Post: #26

Check if you are eligible for skilled worker immigration?
Another option would be to obtain a work permit and get an employment there, and then switch to permanent residence.

Post: #27

Another way to get E.U. citizenship is if one of your parents, or even grandparents are citizens of an E.U. state, you can acquire citizenship of that country, and thus E.U. citizenship.

See here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5860843_e_u_-pas...neage.html

I just did that under my mother's side of the family, and because of her heritage, I was able to get my E.U. citizenship. If you are in the United States right now, but have a parent of E.U. heritage, just go to the consulate or embassy of their native country and inquire as to what the process is for you to acquire citizenship through them.

Post: #28

(05-02-2016 05:41 PM)John Michael Kane Wrote:  Another way to get E.U. citizenship is if one of your parents, or even grandparents are citizens of an E.U. state, you can acquire citizenship of that country, and thus E.U. citizenship.

See here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5860843_e_u_-pas...neage.html

I just did that under my mother's side of the family, and because of her heritage, I was able to get my E.U. citizenship. If you are in the United States right now, but have a parent of E.U. heritage, just go to the consulate or embassy of their native country and inquire as to what the process is for you to acquire citizenship through them.

Interesting, what if your parents don't have a passport anymore? My dad is from the UK, but I'm not sure if he still has citizenship.

Post: #29

Heart Break,

Are you an American? Or from somewhere else?

The following applies if you're an American (from what I know about it):

It depends upon your dad's citizenship status, and if he renounced it or not. Does he have a green card here in the United States, or did he acquire U.S. citizenship? The United States generally speaking does not require you to renounce foreign citizenship to acquire U.S. citizenship.

Questions:

1. Does your dad have U.S. citizenship, or a green card?
2. If your dad never renounced his U.K. citizenship, does he still have a passport from the U.K.?
3. If he doesn't, does he still have his original birth certificate? How about marriage records?

If he has these papers, and he is currently a citizen of a country that doesn't prevent dual-citizenship, he can help you apply for U.K. citizenship. First off, if you aren't in the U.S., where are you/your dad right now?

Post: #30

My brother got his EU passport last year. Our father was born in England, but moved to the states as an infant.

My brother sent in some documents and a month or two later they sent the passport in the mail.

Post: #31

(05-02-2016 11:37 PM)John Michael Kane Wrote:  Heart Break,

Are you an American? Or from somewhere else?

The following applies if you're an American (from what I know about it):

It depends upon your dad's citizenship status, and if he renounced it or not. Does he have a green card here in the United States, or did he acquire U.S. citizenship? The United States generally speaking does not require you to renounce foreign citizenship to acquire U.S. citizenship.

Questions:

1. Does your dad have U.S. citizenship, or a green card?
2. If your dad never renounced his U.K. citizenship, does he still have a passport from the U.K.?
3. If he doesn't, does he still have his original birth certificate? How about marriage records?

If he has these papers, and he is currently a citizen of a country that doesn't prevent dual-citizenship, he can help you apply for U.K. citizenship. First off, if you aren't in the U.S., where are you/your dad right now?

We're both Americans (he came here when he was a young adult and nationalized).

I don't see why he would renounce his citizenship, so you're probably right and he just has a dual.

I'll look into it, thanks for the help.

Post: #32

Just call your closest U.K. consulate or embassy, and they'll walk you through the process:

https://united-kingdom.visahq.com/embass...ed-states/

Let us know how it goes!

Post: #33

Since OP posted this as advice for Americans seeking an EU passport, I'd say needing to do this for 5 years to get a passport is a lot of effort compared to having an Italian, German, Hungarian, Croat, Polish, Portuguese (great) grandfather or grandmother and applying for citizenship that way.

On topic, Japanese citizens can move and work in NL like EU citizens, thanks to some 100 year old trade deal that was sort of forgotten but recently surfaced in a courtcase.

Post: #34

(05-03-2016 11:04 AM)Svoboda Wrote:  Since OP posted this as advice for Americans seeking an EU passport, I'd say needing to do this for 5 years to get a passport is a lot of effort compared to having an Italian, German, Hungarian, Croat, Polish, Portuguese (great) grandfather or grandmother and applying for citizenship that way.

It's a choice to live somewhere for 5 years.

