guppie01 0 #1 June 19, 2012 I've been trying to research this, and next step will probably be contacting the consulate, but wonder if any of you have any insight.... Situation.. My Grandmother is a US Citizen, My Step-Grandfather is Canadian. Each have maintained their citizenship in the past by living 6 months in each country. They are currently in Canada and my Step-Grandfather is very ill, and unable to travel back and forth any longer. My Grandmother does not want to leave him, but fears she'll lose her citizenship / or get kicked out of Canada (Visa)... I've tried to calm my Grandmothers fears, however at 87 years old, and without specific facts she is scared stiff. ...Maybe I'm viewing this from a too simplistic point of view.... but wouldn't it be as simple as my Grandmother getting an extension on her Visa, or just crossing over the US Border, and returning. Without her losing her citizenship??? I guess essentially what I'd like to find (to pacify my Grandmother) is some sort of medical emergency law that would grant her additional time in Canada with guarantee her US Citizenship is safe. The only thing I was able to find was if a US Citizen was "living" abroad and considered to "take up permanent residence," or acquired the nationality of the country, the person would still be eligible to "Register to Resume or Retain Citizenship" within one year. Give me what ya got / know peeps. (insert fine print: I will only take the information as a baseline for futher research, not as gospil - CHILLAX) xoxo g"Let's do something romantic this Saturday... how bout we bust out the restraints?" Raddest Ho this side of Jersey #1 - MISS YOU OMG, is she okay? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #2 June 19, 2012 You don't lose citizenship by being away for longer than 6 months. What you may lose is residency status (it may affect taxes and benefits). If she wants to stay in Canada for longer than the visitor visa (what is it these days, 3 months as default but up to 180 days on request???) She should be able to under a spouse visa. She wont gain citizenship or lose citizenship either in the US or Canada, but as I explained, she would be without residency status for a while and with close to no benefits (in Canada, most provinces require 6 months of residency before providing healthcare)Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muffie 0 #3 June 19, 2012 99% sure you don't lose U.S. citizenship just by being out of the country Found this on ehow: "Losing U.S. citizenship is more difficult than most think. As citizenship constitutes a right of birth, the law ensures that nothing short of court-tried treason and self-renunciation can result in the loss of citizenship. To lose citizenship, you must self-renounce voluntarily in a formal ceremony, in writing or in a self-aware act. Most cases of renunciation will prohibit you from regaining your citizenship in the future." Read more: How to Lose Citizenship in the U.S. | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5663456_lose-citizenship-u_s_.html#ixzz1yGyBtd00 Here's another article: http://www.visalaw.com/02apr1/12apr102.html The issue is probably more about visas and being able to legally be in the other country and keep returning there. Hopefully someone else knows more about Canadian visa requirements, but she shouldn't worry about the U.S. citizen part of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SivaGanesha 2 #4 June 19, 2012 Quote I've been trying to research this, and next step will probably be contacting the consulate, but wonder if any of you have any insight.... Situation.. My Grandmother is a US Citizen, My Step-Grandfather is Canadian. Each have maintained their citizenship in the past by living 6 months in each country. They are currently in Canada and my Step-Grandfather is very ill, and unable to travel back and forth any longer. My Grandmother does not want to leave him, but fears she'll lose her citizenship / or get kicked out of Canada (Visa)... I've tried to calm my Grandmothers fears, however at 87 years old, and without specific facts she is scared stiff. ...Maybe I'm viewing this from a too simplistic point of view.... but wouldn't it be as simple as my Grandmother getting an extension on her Visa, or just crossing over the US Border, and returning. Without her losing her citizenship??? I guess essentially what I'd like to find (to pacify my Grandmother) is some sort of medical emergency law that would grant her additional time in Canada with guarantee her US Citizenship is safe. The only thing I was able to find was if a US Citizen was "living" abroad and considered to "take up permanent residence," or acquired the nationality of the country, the person would still be eligible to "Register to Resume or Retain Citizenship" within one year. Give me what ya got / know peeps. (insert fine print: I