I have been a Permanant Resident now for 1 year. Im curious if others have decided not to persue citizenship once eligable. Im no where near close to that time, but as of right now its not something i am interested in doing. I would be perfectly happy just to keep Permanant residency.
* Of course my decision may change as time goes on and it gets closer to my 5 year mark. Just a general question.
So has anyone decided not to persure the citizenship and renew your PR card?
There really is no reason not to, the US wont strip your citizenship away.
And you wont risk loosing your status in Canada if you need to leave for an extended period at some point.
I guess that unless one wants to join the armed forces, run for prime minister or vote in general elections then there really is no need to become a citizen. I guess someone may wish to live outside of Canada for more than 3 years without a Canadian spouse - but unless you are of those categories then there is no real reason why you "need" to go through the citizenship process.
For me, being a PR is a sort of state of limbo whereby I feel like a visitor still. I don't particularly mind that but becoming a citizen is sort of like closure on the whole immigration experience; I am going through the process now for no reason other than closure.
But I guess if you have no need of that and you have no plans on any of the above restrictions then I can understand why you don't feel it necessarry to go for citizenship. Whatever you decide to do - just remember that the RTC folks are a great resource and a pillar of support in this whole immigration saga :)
I heard of some people who just don't get around to it, can't pass the test, get divorced and go home. I am applying the day I am eligible (a week from today) just to have that extra security. I mean there is always the risk that I might have to go back to the US to take care of a relative, and stay long enough to lose my PR and have to start all over again.
Hee Hee, I have been here for 40 years in January of 2010. I am a permanent resident...previously a landed immigrant. I have no real desire to become a Canadian citizen for reasons of my own that tend to greatly annoy my husband of 28 years. My husband and my kids are Canadian. I don't want to leave Canada, but I don't want to become a Canadian citizen either. My daughter has just married an American and they are applying for his PR. I tease them all that, when he becomes a Canadian, I'll become one too.
My husband keeps telling me he wants to find a way to drop his US citizenship once he can become a Canadian. I've got numerous reasons why I think that's a really incredibly bad idea, but he's really angry at his fellow citizens for attitudes regarding the whole healthcare thing. People with the attitude of "screw you, I got mine" and "people who don't have health insurance don't work hard enough" and the outright lies being passed around. Regardless, he's definitely going to pursue Canadian citizenship as soon as he's eligible.
One thing that I've told him, regarding having dual status -- if he's ever in a bad situation overseas, he has the potential to call on two different embassies to help him out.
Thank you all for the replies. I would never have a reason to leave Canada for any length of time more than 1 week. Being that my husband and i have a 3 year old daughter together that will be starting school before long, our schedules would never allow that.
Not really sure why im not interested in becoming a Canadian citizen at the moment but as said, with time i very well may change my mind.
I love Canada and never plan to leave, definetly something to think about.
thanks again everyone. :)
I think Canadian Citizenship is important for one main reason, the vote! I for one would not want to be paying taxes and not have any say in who is running the country, province, or city I am living in. Not that my vote ever counts since I don't vote Conservative and I live in Alberta, but hey, its the principle of the thing!
I totally agree with Sponge362..Here in the States I have a friend who has been here 30years is very politically active and passionate about her views, yet for years she couldn't vote. Finally, I told her I would not listen to anymore of her political rants until she had a "voice." She got her citizenship and voted in this last presidential elections.
anitsirK Wrote:My husband keeps telling me he wants to find a way to drop his US citizenship once he can become a Canadian. I've got numerous reasons why I think that's a really incredibly bad idea, but he's really angry at his fellow citizens for attitudes regarding the whole healthcare thing. People with the attitude of "screw you, I got mine" and "people who don't have health insurance don't work hard enough" and the outright lies being passed around. Regardless, he's definitely going to pursue Canadian citizenship as soon as he's eligible.
One thing that I've told him, regarding having dual status -- if he's ever in a bad situation overseas, he has the potential to call on two different embassies to help him out.
I'd not renounce US Citizenship but here is the info if anyone is interested in it. I think it sounds easier then it really is.
http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/...p_776.html
I can't wait to get to vote here so that I can cancel out my hubby's vote.
That thing about getting into trouble overseas is potentially an issue. My husband got into trouble in Russia right before the wall fell, and the Canadian embassy basically put him on the street.
I totally agree, anitsirk, with your partner's attitude about what is happening in the U.S. regarding healthcare. The election of Obama was a glimmer of hope that things were changing. That glimmer is more or less getting dimmer and dimmer.
Once Bush took office (eight years ago plus) I finally got that "love it or leave it" message. Took me awhile to discover I was not going all that far in leaving it (yeah, there was a woman to blame, and so I am here, happy to be here).
But renouncing U.S. citizenship is a drastic step. As a Canadian citizen an American can basically be divorced of all things U.S. except having to file a tax return, which is not an ominous task given the treaties and credits available, and thus, usually, does not involve contributing to the U.S. war machine et al. In the meantime, Americans who have renounced citizenship can be denied entry into the U.S., can be denied permission to even fly through the U.S. on connecting flights, and are probably putting themselves on a radar screen (metaphorically of course) that is probably not a good idea. And it is not as if the act of renuciation is going to have any impact on anyone else.
Keeping U.S. citizenship, however, means being able to vote in the district where one last had a residence in the U.S. If there is any glimmer of hope left, that is a right worth exercising.
dpenabill Wrote:But renouncing U.S. citizenship is a drastic step. As a Canadian citizen an American can basically be divorced of all things U.S. except having to file a tax return, which is not an ominous task given the treaties and credits available, and thus, usually, does not involve contributing to the U.S. war machine et al. In the meantime, Americans who have renounced citizenship can be denied entry into the U.S., can be denied permission to even fly through the U.S. on connecting flights, and are probably putting themselves on a radar screen (metaphorically of course) that is probably not a good idea. And it is not as if the act of renuciation is going to have any impact on anyone else.
Keeping U.S. citizenship, however, means being able to vote in the district where one last had a residence in the U.S. If there is any glimmer of hope left, that is a right worth exercising.
Absolutely understand all of the above. I know my hubby would never actually follow through with something like this, but he does keep bringing it up whenever he gets frustrated with news from the US. I'm not worried about him actually doing it, because he doesn't have the initiative when it comes to bureaucracy that it would take to deal with all of the paperwork that would be involved, anyway. ;)