If you live near the border that separates the United States and Canada, you may be interested in applying for a Canadian-American dual citizenship. By doing so, you increase your freedom of travel between both countries, and it also opens up the door to more job opportunities. However, to enjoy the benefits of dual citizenship, you will need to follow certain regulations for each country.
Requirements Of Each Country
Even though the United States and Canada share a border and cooperate in many different ways, you will be required to fit certain categories to be eligible for dual citizenship. The easy way to become a dual citizenship is if one of your parents was born in Canada and your other parent was born in the United States. Under these circumstances, you may qualify for citizenship in both Canada and the U.S.
Otherwise, you won’t get any special treatment. Immigration rules for the United States and Canada are the same for you as they would be for someone coming from other countries.
Immigration Rules In The United States
If you were born in Canada and don’t have parents who were born in the United States, you’ll have to apply for a green card. This will allow you to reside in the U.S. on a permanent basis. Typically, green cards are given if you have close family members who are United States citizens, received an open job offer that is based in the U.S. or have $1 million that you are willing to invest in a business that’s in the United States. After becoming a permanent resident in the United States for five years and living there for at least half of that time period, you will be eligible to apply for citizenship.
After applying for United States citizenship, you’ll have to go through a process that involves interviews, exams and other tests to show that you have an allegiance to the United States.
Immigration Rules In The Country Of Canada
If you are not currently a citizen of Canada and wish to become one, you need to apply, which is based on family ties, skilled employment and investment — similar to the rules that apply when attempting to gain citizenship in the United States.
However, in Canada, you are required to live in the country 75 percent of the time based on a four year period, and during that time, you must remain free of any criminal convictions. You will also be required to take a written test that involves knowledge associated with Canada. You will need to understand parts of the country’s history as well as the duties and rights of each citizen.
If you do have any problems with immigration laws, you may want to talk to an attorney who can help you strategize a plan for dual citizenship.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!