Why would citizenship be required to move to a different country ? I've lived in half a dozen legally in three different continents without ever being a citizen in any of them.
Because the alternatives are pretty bad (although a middle ground should be possible, like some countries cancel your citizenship automatically when you acquire another):
- Being stateless makes it virtually impossible to travel
- Most countries are hesistant to grant citizenship to visitors
I see very little reason as to why rootlessness has been made really hard in our current global system. I am not sure in whose interest it is that this cosmopolitanism has been made so bureaucratic.
This is another example of where the US' unwillingness to look at what other countries do, bites it in the ass.
Same thing with birthright citizenship (yes, I know it's in the constitution). The US is just one of a handful of Western countries that give citizenship to anyone born within it's borders. Pretty much all of Europe does not offer it, the child basically has whatever status the parents do.
I assume this is because some countries make it really easy to get citizenship. It would be quite a loophole to just hop over to country X for a few months then onto the US
The main problem with maintaining US nationality is taxes. There are exemptions up to a certain limit, but you still have to file and potentially pay taxes to two countries.
There's an easy solution to that - renounce your citizenship. What's that? You want to keep your American citizenship? Then you must abide by the social contract underlying that grant of citizenship, which comes with certain benefits/obligations no matter where you are in the world.
You could always renounce your citizenship. Citizenship in free countries are actually opt-out, but for some reason this is a difficult thing for these people to grasp. WTF?
You could probably be stateless if you absolutely wanted, but I hear that's not very fun. A more realistic alternative is to get citizenship in another country. Apparently these people think that their current country is the greatest, but not quite great enough. I mean, it can't be that bad, then, can it?
Oh, and I forgot the main one of course - lots of places won't let you become stateless. You need to be a citizen of another country already to give up your US citizenship. And that, in turn, is a very long term and difficult process.
Isn't the US one of the few (the only?) countries which makes this really hard?
Like, if I wanted to get rid of my citizenship (European country) all I need to do is get another one, it is void the second that happens. And even if it wasn't, I do have the right to get rid of the citizenship at any time, no reason or justification needed.
If I remember in the US it is not only expensive but also they for some reason have this system where they can deny you renouncing your citizenship.
I am a citizen that works in an international org abroad and I am exempted from taxes due to my annual income being under the threshold.
That aside, I am thinking inevitably I would renounce my citizenship given the opportunity to get a citizenship in Europe. I am no longer interested in associating with the political shithole my nation has become, and it looks like that will not change.
Reality tells me however, and from experience: a) whatever country I would establish in would turn to shit and I cannot shop for citizenship every time some country loses its mind (which happens frequently these days) and b) Americans are treated very well as expats in terms of low restrictions on visa requirements and barrier to entry (unless you are going to Iran and the like). Point A is minor, while Point B, having been married to an Arab national for only over a year, has proven that being anything other than American or one of the European countries of high standing is very uncomfortable for anything requiring travel, and often humiliating. That is why, sigh, she is clamoring for her US citizenship ASAP.
Being a citizen of no country is massively problematic, not sure I understand what problem you think it would solve. Being a citizen of the US is the best way to guarantee easy travel to the vast majority of the world. You can walk into the EU without a visa, for example (although I think that may be changing)
It's extremely hard, expensive and take very long time to give up US citizenship. Reason? Lots of people are doing so.
Plus you'd have to pay immediate capital gains on EVERYTHING accumulated so far - AS IF you sold it.
Rules are brutal, irreversible, little known and expensive.
Think twice. US citizenship could be very expensive mistake, unless person earns very average salary or sits on a welfare.
The question no one here answers: why maintain a valueless US citizenship?
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