will only take the information as a baseline for futher research, not as gospil - CHILLAX) xoxo g The phrase "Register to Resume or Retain Citizenship" refers to a process by which women could regain US citizenship after losing it because of marriage to a foreign man. The law that women would lose citizenship in the first place by marrying a foreign man was repealed in 1922--that law belonged to a different era before women won the right to vote--so that is well before even your grandmother's time and doesn't apply here. Prior to 1967 it was easier to lose US citizenship than it is now--I don't know how long your grandmother/step grandfather have been married--but even then it could only happen if you actively sought the citizenship of another country--not just by staying out of the US. And, also, seeking legal residency in another country is NOT the same thing as seeking citizenship--and was always allowed. The reasonable thing--assuming his health is well enough for him to deal with the bureaucracy--would be for your step grandfather to sponsor your grandmother for residency. She will NOT lose US citizenship by doing so and, moreover, she'd be eligible for Canadian health care benefits. Presumably at age 87 that is something she will want/need even if your step grandfather is the one who is ill. Muffie is not quite correct in that there ARE two other ways to lose US citizenship--but neither is likely to apply here. One is by accepting a policy level position in a foreign government and the other is serving voluntarily in the military of a country at war with the USA. I don't think an 87 year old woman is likely to be involved in either scenario, though."It's hard to have fun at 4-way unless your whole team gets down to the ground safely to do it again!"--Northern California Skydiving League re USPA Safety Day, March 8, 2014 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #5 June 19, 2012 Quote she'd be eligible for Canadian health care benefits. Again, there is typically a 6 month period before health care kicks off in the provinces I know (Quebec, Alberta and Ontario).Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
guppie01 0 #6 June 19, 2012 Quote The phrase "Register to Resume or Retain Citizenship" refers to a process by which women could regain US citizenship after losing it because of marriage to a foreign man. The law that women would lose citizenship in the first place by marrying a foreign man was repealed in 1922--that law belonged to a different era before women won the right to vote--so that is well before even your grandmother's time and doesn't apply here Yeah, I'm comfortable in the knowledge that she won't lose her citizenship, unfortunately she is not... so I'm sort of grasping at straws to find some law to validate this to her. Although that law is old, it is something she can read and rest easy... She isn't really interested in Canadian residency, and he has severe dementia - half the time he doesn't even know who / where he is - so him filling out paperwork to sponsor her is pretty much out of the realm of possibilities. She just isn't ready to leave him in a home in Canada, and the Dr.s have said he is not healthy enough to travel. She is so funny, she seriously thinks the Police are going to hunt her down when her Visa expires and deport her... Wouldn't that make for great TV headlines "87 year old woman torn from her dying husband by the Canadian authorities and deported to the United States" Silly sweet naive Grandma... g"Let's do something romantic this Saturday... how bout we bust out the restraints?" Raddest Ho this side of Jersey #1 - MISS YOU OMG, is she okay? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisL 2 #7 June 20, 2012 Quote99% sure you don't lose U.S. citizenship just by being out of the country . I'm 100% sure you dont lose citizenship. I'm a US citizen. I lived in Canada for 3 years and then moved back to the states. I'm still a US citizen. It was never in question.__ My mighty steed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davjohns 1 #8 June 20, 2012 I don't do imigration law. But it would be ridiculous to think someone could lose their citizenship by being away from the country. You have to do something to renounce your citizenship. Otherwise, we have astronauts who would touch down with no place to call home. I suppose an intentional absence of great duration could be an indicator of intent to renounce, but these circumstances don't support that. Call the imigration service. Sounds like an easy question.I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet.. But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hcsvader 1 #9 June 21, 2012 Call the department of immigration. They will answer your questions.Have you seen my pants? it"s a rough life, Livin' the dream >:) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
