Future kids. What would their citizenship be?

[lleahdoll]

Just completely curious on this one! And bored since I was roaming the forums but had no questions atm.

If I have kids in he future with my husband, I'd give birth in Canada and they'd be Canadian citizens.
I am from the US and am a citizen. Would my kids automatically be citizens of the US by birth? I thought that's how it worked but correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[scylla]

It depends. You would have to meet certain requirements in order for them to be US citizens. I'm not 100% familiar with the rules, however I believe one of them is that you must have lived in the US for at least 5 year since your birth (and before your child was born). Also, I believe a certain number of those years spent living in the US must be completed once you are over 14 or 15 or 16 years of age or something like that.

 

[Zarilenth]

I believe you're correct Scylla! I found this off of a US Gov website:

"If your child was born on or after 11/14/86, and only one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the child's birth, the child may have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the USA for periods totaling five years prior to the child's birth, at least two of which where after their 14th birthday."

Website: http://canada.usembassy.gov/consular_services/birth-abroad.html

 

[OhCanadiana]

It depends. You would have to meet certain requirements in order for them to be US citizens. I'm not 100% familiar with the rules, however I believe one of them is that you must have lived in the US for at least 5 year since your birth (and before your child was born). Also, I believe a certain number of those years spent living in the US must be completed once you are over 14 or 15 or 16 years of age or something like that.

Indeed! For children born abroad, if one parent is a U.S. citizen at the time of birth and the birthdate is on or after November 14, 1986, then the 5 years applies, and 2 of which have to be before 14 years of age.

There's a variety of scenarios (based on birth year and country of residency), so it's best to go through your specific case on http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-parents. For example, if a child under 18 "resides in the US in physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent" "pursuant to lawful admission for permanent residence," then citizenship would be automatic separately from the whole 5 years/2 years business outlined above for a child was under 18 or not yet born on Feb 27, 2001.

 

[lleahdoll]

Wow, thanks for all the useful information!!

Luckily I was born in the US so have spent all my life there, including 8 years after turning 14.

I will bookmark those links and make sure to check them when I have children!

Hopefully this thread is useful to people actually in this situation right this second. lol

 

[screech339]

Wow, thanks for all the useful information!!

Luckily I was born in the US so have spent all my life there, including 8 years after turning 14.

I will bookmark those links and make sure to check them when I have children!

Hopefully this thread is useful to people actually in this situation right this second. lol

Don't you mean you spent 8 years BEFORE turning 14.

 

[Zarilenth]

Don't you mean you spent 8 years BEFORE turning 14.

Nah I think she means she has lived there from birth to 14 years of age, plus 8 years after..

 

[OhCanadiana]

Nah I think she means she has lived there from birth to 14 years of age, plus 8 years after..

That's my interpretation too; lleahdoll would have to confirm.

Point is, under current rules she doesn't need to worry. 8)

 

[lleahdoll]

screech:

Nah I think she means she has lived there from birth to 14 years of age, plus 8 years after..

That's my interpretation too; lleahdoll would have to confirm.

Point is, under current rules she doesn't need to worry. 8)

CORRECT! ;D

 

[screech339]

That's my interpretation too; lleahdoll would have to confirm.

Point is, under current rules she doesn't need to worry. 8)

Yes. The OP has no concern about future kids acquiring American citizenship if born in Canada.

The question lies with the OP is that is it really worth her kids getting American citizenship. They will have to report worldwide income regardless of where they live for rest of their lives. Canadian citizens got a lot going for them. They only pay taxes based on where they reside. Have the same travel freedom as Americans in traveling worldwide. Only benefit to getting American citizen is being able to work in US without visa required.

Screech339

 

[ovasquez1]

Wow, thanks for all the useful information!!

Luckily I was born in the US so have spent all my life there, including 8 years after turning 14.

I will bookmark those links and make sure to check them when I have children!

Hopefully this thread is useful to people actually in this situation right this second. lol

Thanks for asking, I was curious about that too... it's nice too know that my future kids could have double citizenship 8)

 

[lleahdoll]

Thanks for asking, I was curious about that too... it's nice too know that my future kids could have double citizenship 8)

No problem! I like to know information even if I may not use it for awhile. lol

I def want my future kiddos to have duel citizenship. And I hope to have Canadian citizenship after living here 3 years with PR. Then all I'd have to worry about is getting my hubsy American citizenship.
I'd love to be able to have the option to move around. Considering all my family is in the US.
Even if we didn't move around, my kids could have the option to move to the US when they're 18 if they wanted to.

 

[Zarilenth]

I'm curious about the taxes if we have dual citizenship. I would like to get dual citizenship one day and my husband (American) wants dual as well. Would we have to pay taxes in Canada and the US? What if neither of us had property in the US or earned any money there - would we still have to pay? I've heard that a lot of people renounce their US citizenship simply because it's too expensive to have both Canadian and US based on their tax fees.

 

[screech339]

No problem! I like to know information even if I may not use it for awhile. lol

I def want my future kiddos to have duel citizenship. And I hope to have Canadian citizenship after living here 3 years with PR. Then all I'd have to worry about is getting my hubsy American citizenship.
I'd love to be able to have the option to move around. Considering all my family is in the US.
Even if we didn't move around, my kids could have the option to move to the US when they're 18 if they wanted to.

There is a possibility that you may end up waiting 4 years instead of 3 years to qualify for canadian citizenship. They already implemented the first stage of the new citizenship law. Increased canadian citizenship application fee up to 300 from 100.

By the time you reached the 3 years qualification, the new 4 year wait may come into effect and you thus have to wait one more year.

Screech339

 

[lleahdoll]

I'm curious about the taxes if we have dual citizenship. I would like to get dual citizenship one day and my husband (American) wants dual as well. Would we have to pay taxes in Canada and the US? What if neither of us had property in the US or earned any money there - would we still have to pay? I've heard that a lot of people renounce their US citizenship simply because it's too expensive to have both Canadian and US based on their tax fees.

I am curious about that as well! I can't remember where I read it but I think I read that you have to file with the US still but you don't have to pay taxes since you don't reside there. (Being a permanent resident in Canada, not sure once you become duel citizen)

There is a possibility that you may end up waiting 4 years instead of 3 years to qualify for canadian citizenship. They already implemented the first stage of the new citizenship law. Increased canadian citizenship application fee up to 300 from 100.

By the time you reached the 3 years qualification, the new 4 year wait may come into effect and you thus have to wait one more year.

Screech339

That's totally ok! I don't NEED to become a citizen at the 3 year mark. Just sometime in the future ^_^