On the other hand it's completely out of your control who your grandparents are.

The two options are not comparable, they are solutions for entirely different circumstances.

Of course it's better if you can get a passport through family, but for many/most thats not an option.

Saying that, I'm not willing to live for 5 years continuously in the Dutch Caribbean to qualify.

Post: #35

You can get easily an italian passport after 5-7 years of legal staying in Italy ( unfortunately)

Post: #36

(05-03-2016 03:30 PM)Roger Wrote:  You can get easily an italian passport after 5-7 years of legal staying in Italy ( unfortunately)

The same can be said of almost anywhere, that isn't odd.

To stay legally in a country for years is no easy feat. You would need a visa beyond the tourist variety, which means you are employed, studying, own a business etc, and must meet the minimum financial requirements, and must continually qualify to be renewed.

Staying legally for 5-7 years in a country and then being able to get citizenship is not a shortcut, that is the normal way to get a second passport, and expensive and difficult.

If you had said one could get an Italian passport by simply being in Italy, legally or illegally, then yes that would be an "easy" way and would be bad policy.

As it stands however, that is not the case.

Post: #37

(05-03-2016 03:14 PM)GlobalMan Wrote:  

(05-03-2016 11:04 AM)Svoboda Wrote:  Since OP posted this as advice for Americans seeking an EU passport, I'd say needing to do this for 5 years to get a passport is a lot of effort compared to having an Italian, German, Hungarian, Croat, Polish, Portuguese (great) grandfather or grandmother and applying for citizenship that way.

It's a choice to live somewhere for 5 years.

On the other hand it's completely out of your control who your grandparents are.

The two options are not comparable, they are solutions for entirely different circumstances.

Of course it's better if you can get a passport through family, but for many/most thats not an option.

Saying that, I'm not willing to live for 5 years continuously in the Dutch Caribbean to qualify.

I know you can't choose your grandparents.
It's just there are many easier routes for many Americans to get an EU passport.
A good percentage of Americans have a European ancestor within a few degrees.
Spain hands out passports to immigrants living and working there for 1 (in case you're from a former colony) or 2 years.
France has a law that if you were born in an area that once belonged to France (in the USA that would be along the missisipi) and live in France for 1 year you can apply for citizenship (there are a few more demands like language proficiency). That's what I call a shortcut.
Living on Aruba for 5 years to get a passport is not a shortcut.

Post: #38

(05-04-2016 03:05 AM)Svoboda Wrote:  Living on Aruba for 5 years to get a passport is not a shortcut.

Agreed.

Post: #39

Does anyone know how to go the other way? As in for a European to get a green card to the US without having a job lined up. (Obviously, I wouldn't go to the US to live off the benefits, if I was so inclined, I'd stay on the Welfare Continent)

Post: #40

Speaking of shortcuts, from my research. Italy will give you citizenship after one year of marriage to an Italian (If you have a child together)

Post: #41

Irish passports can be obtained if you have one parent or one grandparents born in Ireland; I believe the same is true for Italy.

Post: #42

Malta has a global residency program, thinking about applying for that

you can get permanent residency after buying a place for 270k euro or renting for a total of 9700 euro a year. Gotta stay there for at least 6 months though.

After 5 years you can apply for citizenship, and if you speak English or Maltese, have health insurance, and haven't committed crazy crimes (other than being a player and breaking the occasional heart or two) than you can apply. Link here https://ird.gov.mt/downloads/grp/grp_guidelines.pdf

Post: #43

The rules change from year to year so you have to check on that country's website. Some places will allow economic passports. That is where you put so much money in the bank and they will give you a passport. Nieves was one of those countries. But the problem with that is the US put a lot of pressure on them and they are closing this window. The amount of money was significant I believe it was $250k. Paraguay is another one. Much easier to get a passport but I have heard stories of people getting ripped off, so you need to find a good adviser that has a track record of helping people jump through the hoops.

One of the best places right now is Georgia. Very good and sane banking there. Easy to open a bank account. You can come and go as you please. Real estate is cheap for now and rising. I think that Georgia is a diamond in the rough. Get residency there. They leave you alone, and in a couple of years depending on the rules, you can get a passport.

A second passport is an insurance policy. The way I see it.