20
Feb

Many people with only one nationality (Dominican or from the U.S.), are interested in determining if they can have dual nationality or dual citizenship.

Although the United States is a country that makes you swear allegiance during their Naturalization Oath Ceremony, from a legal point of view, there is no law that prevents you from preserving or obtaining different citizenship. In other words, U.S. law does not prevent you from having two or three citizenships or nationalities legally.

Citizenship in the United States can be acquired in different ways:

1. By birth in the United States (Puerto Rico or other US territory), the child also automatically acquires the nationality of the parents, if one of them is a foreign national. The only exception applies to children who do not have the right to U.S. citizenship, despite being born in the United States.
2. By birth in a different country, if at least one of the parents are U.S. citizens, as long as a series of requirements are met. In this case, U.S. citizenship could be obtained at birth, by one of the parents, and by the country in which they were born; as long as it is one of the countries that grants nationality to individuals born within its borders.
3. By naturalization of an immigrant in the United States, when the original nationality is preserved. Not all countries allow their citizens to become U.S. citizens. Their passport may be withdrawn upon naturalization, or the fact that they have become U.S. citizens may simply be disregarded. You must first go through the process of becoming a permanent resident, and then attempt to become naturalized, either by taking the citizenship exam or by the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA).

The United States has no problem with dual nationality being granted automatically. For example, in cases of birth or naturalization to acquire U.S. citizenship without renouncing to what was granted previously; it is permitted to have a U.S. passport, in addition to the other one. Nevertheless, in order to enter and leave the U.S., the only document to use is the U.S. passport.