Dual citizenship

[o_styo_jngl]

Hey, if i wanted to apply for dual citizenship between canada and the states (im from the states)...How would i do that....is it different for natives????

[powwowbum49]

o_styo_jngl

As a native you may be able under the jay treaty to get an expedited visa (if you are at least 1/2 Native, any less and you don't qualify).

Now from what the INS has told me the US does not recognize more than one passport per citizen For those that are from here. What that means is that as an American you cannot have a dual citizenship. If someone immigrates here from a country that does allow their citizens to have more than one passport then they can have a dual citizenship because the US will still honor their old countries after they seek citizenship here.

Now I could have just talked to a dumb INS worker and be wrong but this is how it was explained to me.

Hope that helps

[o_styo_jngl]

well i'm definitely more than half...so what exactly is an expidited(misspelled??) visa??? So if i wanted to go live up there and work up there (canada) and say, for example, i wanted to marry somebody up there how would that work???

and oh yeah...how long are you allowed to visit (i've never spent more than a weekend up 'er)???

[powwowbum49]

If my memory serves me correctly you can 'visit' up to six months, but I could be wrong never know after 9-11.

The Jay treaty stuff is an agreement between the US and Canada that allows natives of more than 1/2 blood quantum to move from their country of birth to the other, live there, work and go to school. It does not give you citizenship to that new country, just a visa (greencard). My wife is a Canadian native and moved here to the states under the Jay treaty. If you fall for one of those Northern NDN and marry, well that's up to you, good luck...LOL.

I would suggest you call the INS and ask about the Jay treaty. I would also call and ask the Canadian Immigration officials what they will require of you to do this, since they have their own rules. You don't want to get to the border and be turned back because you a missing one document, and yes they will do it. When we went up and got my wife's things and moved her here we were turned back and it took us almost 24 hr. to get all the info faxed down from her band. We had spoke to the INS at a different border crossing and gathered all the documents they told us we needed, but we didn't cross there. Well, when we got to Pembina those guys told us what we had was not nearly enough. It was crazy and frustrating, especially after we had drove all the was from Whitehorse. Those folks working the border aint got anything better to do than to mess with folks. Though after 9-11 I guess I shouldn't fuss. I'm just glad we aren't trying to cross now, it's got to be crazy.