what should i do? wants US citizenship in NUS now

[amuletheart]

I have dual citizenship - the Singapore Citizenship and the US Citizenship. Frankly, I would like the US Citizenship because i am intending to further study in the states after that. However, problem is i am only in my 3rd year in NUS now, which means i still have a year and a half before i can complete my US education. but i have to denounce one of the citizenship early next year. The problem is that chances if i have to denounce the US citizenship because if i dont, i cannot complete my university education.

Is there any loop holes eg like apply for PR or something that can enable me to stay but yet hold on to the US citizenship? i tried reading up but it seems that PR and study permits are so difficult to obtain.

Do you all have any advice? Thank you so much. I just set an account here to ask this question :/

[zzm9980]

I'm a little curious how this works, since I'm not entirely clear myself... Where you born American or Singaporean? How long have you been the 'other'?

But let's say you choose to renounce your US citizenship.

Have you ever earned any income, anywhere in the world, and/or have any financial assets? If so, have you filed and paid your proper US income taxes?

From what I've read, you have to essentially prove you have you have never cheated the IRS on taxs and are fully paid up in order to renounce US citizenship. If not, there are heavy fines. If you don't pay those, well, don't try to travel to North America (or parts of Europe) anytime for the rest of your life.


See Section E: (or the whole thing)
http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship ... p_776.html

Last Paragraph, but the whole article is good in this case:
http://blogs.wsj.com/hong-kong/2011/03/ ... d-through/

If you have more than US$2million in assets though, you're more f#%$ed.

[carteki]

You need to make a decision which citizenship to keep - and don't choose just because of where you want to study. Student visas are not particularly difficult to get. Basically your options are these:

1) Renounce SG citizenship and apply for a student visa to continue your studies in Singapore. Note that your fees will probably increase significantly as a result of this as well. You're unlikely to get PR if you renounce your SG citizenship (I don't think that the gahmen are that stupid)

2) Renounce your US citizenship and apply for a student visa when you intend to study in the US.

[amuletheart]

@zzm9980: i am a Singaporean by descent but an american by birth. I have been staying in Singapore for a large portion of my life. But personally i am intending to do research overseas, because you know Singapore is having those, research grants being cut and stuff, US will be a better option for PhD and pursuing research there. Nope i didnt work thus i dont need to pay tax.

@carteki:
thanks for your suggestion. I have only 5 more months to choose. ICA keep spamming me to quickly choose my citizenship though >.<kept>>I was considering this option, is a student visa hard to get? Oh rats, i was hoping i could somehow become a PR

2) Renounce your US citizenship and apply for a student visa when you intend to study in the US.

>> I read somewhere that if i renounce my US citizenship, i cant never be a US citizen in the future? Is that really true?? cause i do want to return to the states in the future

[Mad Scientist]

@zzm9980: i am a Singaporean by descent but an american by birth. I have been staying in Singapore for a large portion of my life. But personally i am intending to do research overseas, because you know Singapore is having those, research grants being cut and stuff, US will be a better option for PhD and pursuing research there. Nope i didnt work thus i dont need to pay tax.

@carteki:
thanks for your suggestion. I have only 5 more months to choose. ICA keep spamming me to quickly choose my citizenship though >.<kept>>I was considering this option, is a student visa hard to get? Oh rats, i was hoping i could somehow become a PR

2) Renounce your US citizenship and apply for a student visa when you intend to study in the US.

>> I read somewhere that if i renounce my US citizenship, i cant never be a US citizen in the future? Is that really true?? cause i do want to return to the states in the future

You retain your SG Citizenship and renounce your US citizenship. You can acquire it back since you are a US citizen by birth not by naturalisation. I think you have to do it before the age of 27 to regain US citizenship. I do not know the ins and out to regain it but this nick Taxico did it . You can check with US immigration lawyer for more answers. My understanding is it is tedious like all countries do when you renounce then regaining it back but it can be done

[ecureilx]

But personally i am intending to do research overseas, because you know Singapore is having those, research grants being cut and stuff, US will be a better option for PhD and pursuing research there.

