Some US citizens, grappling with issues from LGBTQ+ rights to the economy, are looking to the countries their families once left behind

Some US citizens, grappling with issues from LGBTQ+ rights to the economy, are looking to the countries their families once left behind

Just the idea used to be absurd – that the US may not be the best place for a natural-born US citizen. But more Americans than ever are eyeing the right to dual citizenship by descent.

“The political instability in the US in recent years, along with Covid, has brought home to people that there might actually be a reason to live someplace else,” says Peter Spiro, a law professor at Temple University in Pennsylvania and author of several books about citizenship. “It has really highlighted the insurance value of a second citizenship. That’s new for Americans – this idea of having a plan B.”

  • Ooops@feddit.org
    2·
    2 days ago

    As a citizen born in Germany how would I know?

    But it is not actually that complicated:

    Before 1975 the child of a German mother maried to a another nationality would not get German citizenship but just the one from the father. But the child of a German father would.

    Before 1993 the child of a German father born out of wedlock would not get the German citizenship but the mother’s.

    Up until… I don’t even remember when… German women marrying a foreigner and getting his citizenship that way, would lose the German one.

    The modern German law considers these cases discrimanatory. So if you lost or did not gain German citizenship because of one of those cases (or are the descendent of some one fitting it), you can get that German citizenship restored just by providing documentation of your/your ancestor’s loss of citizenship or of your (grand-)parent’s citizenship that wasn’t transfered to their child.

    It’s free of charge, doesn’t come with any other requirements and every consulate/embassy will be able to help you.

    The only caveat is that there is a limited timeframe of 10 years, starting with the new law in August 2021. So you have until August 2031 to provide the neccessary paperwork.