Do You Lose Your U.S. Citizenship if You Run for Elected Office in Another Country
Dear Members,
Have a question that can not find an answer online or USCIS in regards to my US citizenship. I am dual US citizen and Eastern European country. I became US citizen in 2014.
I have recently moved back to my second home country where I also hold a passport/citizenship since birth and planning to run for Parliamentary elections in 2017 (already politically active) as an independent candidate (pro-US/Pro-EU/Pro-NATO political orientation - anti-Russian political movement). So far my chances seem fair and I believe I might actually win a seat in the national parliament.
My question is - in case I will become a member of parliament (similar as US house of representatives) and take an oath to serve the country and people, will the Dept of Homeland Security cancel my US citizenship automatically? Or can I still remain a US citizen?
This is very important to me as I own a house in NY and I do plan in future to return back and continue my career in academia/education as a professor.
Very grateful for any replies.
Re: Will U.S. Citizenship Be Removed/Cancel if I Become a Politician in Another Count
The US doesn't revoke citizenship based on because of foreign affiliation except for the recently naturalized who either:
1. Join some organization that is considered contrary to the US Constitution. This used to mean communism, but likely these days is extended to certain "terrorist" leaning entities.
2. There was some fraud in your original applicaiton.
The DHS can ***NOT*** cancel anybody's citizenship. Once you are naturalized, only a court can revoke it and on specific grounds.
Re: Do You Lose Your U.S. Citizenship if You Run for Elected Office in Another Countr
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david998877
My question is - in case I will become a member of parliament (similar as US house of representatives) and take an oath to serve the country and people, will the Dept of Homeland Security cancel my US citizenship automatically? Or can I still remain a US citizen?
Taking a seat in that foreign parliament with an oath of allegiance to that foreign state is an act of expatriation if it is done with the intention of relinquishing your U.S. nationality. That would be the first step to loss of U.S. citizenship. See the State Department page on taking an elected position in a foreign government for more details. The presumption the State Department makes is that, absent any evidence to the contrary, persons engaging in an act like that do not intend to relinquish their U.S. nationality so in general this would not cause you to lose your citizenship.
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flyingron
The DHS can ***NOT*** cancel anybody's citizenship. Once you are naturalized, only a court can revoke it and on specific grounds.
It is the State Department that cancels citizenship, not DHS, and it can do so without going to court if the action is not opposed by the citizen. If the citizen opposes the action he or she has the right to contest it in federal district court. This distinction matters because for those who do want to give up their citizenship it is not necessary to go to court to do it.