How to Have Dual Citizenship in the US and Canada

You must be a permanent resident to obtain citizenship., Obtain a green card in the US., Get permanent residency status in Canada., You must file taxes if you are a US citizen., Be careful when travelling with two passports.

5 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: You must be a permanent resident to obtain citizenship.

    In both Canada or the US, in order to be eligible for citizenship, you will need to have been a permanent resident of both countries for several years.

    This means if you were not born in either country, don't have parents born in either country, and you have never lived in either the Canada or the US, it may take you several years and even up to a decade before you can apply for citizenship.

    Since Canada and the US are neighbors and have benefited from each other in various ways, it has lead many people to believe dual citizenship is easy to obtain.

    However, this is not the case.
  2. Step 2: Obtain a green card in the US.

    If you are not citizen of the US and you were not born in the US or have parents born in the US, you will need to apply for a green card in order to qualify as a permanent resident of the US.

    Permanent residency is crucial to be eligible to apply for US citizenship.

    Green cards allow non-US citizens to live in the US on a permanent basis.

    You can qualify for a green card in three ways:
    Having close family members who are US citizens or permanent residents.

    Being offered a job in the US where your employer is not able to find a work in the US.

    Investing more than $1 million USD in a US business., If you are not a citizen of Canada or were born in Canada, you will need to apply for permanent residency before you can be eligible for a Canadian citizenship.

    If you are already a permanent resident, you must meet several conditions before you are eligible for Canadian citizenship:
    You need to have been physically present in Canada for at least 1460 days (4 years) in a 6 year period before you apply for Canadian citizenship.

    Also, within these four years, each year, you must have been physically present in Canada for 183 days.

    You must not be under review for immigration or fraud reasons or be under a removal order. , Whether you live in the US or not, you will have to file taxes each year if you are a US citizen.

    You are taxed based on your worldwide income regardless of where you live.For example, if you have been living in Canada for the past year, you will need to file both Canadian and U.S. tax returns.

    Fortunately, the US and Canada have a tax treaty that provides relief for individuals with dual citizenship so they don't have to pay double tax.

    Instead, they pay one country and receive credit in the other for taxes paid.

    If you are a Canadian citizen, you only have to file taxes for the period you have been actually living in Canada.

    So if you have been living in the US for a year, you only have to file a US tax return. , In most cases, if you are a citizen of two countries, you will have obtained a passport for both.

    When you are entering certain countries, you risk having one of your passports confiscated for whatever reason.

    You may also need to show both passports if you have dual citizenship during immigration.

    Always research the policies of travelling as a dual citizen of wherever your destination is.
  3. Step 3: Get permanent residency status in Canada.

  4. Step 4: You must file taxes if you are a US citizen.

  5. Step 5: Be careful when travelling with two passports.

Detailed Guide

In both Canada or the US, in order to be eligible for citizenship, you will need to have been a permanent resident of both countries for several years.

This means if you were not born in either country, don't have parents born in either country, and you have never lived in either the Canada or the US, it may take you several years and even up to a decade before you can apply for citizenship.

Since Canada and the US are neighbors and have benefited from each other in various ways, it has lead many people to believe dual citizenship is easy to obtain.

However, this is not the case.

If you are not citizen of the US and you were not born in the US or have parents born in the US, you will need to apply for a green card in order to qualify as a permanent resident of the US.

Permanent residency is crucial to be eligible to apply for US citizenship.

Green cards allow non-US citizens to live in the US on a permanent basis.

You can qualify for a green card in three ways:
Having close family members who are US citizens or permanent residents.

Being offered a job in the US where your employer is not able to find a work in the US.

Investing more than $1 million USD in a US business., If you are not a citizen of Canada or were born in Canada, you will need to apply for permanent residency before you can be eligible for a Canadian citizenship.

If you are already a permanent resident, you must meet several conditions before you are eligible for Canadian citizenship:
You need to have been physically present in Canada for at least 1460 days (4 years) in a 6 year period before you apply for Canadian citizenship.

Also, within these four years, each year, you must have been physically present in Canada for 183 days.

You must not be under review for immigration or fraud reasons or be under a removal order. , Whether you live in the US or not, you will have to file taxes each year if you are a US citizen.

You are taxed based on your worldwide income regardless of where you live.For example, if you have been living in Canada for the past year, you will need to file both Canadian and U.S. tax returns.

Fortunately, the US and Canada have a tax treaty that provides relief for individuals with dual citizenship so they don't have to pay double tax.

Instead, they pay one country and receive credit in the other for taxes paid.

If you are a Canadian citizen, you only have to file taxes for the period you have been actually living in Canada.

So if you have been living in the US for a year, you only have to file a US tax return. , In most cases, if you are a citizen of two countries, you will have obtained a passport for both.

When you are entering certain countries, you risk having one of your passports confiscated for whatever reason.

You may also need to show both passports if you have dual citizenship during immigration.

Always research the policies of travelling as a dual citizen of wherever your destination is.

About the Author

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Jacqueline Lane

Specializes in breaking down complex DIY projects topics into simple steps.

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