This report provides an overview of the legal requirements for dual citizenship and some of the issues concerning dual citizenship. There are several potential problems and issues falling into two categories—first, actions which may result in expatriation from the U.S., i.e. , loss of American citizenship, and second, potentially conflicting obligations to both countries, e.g. , mandatory military service for men, double income taxation, voting privileges, public office or employment and repatriation of income from employment or investment abroad. The report will first discuss the legal basis for dual citizenship, then the expatriation actions, the potentially conflicting obligations of holding citizenship of the U.S. and another nation, the dual citizenship laws and legislative activity of selected countries in which a significant number of U.S. citizens may be eligible for dual citizenship, and finally, current legislative activity in the 105 th Congress.
This report provides an overview of the legal requirements for dual citizenship and some of the issues concerning dual citizenship. There are several potential problems and issues falling into two categories—first, actions which may result in expatriation from the U.S., i.e., loss of American citizenship, and second, potentially conflicting obligations to both countries, e.g., mandatory military service for men, double income taxation, voting privileges, public office or employment and repatriation of income from employment or investment abroad. The report will first discuss the legal basis for dual citizenship, then the expatriation actions, the potentially conflicting obligations of holding citizenship of the U.S. and another nation, the dual citizenship laws and legislative activity of selected countries in which a significant number of U.S. citizens may be eligible for dual citizenship, and finally, current legislative activity in the 105th Congress.