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My Quest for Citizenship
Posted On: 12/01/2020 17:11:47

In the mid-1980s, our two children were both completing their high school education and were trying to decide what they wanted to do as an adult. There were a few ideas, but the question was, “Would Dad and Mom agree?” Our son wanted to sell real estate, like his father did, but had to be convinced that he was too young. Where would he find a customer who would be willing to work with an 18-year old Realtor?

Our independent daughter wanted to get a business degree, but not anywhere near home. She also wanted to attend a Christian university, to learn more about her spiritual journey, so applied to various colleges and decided that whoever accepted her first, gets her. She ended up in Indiana, then transferred to Washington for her last year, where she met the love of her life.

Shortly after she started her first year, I received a letter from a friend, asking if I had heard about a little known U.S. law that would give Canadians the opportunity for dual citizenship. She thought it probably was a silly rumor but perhaps I would be interested to hear more about it. I definitely was interested and did some investigation. This is what I learned: “Any Canadian who was born before 1947 to American-born parents, had not served in the Canadian Military, and did not have a criminal record, could apply to the U.S. Government for dual citizenship.” Why 1947? Because that was the year that the Canadian Citizenship Act came into effect, with the evolution of Canada as a sovereign and independent nation.

I qualified! My parents were born in the U.S. and their families immigrated to Canada in the early 1900s. My husband and I did a lot of traveling, but would we consider moving to the U.S. in our working years? Not likely! Our daughter may want to stay in the U.S., near friends developed at university, and she would need to have a job. As a dual citizen, I could petition for members of my family to receive a ‘green card’, enabling them to work in the U.S. However, only my daughter has a green card, has married her American sweetheart, and they have raised their family on the West Coast.

As for me, the ‘dual citizen’, I never used my American passport, and kept in a memory box with other treasured items. We had crossed the International board many times without incident, using my Canadian passport, so why complicate a situation by showing the wrong passport at the wrong crossing. To make my situation more complicated, I have two birth certificates, same date, different countries. How would I be able to explain that to a border guard? Even though I reported the error, the U.S. birth certificate was never corrected, insisting that they never made the mistake. I wasn’t born in the U.S., none of my education was in the U.S., I have never worked or owned property in the U.S., and I do not pay taxes in the U.S. Try and explain how and why I got to be a U.S. citizen to an Immigration lawyer!

Don’t you just love government bureaucracy?


Tags: Family History Passports Rules



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Viewing 1 - 4 out of 4 Comments

12/04/2020 00:13:58

Great blog!!  I am glad to know that my tax dollars are being thrown away as usual.  Our imagration people could complicate a straight line.  Don't give them anything more that.  You have to come into the country illegally to be safe... LOL. With our boarder people you have to use the KISS method... Keep It Simple Stupid.  Thank you for sharing. I loved it.



12/02/2020 14:28:49


nightfall wrote:

Thanks for the info. I didn't know about the dual citizenship rules you listed above. I tell you government bureaucracy is one pain in the side. Especially here in the U.S. Congratulations to your daughter. I assume she and the love of her life still live in the state of Washington? Such a beautiful state. As you know I lived in Burien a couple of years when I was a kid. One day I would love to return and see the places that made my childhood one of amazement. 

Your comments make me smile... I'm sure there are a lot of things about our own government that I don't know either, but I'm a true Canadian Canadian. Thank goodness for good communications and deep love for our daughter and family, especially now that travelling doesn't seem to be an option. Pictures... pictures... pictures!!!!! A real treasure this year!



12/02/2020 14:21:11


kiwibarb wrote:

What a fascinating complication you have turned out to be! I'm not sure if you're a Canadian American or an American Canadian. How wise to leave passports where they currently reside, and stick with the one that is the least likely to cause any disruption to travel plans. Your daughter is very brave abandoning her country of birth, but fortnately she has found happiness and can flitter hither and yon with her dual citizenship. Super blog, Mona!

Thanks so much for you comments... and to set your mind at ease, I'm Canadian Canadian!!! If the other place can't get the facts straight, they have been demoted to our "not so friendsly neighbor to the South"! It doesn't affect the wonderful friends and family there. I also get to enjoy granddaughters who are now attending Canadian university instead of staying close to home.



12/02/2020 04:30:56

Thanks for the info. I didn't know about the dual citizenship rules you listed above. I tell you government bureaucracy is one pain in the side. Especially here in the U.S. Congratulations to your daughter. I assume she and the love of her life still live in the state of Washington? Such a beautiful state. As you know I lived in Burien a couple of years when I was a kid. One day I would love to return and see the places that made my childhood one of amazement. 




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