r/Citizenship

But yesterday I reviewed a email with the good news Oath Ceremony Will Be Scheduled
I’m so grateful I’m been in the country for almost 28 years, mostly with TPS then green card holder, I’m so happy that I wanted to share with you guys 🎆🎆

Did the officer ask you direct questions like “Did you take any unpaid merchandise?” I’m in an anxiety spiral of how to answer questions about my petit larceny charge. It was dismissed nolle prosequi without any probation, community service or admitting guilt. But I’m just spiraling on how to answer if the officer really pushes on whether or not I attempted to steal something. I can’t lie but I also don’t want to admit guilt.
Help a girl out - my interview is tomorrow!

ETA: field office is Washington DC

I have GC since 4 years but never had a W2 (Actual job in US). I would not considered myself unemployed cause I have been earning through stock market and filing taxes time to time. If I apply for citizenship , would I be approved? Would they raise a concern why I don't have real job? (No criminal record, No extended stay outside US)

I got my Green Card in January 20th 2022. Based on the normal timeline, I was expecting to become eligible for U.S. citizenship in about 8 months. However, I spent a considerable amount of time outside the U.S., so I’m unsure how this affects my eligibility.
My stay history after getting the Green Card is roughly:
2022: Stayed in the U.S. for about 7 months
2023: Stayed in the U.S. for about 7 months
2024: Came to the U.S. only for about two weeks because I was outside the U.S. for more than a year, although I had a re-entry permit
Since September 2025: Continuously staying in the U.S. and planning to remain here permanently

My question is:
Because of the long absence, would I still be able to count the residency/physical presence accumulated during 2022 and 2023 toward citizenship eligibility, or would my continuous residence requirement likely restart?
I understand this is not official legal advice, and I do plan to consult an immigration lawyer. I’m posting here first to get input from people who may have gone through similar situations or have experience with this process.

My sister and I were born in Germany to a German father and a Russian mother. Obviously, through that, we have German citizenship; however, our parents never went through the process of getting us Russian citizenship or a Russian passport.

A few years ago, Mother passed away, by which point I was already over 18. My sister, however, was a minor at the time.

We've been wondering for a while if it is possible for us to still qualify for Russian citizenship through our mother. Neither of us has ever lived in or even traveled to Russia. However, we have access to all necessary documents to prove our status as children of a Russian citizen.

Are we Russian citizens? Do we qualify for citizenship? Was that once the case, and the chance to get that recognized has passed?

I'm having a hard time finding a concrete answer to our situation, so I'd appreciate any help.

People should consider this while applying for St. Kitts citizenship. it won’t be a one time contribution but rather a big down payment to get the passport followed by recurring 10-20K USD payments for whatever basic service you need (or not).

First they’ll ask you to provide biometrics to upgrade the passports you just received, then upon renewal they will charge you ”due diligence“ fees again for god knows how much, you have a new baby, you pay, you need anything you pay and it’s a 1000 times more than what regular citizens pay for the same service !

pretty disappointing !

I am an Indian who recently got his green card approved this year. We are not sure if we want to live in usa or move back to India. Most likely we want to stay in India due to parents and other things but want our child who is atoddler to have a chance at american dreams 20 years later. We were thinking of staying somehow for 5 years here and getting the citizenship and then were thinking of returning back to India. Do you all think is it a good idea to give up Indian citizenship and take American considering today's political climate and how things will be 20 years from now.

Citizenship Approved yesterday when I was at work. So couldn't post.

Application: Online

Application date: 09/01/2026

Biometric date: 21/01/2026

Route: ILR( under EU settlement scheme)

I submitted every document I used to obtain my ILR and in the end God be praised 🙏. And for those waiting for decisions, you are next for yours in Jesus Christ name 🙏

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could help determine if I would be eligible for Spanish citizenship.

I am a 27 year old US citizen and so is my mother (both of us born in the US). My mom received her citizenship last spring through descent (her grandparents were Spanish citizens who moved to Argentina).

I would like to apply now for myself, but am seeing lots of conflicting information online on whether I would be eligible. My mom believes I would not be as the law she applied under no longer is in effect.

