citizenship.

There are both pros and cons to becoming a dual citizen. People who are truly interested in it may be able to make a more informed decision by taking both sides into consideration.