My roommate was asking me about this after the movie and I nor our other friends know. Obviously it was important to change her citizenship to where she was going to spend her married life, but do you really have to be placed in that position of limbo? Can't you be both?
I hope that's not a dumb question, but we thought you could have dual citizenship.
For a start, there's no such thing as stupid questions!
Dual citizenship does exist - my kids have both British and French nationality - it all depends on the countries concerned. In the Goofs for this film, it says that the U.S. accepts dual nationality, and that the Embassy would have issued Kate with replacement travel documents. Not doing so makes a better story: penniless waif, abandoned by fiancé and country alike, lost among the unwashed and incomprehensible Frogs.
(I kissed my Frog, and he turned into a handsome prince)
Yes, you can have dual citizenship, and be a citizen of both countries at the same time. It does all depend on each country though. I'm American, but I can apply for dual citizenship in Ireland, because of my mom is first Generation Irish, but I think that is just with Ireland.
shareYes, Suzanne, there is such a thing as duel citizenship for Americans. But you have to apply for it. You can also change your citizenship and renounce your American citizenship. The character in the movie wouldn't think of applying for duel citizenship because of her personality. She is very straight forward as mentioned by Luke referring to her little girl walk.
shareActually when you married someone and move to their country, you don't need to change your citizenship if you don't want. You can just adjust your status into permanent resident aka Green Card (at least in USA) so you can have the benefit the other citizen has without being illegal and still being able to keep your citizenship. You just have to renew your green card every once in a while.
(Sorry for my bad English).
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I have dual citizenship, but that's because I was "born" with it. I was born in Norway with an American mother and Norwegian father, and I got both.
Since I wasn't born in the US, I theoretically can't run for President, but neither was John McCain, and he's the nominee!
This was a big goof because dual American and Canadian citizenship is really common. I know lots of people that have both, some of whom weren't born in either country. Both countries (and most of the countries of the Americas, I think) are much more liberal about this than any European or Asian country. If you're born in Canada or the U.S., you can automatically choose that citizenship (try that anywhere in Europe, Asia or Australia), regardless of the nationalities of your parents.
If a Canadian marries an American while living in the U.S., or vice versa, it's pretty easy to acquire the spouse's nationality. Ditto if a person of either nationality lives or works in the other country for a long time. Of course, wherever they're born, the kids of a Canadian and an American can get both citizenships. I think a lot of those Canadian-born actors, journalists, etc. long based in the U.S. have dual citizenship. For sure in the case of Peter Jennings.
John McCain wasn't physically born in the US, but he was born at the naval station in the Panama Canal Zone while it was under US control. His father was in the navy. Children born on military bases while their parents are on active duty are considered to be born on US soil and therefore US citizens.
shareNot true, there has been quite a bit of discussion on who can run for POTUS and the current opinion is that "natural born citizen" one has to have been a citizen from birth. There was even an Act of Congress in 1790 that specifically stated what made one a natural born citizen. Children born overseas to at least one US citizen parent, whether on a US base or not, meet this requirement. This is further reinforced as the certificate noticing their US citizenship isn't a naturalization certificate it is a "Report of a US Citizen Born Abroad". My children were born overseas while I was in the service and like most US kids were not born in a US medical clinic. However, they are US citizens and were so at birth. The Stars and Stripes would periodically run articles on this topic (around POTUS election time) and the experts pointed out what I have just stated.
shareJohn McCain was born to two American citizens, one of which (his father) was in the US military. Just because he was born in Panama doesn't mean anything.
Ted Cruz, as he did, could run for president because his mother was an American citizen even though his father was born in Cuba and he was born in Canada.
Just like Obama. It doesn't matter where in the world he was born because Obama's mother was an American citizen therefore he was an American citizen.
It's called Process of Acquisition.
-Nam
I am on the road less traveled...
I am a dual citizen. In most cases if you start out with american citizenship and acquire citizenship in another country, you implicitly abdicate your american citizenship, if you are age-of-consent (18 or 21 or something.) In my case i was born in Canada to a Canadian father and an American mother, on a temporary visit (for the better prenatal care than in the midwestern US.) We applied for and acquired my american citizenship, through my mom, when I was only 13. Canada considered this to be too young to choose between the two countries, and did not consider it to mean that I had renounced my Canadian citizenship.
Commonwealth Citizens have most of the rights of British Citizens, and all of the rights (I believe) if they were born before 1983. The commonwealth countries include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong (Pre-97), etc. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_citizen
I am Canadian, and I've studied this in tax courses. I am a professional accountant but I'm going by memory here and it's been a while.
You can be a dual citizen (US/Canada) in the eyes of the Canadian government. However, from what I understand, in the eyes of the US government, you are either one or the other. There is one exception, at least there was at the time I took my tax courses: the only dual citizenship the US government will recognize is Irish/US. It relates to some sort of treaty signed with Ireland way back when. But as far as the US government is concerned, if you go over to Canada and become a Canadian citizen, you are no longer an American citizen. This is sometimes an advantage to those who do this, as US taxes are based largely on citizenship (whereas Canadian taxes are based on residency) but can obviously cause problems as well.
This doesn't really explain what happens in the movie though when the US consulate denies her any help, because since she hasn't actually become a Canadian citizen yet, I would think they'd still help her as an American citizen. But I'm definitely not an expert.
The US does not recognize dual citizenship. The other country may recognize it.
We have a big problem here in the US with millions of children of illegal immigrants being born each year (about 10% of all births!) on US soil and therefore becoming automatic US citizens. They are choosing not to assimilate as they did in the past, choosing not to use English as their primary language, and there is a strong movement underway to change the automatic citizenship law, though it may mean changing our constitution -- extremely difficult to do. But most things that are worth it are difficult!
The US Government recognizes Dual Citizenship, it just doesn't "endorse" it.
There's a difference.
-Nam
I am on the road less traveled...
Part of this is simply not true... anyone born to an American citizen, which I assume your mother still was since you didn't say she wasn't, is automatically a citizen of the United States of America regardless of where they're born... you became a citizen of both countries the moment your mother gave birth to you.
... the hardest thing in this world is to live in it...
Actually, the United States does not (officially) recognize dual citizenship. Of course, several other countries do, so that doesn't stop many people from having it.
In this movie, Kate had apparently decided to renounce her American citizenship upon her marriage to a Canadian. That does happen, on occasion, but it is relatively rare. (One wonders if there may have been other factors involved).
My brother-in-law is Canadian, and became an American when he married my sister - however he still maintains his Canadian citizenship.
I don't care about money. I just want to be wonderful. - Marilyn Monroe
What about 'multiple'? You know, three or more.
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