Reasons for Having Dual Citizenship

Automatic Laws

• While dual citizenship may have certain advantages, the reason some people become citizens of two countries is not necessarily by choice, but because of automatic laws that are in place. In some cases, a child who is born in a foreign country, and whose parents are both U.S. citizens, may be considered a citizen of both the foreign country and of the U.S. Under U.S. law, a person does not have to select one citizenship over another. For this reason, many naturalized U.S. citizens have dual citizenship as they get to keep the citizenship of their original country. Marriage is another reason that a person may acquire dual citizenship. Depending on the country's laws, if a U.S. citizen marries a person from a foreign country, she may automatically be given citizenship of that country.
  
  

Financial Reasons

• Some people actively seek dual citizenship. One reason for this is that it opens up a variety of job opportunities. As the citizen of two countries, you are able to work and live in either of them. Many people leave their countries of birth and seek citizenship in more developed countries in order to work and send money home to families. Often the currency in a richer country converts to much more significant amounts back home and can help ease financial problems. Be aware of certain tax obligations if you have dual citizenship. Depending on the laws of the country you work in, you may have to pay taxes in one or both of the countries.
  
  

Personal Security

• Citizens of an unstable country, or one in which there is often political strife, can benefit from dual citizenship and actively seek it. In the event of political upheaval or a civil war, those with dual nationality have a stable country to which they can escape if they need to do so. Some people are given refugee status in the U.S. and later go on to become naturalized U.S. citizens, but still keep the citizenship of their country of birth, enabling them to return if conditions back home change.
  
  

Travel

• Having dual citizenship can be very convenient when traveling. If you need to travel to a country that has a bad relationship with your country of birth, you can arrive with your alternative passport and authorities will be none the wiser and your travel experience will more likely be smoother. To visit some countries, you must purchase a visa. Prices of visas vary depending on visa agreements and waiver programs set up between countries. A good reason for having dual citizenship is that it allows you to use the passport that will get you a cheaper visa or even require no visa at all.