British Expatriate Network

Hola y'all

Has anyone here naturalised as an Amurrican citizen? I'm giving some thought to the idea - 2003 will be five years here.

Let me know your thoughts on this.

Oh oh, with a title like this it won't be long before its moved to the immigration folder.

Sorry, I've only been here two years - but as I'm married to a Yank I will naturalize when the time comes.

Thanks Beng,

I'm still new to this - didn't realise there was an immigration forum.

How do I close this thread?

Zippy will move the thread smile , so you don't need to do anything to close it.

I am in the process of naturalising. I sent in my form about a month ago, and have a fingerprint appointment week after next. The waiting time for naturalisation where I am is 60 - 90 days, so it won't be long for me - early in the New Year, I suspect, as I'm not eligible until December 18th earliest.

I waited ten months between sending in the forms and getting my interview, then another four months after that before swearing-in and becoming official and eligible for a passport.

That was 1998-99.

Also my fingerprints "expired" so I ahd to get them done both at the beginning and at the end of the process.

Bet I win on length of time to be processed -- I applied for Citizenship in July 1996 and finally swore in in May 2001. My file at the interview had a gold cover with "Golden Oldie" stamped on it (really, I'm not kidding).

By the way, my recollection is that there are quite a few people on this forum who have become US citizens.

That's a long time! Were you a commie or something in your youth? grin

I became a citizen about 11 years ago, after having my green card for 12 years. It is great to have 2 passports.

bvamin

I have never entertained the idea of becoming an American citizen because I thought you could not be a British subject AND an American citizen, am I wrong?

Sue - yes you *can* keep your British citizenship if you acquire dual nationality of another country. The only way to not retain your British citizenship is to actually go to a British consular official and formally renounce it!

Here is the official information about it here. However, it does say that if you have acquired US citizenship, you should always use the American passport each time you depart and re-enter the US & US territories (but you can use your British passport elsewhere in the world). smile

http//www.britain-info.org/consular/dualnata.asp

You then have the best of both worlds...

Did any of you take any classes or anything for the tests I imagine they do? What's the process?

Can anyone explain "permanent resident" to me? I have a friend that has this status although she hasn't lived in the States for 12 years - is she still entitled to that status or not?

Permanent resident is the same thing as having a green card. I had permanent resident status the day I stepped off the plane.

Depends if she renewed it I guess -you have to renew them after 10 years -not sure what the consitions of renewal are, but I imagine if you're married to an American it would be hard to lose the status.

A 10-year old permenent resident card expires, but the status does not.

The only expiring status that I am aware of is when someone has conditional resident status, when they receive their green card before they have been married for two years. If they don't convert this to permanent status at the right time, they lose their green card.