Can you have dual citizenship in the us and philippines

The United States and the Philippines share a long history of diplomatic and sociocultural relations. Even though the Philippine-American War at the end of the 19th century was a tragic event, it is important to remember that the Philippine islands were once a territory of the U.S. and later a Commonwealth until after World War II, when the country became independent; since then, relations between the two nations have strengthened, and this extends to the concept of dual citizenship.

American and Filipino immigration laws allow dual citizenship in some cases. One example would be Filipinos who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces; the Navy is a branch that has attracted many sailors from the Philippines because of the Subic Bay Naval Base, which was in operation until 1992 and served as a recruiting station of sorts. There used to be some apprehension among Filipino sailors who would have lost their birthright citizenship if they chose to become naturalized Americans, but this changed in 2003 with the enactment of Republic Act 9225.

Filipinos Born Abroad

The aforementioned Republic Act observes a couple of legal principles that many countries around the world have incorporated into their legislation: jus soli and jus sanguinis. Let’s say a Filipina born in Mindanao joined the U.S. Navy and later decided to become a naturalized U.S. citizen; under the jus soli principle, this sailor is automatically a citizen of the Philippines by means of birthright, and she merely needs to obtain a copy of her birth certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority, which has an online service platform known as PSA Serbilis.

With a certified copy of the birth certificate, a Filipino can request national identification documents from a consulate office abroad or from the Bureau of Immigration Office in Manila or its branches across the islands. As of 2018, the fees were $50 for processing and $25 per certification of copies.

The jus sanguinis principle applies to individuals born abroad to Filipino parents, which makes them natural-born Filipinos. In the case of Filipinos born in the U.S., the laws of both countries allow dual citizenship, thus they will not have to worry about losing either one, but the process is a bit more involved than for birthright Filipinos.

Americans Who Wish to Become Filipino Citizens

Foreigners whose nationalities do not meet the jus soli or jus sanguinis principles can become Filipino citizens through the process of naturalization; however, they will have to renounce their previous citizenship. To this effect, not many Americans who do not have Filipino blood ties become naturalized citizens in the Philippines, although there are thousands who choose to live and retire there.

It should be noted that an American who becomes a naturalized Filipino citizen is not automatically off the hook with regard to U.S. obligations, particularly taxes. The proper way to go about cutting ties with the U.S. is through the renunciation process, which is complex and must be handled through the U.S. State Department. Americans who renounce their citizenship are typically very wealthy and have a financial interest in avoiding taxation abroad.

Can you have dual citizenship in the us and philippines

Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!

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Can you have dual citizenship in the us and philippines

Dual citizens can register to vote in Philippine national elections

For some migrant Filipinos, the next step after acquiring permanent residency in their new country is citizenship.

Some countries’ laws require that once a person pledges allegiance to their flag, he or she automatically loses any citizenship in a previous country.

Under the Philippines’ Republic Act 9225, or the Citizenship Retention and Reacquisition Act, natural-born Filipinos are allowed to retain or reacquire their Filipino citizenship if they have been naturalized in other countries. The Filipino would then hold two citizenships, and would be known as a dual citizen.

Among other rights, dual citizens reacquire their right to vote in Philippine elections.

Since RA 9225 took effect in 2003, more than 150,000 had applied for dual citizenship with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), according to 2018 data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Most of the applicants were Filipino-Americans.

Are you looking to be a Filipino citizen again, maybe to vote in the next elections? Here are the things you should know.

Who is eligible for dual citizenship?

Dual citizenship under RA 9225 is reserved for former natural-born Filipinos. As defined by the 1987 Constitution, natural-born Filipinos are:

  • Persons who, at the time of his/her birth, have at least one Filipino parent
  • Persons born to a Filipino mother before January 17, 1973, who elected Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority (21 years old)

If you were born outside of the Philippines, but your parents were Filipino citizens at the time of your birth, then you are already a dual citizen by birth. You no longer need to apply for dual citizenship under RA 9225.

Not eligible for Philippine dual citizenship are persons who were naturalized Filipinos before acquiring citizenship in another country.

What are my rights as dual citizen?

Once you acquire dual citizenship, you have the following rights in the Philippines:

  • Right to vote in Philippine national and local elections (provided you also qualify under the overseas voting law)
  • Right to own land and property
  • Right to engage in business
  • Right to practice your profession (provided you are licensed or permitted by the Professional Regulation Commission, or Supreme Court for lawyers)
  • Right to travel bearing a Philippine passport
  • All rights and privileges enjoyed by Philippine citizens (however, if you plan to run for public office, you must renounce all foreign citizenship)
What are the requirements for application?

The Philippine post in your country of residence will require you to file your petition for dual citizenship by filling up a form. The following documents (original and photocopies) may be needed to retain or reacquire your Filipino citizenship:

  • Birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
  • Latest Philippine passport (if available)
  • Marriage certificate (if married) issued by the PSA
    • With annotation of divorce or annulment, if it applies
  • Decree or judgment of dissolution of marriage (for divorced or annulled)
  • Death certificate of spouse (for widowed individuals)
  • Naturalization certificate
  • Foreign passport
  • Recent passport photographs with white background
  • Other documents that would show the applicant is a former natural-born Filipino

You can apply for PSA documents here. Philippine embassies or consulates may have more specific requirements (like a certification from the Bureau of Immigration), which you can check on their websites. Fees may apply for applying for documents, as well as the application process itself.

Former Filipino citizens would need to take an oath of allegiance before a duly authorized Philippine official to get their citizenship rights back.

When Filipinos take this oath, they are not required to renounce their allegiance to any other country.

Can my application include my family?

If you have unmarried children below the age of 18, they can also derive Filipino citizenship if you include them in your application.

If you have a foreign spouse, they can become a naturalized Filipino citizen through Commonwealth Act 473 or the naturalization law, but not through RA 9225.

Which countries allow dual citizenship?

Not every country has a policy that addresses dual citizenship directly. In the United States, for instance, the law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality over the other.

Meanwhile, “places like China or Taiwan strictly construe citizenship – they only want people to have one, so you have to give up other citizenship to get theirs,” said Filipino-American immigration lawyer Jath Shao.

Apart from the Philippines, at least the following countries allow for dual citizenship:

Consult an immigration lawyer or your Philippine consulate or embassy for further details on whether you are eligible for dual citizenship in your current country.

The CFO’s full guide on RA 9225 can be found here. – Rappler.com

Can you have dual citizenship in the us and philippines

Can you have dual citizenship in the us and philippines

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Can I be a Filipino and American citizen?

Holding more than one citizenship is possible for Filipinos especially when conflict of nationality laws is concerned. For example, a child born in the United States of America of Filipino parents is an American citizen under US law and a Filipino citizen under Philippine law.

Can a U.S. citizen obtain dual citizenship with the Philippines?

You can stay in the Philippines indefinitely provided that upon your arrival in the Philippines you present before the Philippine Immigration Officer your valid US/Foreign passport and your Dual Citizenship Documents. ... Dual Citizenship..

What is the benefits of dual citizenship US and Philippines?

The right to two social security systems. The right to work without getting a visa or permit in either or both countries. The right to engage in business or commerce in either or both countries. The right to attend school at the local tuition rates in either or both countries.

Do I lose my Filipino citizenship when I become an American citizen?

The U.S. government does not require naturalized U.S. citizens to relinquish citizenship in their country of origin. Although the Oath of Allegiance to the United States speaks of renouncing “allegiance and fidelity” to other nations, U.S. immigration law does not explicitly address the topic of dual citizenship.