I do speak Spanish proficiently (probably a B2 if tested).

I was hoping someone here would have insight or relevant experiences that could help me determine what paths are open for me. Thank you very much in advance!

British Passport ESTA After Zimbabwean Passport B1/B2 Visa Refusal — Has Anyone Successfully Done This?

Not sure if anyone has been in a similar situation or has any advice, but thought I’d share my journey because it’s been stressful trying to organise this USA trip.

I’m originally from Zimbabwe but moved to the UK in 2011 and genuinely haven’t been back to Zimbabwe since arriving here. I’ve built my whole life in the UK over the last 14 years — work full time, married to a British citizen earlier this year, and I’ve now finally applied for British citizenship last week.

Over the past few years I’ve travelled abroad without issues:
\- Spain twice
\- Turkey recently
\- Multiple trips all returning back to the UK normally

The big issue now is the USA.

We originally had a fully paid Florida holiday booked for June 2026 for me, my wife and family. I applied for a B1/B2 visa on my Zimbabwean passport and got refused under section 212(f), which completely threw me because I have strong UK ties, stable employment, family here, and no immigration issues in the UK at all.

Because of that refusal we had to move the whole holiday to September which cost extra money with changing flights/dates etc. We’ve basically been trying to buy time hoping I can get citizenship and a British passport before the trip.

My questions are:

1. If my citizenship is approved in time and I get a British passport before September, would I realistically have enough time to apply for an ESTA?

2. Has anyone ever been refused a US visa on one passport/nationality and later successfully got an ESTA after becoming British?

3. Does the previous 212(f) refusal almost automatically kill the ESTA application even if applying later as a British citizen?

4. Is there anything else I should realistically be preparing for now?

I know ESTA asks if you’ve ever been refused a US visa and obviously I’d answer honestly, but I can’t seem to find many real experiences from people who were previously refused under another nationality and later became eligible for ESTA through British citizenship.

At this point I honestly don’t even know whether to feel hopeful or prepare for another refusal.

Would appreciate any advice or similar experiences.

Hey everyone,

I’m at a major crossroads regarding my roots, and I’m looking for some honest perspectives from people who might understand the emotional tug-of-war I’m currently in.

Here is my situation: I grew up in Germany, and my family life was complicated. My parents divorced very early, which left a lot of gaps and unspoken history in my upbringing. However, I’ve always carried one undeniable connection to my heritage: a very traditional, distinctly Polish last name.

Driven by a need to fill those family gaps, I fell into genealogy. I’ve been doing extensive family research for over 20 years now—essentially half my life. I’ve built a massive tree, hired professional researchers, and spent countless hours tracing my lineage.

The main anchor of my research is my great-grandfather. He was born and raised in Poland, worked hard in heavy industry, and lived there until around 1919 before relocating to Germany. It’s through his line that I qualify for Polish citizenship by descent. Recently, I even hired a legal firm in Poland to start preparing the administrative process.

But now that the application is within reach, I’m hesitating. I’m asking myself: Am I doing this for the right reasons, and is it worth the final push?

Here is the conflict:

• The Identity Gap: Despite my last name and my 20 years of historical research, I don’t speak Polish. Growing up in Germany after my parents' divorce meant I was entirely disconnected from the living culture. Sometimes, looking at the application makes me feel like an imposter.
• The Symbolic vs. The Practical: Since I already live in Germany, I don't need the passport for freedom of movement or legal benefits. It would be a 100% emotional and symbolic decision—the ultimate, tangible closing of a chapter after two decades of searching for my family’s story.
• The Bureaucratic Exhaustion: Proving a lückenlose (unbroken) line over generations with strict authorities, old legal loopholes, and certified translations is incredibly draining.

Has anyone else with a strong family name but zero language skills gone through this process? Did getting the official citizenship make you feel more connected to your roots, or did you realize that the 20-year journey of discovering your family's history was already enough?

Would love to hear your thoughts.

I am an Indian Permanent Resident who has lived almost my entire life in Singapore. I came to Singapore at a very young age, attended kindergarten here, and even took my first national examination, the PSLE, in Singapore. Although I did not score very well and was placed in the NT stream, I did not let that stop me. I worked hard for my N Levels and achieved good results. I am now studying in ITE.