And here I am thinking that US is cutting down on research grants, unlike Singapore increasing the spending ???

[nakatago]

But personally i am intending to do research overseas, because you know Singapore is having those, research grants being cut and stuff, US will be a better option for PhD and pursuing research there.

And here I am thinking that US is cutting down on research grants, unlike Singapore increasing the spending ???

With Obama's approval ratings and the leading Republican candidates' stand on science...we got Yosemite Sam, Cain Train and the Mormon. Well, the other Mormon--Huntsman--is very progressive thinking and actually pro-science but he has no better chances than Ron Paul or dare you google it, Santorum.

[chandra19998]

once you formally renounced US citizenship you won't be able to regain it back without the lenthy naturalization process again as any foreigners, same for Singapore citizenship. If I was you I would renounce Singapore citizenship and apply for a student pass. As an American Citizen, you are entitiled to live and work freely in a country which is thousands of time bigger than Singapore and to enjoy the benefits of a welfare country, you can apply for an employment pass in Singapore later easily if you want to work in Singapore. It is not easy to get a work permit in US and international students pay hell lot more than international students, in Singapore at least cost of study is still affordable, even at international student rate. And ofcourse a decent American degree is much more valuable than a degree from say NUS, NTU, SMU who is still not very much valuable outside of Asia (except in academia)

[conversant]

If I were you, I would keep the SG citizenship and get a student visa (not that difficult to obtain) for the U.S.

[Mad Scientist]

once you formally renounced US citizenship you won't be able to regain it back without the lenthy naturalization process again as any foreigners, same for Singapore citizenship. If I was you I would renounce Singapore citizenship and apply for a student pass. As an American Citizen, you are entitiled to live and work freely in a country which is thousands of time bigger than Singapore and to enjoy the benefits of a welfare country, you can apply for an employment pass in Singapore later easily if you want to work in Singapore. It is not easy to get a work permit in US and international students pay hell lot more than international students, in Singapore at least cost of study is still affordable, even at international student rate. And ofcourse a decent American degree is much more valuable than a degree from say NUS, NTU, SMU who is still not very much valuable outside of Asia (except in academia)

[/b]

This is bullsh*t!!! Do you really know what you are talking about on gaining employment here in SG after renunciation. If you do not know what you are talking about stop advising others. You are as blind as a bat and leading another blind to pitfall. We aleady know you predicament here after unsuccessful PR application. Please do not mix your situation with other people issue as it does not help at all

[ausinsg]

From a different perspective. If you have lived most of your life in Singapore, and this is the place where you feel you belong, why give up your citizenship here?

If you find that the US is a place that you don't like, or you can only tahan until you finish your PhD, then you can come back to Singapore to live and work.

Thinking about studies and a career is great. But you need to be true to yourself too. If Singapore is your home and where you fit in, then keep your Singapore citizenship.

If it is a place which has always made your life hell, and you can't wait to leave, then drop your Singaporean citizenship. Maybe see if a state college in your "home" state there will give you credit for your NUS studies, and get an American undergraduate degree. (Most colleges will want you to study at least a year of the course under them to award it themselves). Then apply for your Ph.D over there.

You just need to think about who you are, where you belong, and who is important to you. Things like degrees and employment passes can be managed as people work and study in different countries quite commonly now.

--

Oh, if you try the reject US citizenship now, and take it up again before 27, be warned that when you hit 30 in Singapore and have to collect your new NRIC, you need to sign a declaration at ICA that you have NOT acquired citizenship to another nation.

No-one checks now, but if they find out in the future, it is perjury, so you have the book thrown at you if they want to make an example of you.

[sandiegon]

I didn't know Singapore allows dual citizenships. I am also a U.S citizen but living and working in SG for the last few years and only reason I am shying away from PR is that, I am not very keen on taking SG citizenship.

[carteki]

I didn't know Singapore allows dual citizenships. I am also a U.S citizen but living and working in SG for the last few years and only reason I am shying away from PR is that, I am not very keen on taking SG citizenship.

Singapore DOES NOT allow dual citizenships, hence the OP's problem. Children are allowed dual citizenship, but they have to make a selection once they turn 21.