How do I get citizenship in a different country?

[collegegurl201]

Okay well I have been thinking about leaving the United States before things really get crazy over here and I have been looking at England, France, Sweden and Greece. What are the steps I have to take to get a green card or whatever and how would I go about getting citizenship for me and my son? Would I have to give up my citizenship in the United States or could I get dual? Would it be easiest to just marry someone from one of those countries?? (Last one is a joke don't freak out and report me LOL!!)

[Maizy]

What's wrong with America? Anyway if you are going to move, I'd say go for Sweden. Supposedly it is one of the most women friendly countries in the world! Your best bet would be to marry a hot Swedish stud. I'd try going to some Swedish dating sites. If that doesn't work, just google Sweden+immigration or Sweden+green card. Yes you can get a dual citizenship unless you do something majorly wrong to get you kicked out of this country for good. Good luck, it's tough to become a citizen of another country.

[Ag]

It depends on the country of course. For England you would have to give up your citizenship, not sure about the other countries. Of course getting citizenship would be extremely difficult if not borderline hopeless, especially if you are not a refugee or if you are not filthy rich. I'd say things won't get so "crazy" here in you or your son's lifetime for it to be worth the hassle.

You live in a first world country. You are fortunate. There are ones who "need" to immigrate more than you and your son. They will likely get to before you, and they should.

The grass is always greener on the other side. We don't have it so bad. Be grateful.
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To Maizy, I see you read that article about Sweden this morning. It seems to have been funded by the Swedish government to make themselves feel better. Sweden IS a nice place, but they've got their flaws, just like anyone.

[voicelesscoil664]

europe does not do green cards. depending on where your parents are from, if they are from ireland, or italy, you can get citizenship there. if not, then it will be extremely hard for you to get citizenship. england gives ancestry visas if you have a british grand parent. europe is not an easy place to migrate to. they are similiar to america in that they do not like foreigners, and have changed their immigration laws significantly in the past few years to make it harder for people to immigrate there. many countries like france and greece have language requirements, so if you arent fluent in those languages, they will not give you citizenship. many countries will require you to wait 10 yrs to get citizenship. the way things are set up now, you cant get a work permit unless the employer can prove there is no one available in the entire european union to fill the job. he must also prove that he has advertised the job within the eu for 3 months. there are some countries in europe that will give you a visa if you invest in a business in that country, but i am thinking it is at least $500 000 + in cash. if you do decide to get an investment visa, id advise you to try the netherlands, but i dont think there is really a point to it unless youre fluent in dutch. some european countries will require you to give up your citizenship, some will not. you dont actually have to marry someone. you can get a european boyfriend to sponsor you, but they will ask for proof and it is not automatic. even if you married someone, you dont get citizenship automatically. they give you a visa first (that they can revoke at any time), and it will be years before they give you citizenship (if they do at all). i have heard that in sweden, they will call your parents to investigate the legitimacy of fake relationships. there are no real steps to immigrating. it depends on your skills and qualifications. obviously if you are a skilled engineer or scientist, you can get a work permit, but even then, it will take you 8yrs to get british citizenship. maggie is a bit misinformed. britain has gotten rid of ilr, and the spouse route now takes 5yrs. though it used to be 3. this is what i mean by the countries changing the citizenship laws to discourage foreigners from entering. many other countries have taken similar actions, namely danmark, and holland, but also france, germany, the list goes on. you used to be able to get citizenship in ireland if you were born there. that is no longer the case.

[Dave]

First you would have to reside in the country you choose, before being excepted as a immigrant, secondly, you would have to be of good character and have no previous convictions. I would choose Australia as a country of choice if I was you, only because we speak English and our lifestyle is very like your own but much safer, also we are not a gun culture country like America. The only drawback is you have to have a trade or profession, or have enough money to start a business. It is still a land of opportunity if you have the stamina and willpower to succeed. Anyhow, think carefully before making up your mind and I wish you the best of luck hon. Have a great day!

[Maggie]

Citizenship almost always has a residency requirement. To become a legal resident you will need a work visa. In Europe, you don't stand a chance without at least a degree level qualification and extensive experience in your field, even for jobs where there is a shortage of skilled personnel.

Most of Europe has very similar immigration criteria now but specifically in the UK, you need either a masters or PhD and to have been earning the equivalent of £20,000 to get a Tier 1 visa which does not require a sponsoring employer or a degree level qualification and extensive experience in your field. UK employers have to carry out a resident market test i.e. advertise the job for at least four weeks in national and trade press and across the job centre network. Only if no suitably qualified EU nationals apply can the job be awarded to a non EU national.

If the occupation is on the shortage occupation list, the job can be awarded without the resident market test, but you must still pass the points based assessment on qualifications, earnings capacity, etc. Most European countries have similar work visa requirements.

Once you have your visa, you must live and work in the UK for five years until you are eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain. This frees you from immigration control. After a year with ILR you may be eligible to apply for citizenship. You have to pass assessments of your finances, good character and pass a Life in the UK test.

From next year, it will be harder and take longer to get ILR and citizenship will take up to 10 years to achieve and will be based on your social and economic contribution.

For your son to accompany you, you must have sole parental responsibility. This is different from sole custody. The father of the child must have no contact, not be contributing financially and have no say in major decisions about your son. Without sole responsibility, you will not be able to bring him to the UK to live.

If you marry someone from the UK, the residency requirement reduces to three years until you get ILR.

Dual citizenship is allowed by most European countries, but not all, The countries you mention all allow it.

[Donna]

Each and every country has it's own immigration rules and regulations. I can only comment on the US and UK immigration process. Since you are already in the US..lets talk UK.

You either have to have an advanced degree in an area in high demand...and find an employer who will sponsor you. Same as the US, said employer will have to prove they have tried to hire locally (UK citizen or legal permanent resident) and none were qualified...but you are. Not an easy task.

You could get a student visa, however you will have to pay international rates, out of your own pocket, which isn't cheap.

If you have a parent who is a UK citizen, not by decent, then you can apply for a British passport.

Or

You could marry a Brit (what I did lol) You can get a settlement visa if you guys meet all the requirements.

However another hurdle you would have to jump with just about any developed world immigration, is getting your son a visa. Unless you left the father portion blank, you will have a problem. No developed country will give the son a visa unless the father signs court ordered custody papers giving you permanent sole custody and permission to remove the child from the country.

I know for a FACT you can be a dual US/UK citizen. You would NOT have to give up your US citizenship in order to obtain UK citizenship.

I wish you the best of luck. We are moving back to England in 2-3 months time...and we can't wait to get the heck outta dodge.

Donna

[Alakran]

do it lawfully