I applied for Singapore citizenship once before my N Levels and once again after receiving my N Level results, but both applications were rejected. It left me heartbroken because I have spent my whole life in Singapore, and I truly consider this country my home.

I would also sincerely appreciate any advice on how I can improve my chances in future applications, as becoming a Singapore citizen would mean a lot to me and my future.

I recently learned that some countries don’t allow their citizens to possess multiple citizenships. For example, Chinese and Koreans must renounce their citizenship when they naturalize to become citizens of another country.
How is that actually enforced though?

Not entirely sure what part of reddit to put this in lmk if I should put it somewhere else.
I (17f) live in Australia, I’ve never been out of Australia. I’ve never met my dad but he’s in England , so is my grandma (who I have met- she’s lovely and I miss her), and other family members who I also have never met.
I’m currently studying childcare and will get my cert III in early December.
Early next year I would like to go to the uk, for around 6 months, where I would stay with my gran and get a job or 2 (hopefully in childcare and possibly bartending).
I eventually if the 6 months worked out would like to live there permanently.
Basically, I’m hoping to get dual citizenship before I go next year, because I have a parent who is a uk citizen how long do you think the process should take, will I have it before January-march next year?
Thanks
Sorry this is written poorly I’m not good when it comes to wording things

“I’m genuinely curious about something. Is there anyone here who has obtained two additional citizenships through naturalization — meaning by actually living in those countries — besides the citizenship of their own country? If so, what’s your story? How did you obtain them? Honestly, most people I see with three passports seem to have gotten them through marriage or from their parents.”

I was born in the U.S. to a British mother and an American father. When I was around six months old, my mother left my father and brought me back to the UK. Since then (mid-1980s) I have lived permanently in the UK. I have a National Insurance number, have always paid UK taxes, and have a mortgage and all the usual ties to the UK.

When I was a teenager, I went on a school trip to Amsterdam. On returning to the UK, border control flagged my American passport. I was taken into a side room and questioned. The officers were actually very friendly and, at the end of the conversation, one of the immigration officers stamped my passport with Indefinite Leave to Remain. Since then, I have never had any issues travelling or starting new jobs in the UK.

More recently, I opened an ISA through Trading 212. I declared my nationality as American, and they have now requested additional information:

1. If you live outside the US
2. If you are a US Person
3. If you are not a US Person

They are requesting either:

• Proof of residency outside the US (issued within the last 3 months)
• A completed W-9 form including a US Tax Identification Number or Social Security Number (SSN)
• Evidence confirming non-US status, such as a Certificate of Loss of Nationality

I do not have any of these documents. I have never had any dealings with the U.S. IRS or other U.S. government bodies and, as far as I know, I do not have a Social Security number.

I would appreciate some guidance on what my next steps should be.

I am a dual British-American citizen. I have always traveled to the UK on my American passport and never had a British passport. I have a photocopy of my British registration certificate but the original was accidentally destroyed. I am planning on visiting family in the UK in a month's time and just discovered the new rules that are in effect. I will need a duplicate registration certification to apply for a passport but it sounds like that will cost nearly five hundred pounds and take ten weeks to process (and that's all before the passport application).

I'm heartbroken. There's no way I'm going to get a duplicate registration certificate and therefore passport before my travel next month. Are there any options left here? I'll pay what's necessary. This is a really important family trip. I don't understand how I wasn't informed about this in time!

Hi! I am a 20-year-old Philippine citizen born after my parents married. They got separated, but not divorced and I don't have a way to communicate him (my father is a Japanese and my mother is a Filipina). I have my PSA Birth Certificate to prove direct lineage, my parents' Philippine Marriage Certificate, pictures, and two addresses from the documents. Unfortunately I don't have a Kosekitohon and I also don't know whether I am registered in my father's kosekitohon after I was born. Do I still have a chance to get citizenship even if it is work to citizenship. Or if there is someone that can help my situation. Also can a Gyoseishoshi help my case or a lawyer? Kindly give me some advice, please.

Any response can greatly help me.

Thank you very much in advance!

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