Comment by Abrecht
11 hours ago
I have a Greencard and would become eligible to apply for citizenship this month. I wonder what the opinions are here on the pros and cons of that. Generally, regarding most practical aspects of daily life, being permanent resident seems pretty much equivalent to that of an US citizen.
Pros:
- can vote
- can get security clearance, potentially more income
- even long periods abroad do not bear the risk of loosing privilege
- can do jury duty
Cons:
- need to do jury duty
- need to declare income to IRS regardless of residency
- potentially be taxed by IRS
Any other cons I'm not aware of? I heard that getting rid of the US citizenship (e.g. for tax reasons) will make it hard to get a visa ever again.
I think your forgetting one of the most important pros: an inalienable right to re-enter the country after going abroad.
Also a pro is that while traveling you have the services of the U.S embassy to you, which could be a life saver depending on what other citizenship you hold and the circumstances.
I became a US citizen because I wanted to be able to vote and be a full participant of my community, and it's easier to be in the same line as my wife and child at the airport.
But even though I am not a criminal, it was also on my mind that if I were ever falsely convicted in some travesty of justice, I could also be deported, which would make it even worse.
I wouldn't frame the tax parts like that. Just by having a green card, you are generally subject to the same worldwide taxation as US citizens, with only subtle differences.
Perhaps a bigger difference is that it's somewhat easier to abandon the green card than to renounce US citizenship.
> As a green card holder, you generally are required to file a U.S. income tax return and report worldwide income no matter where you live.[1] You’ll probably get a tax discount if you’re still paying taxes in your original country, but you must file US returns regardless.
If you haven’t been filing returns for the past 5 years, you should hire a CPA to get a professional opinion and possibly file late returns before applying for citizenship.
[1] https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/freq...
As long as you keep your greencard, you still need to declare your income worldwide.
Depending on your home country, having US passport opens up a lot of other possibilities for travel too.
Furthermore if you have held* a green card for the last 8 (of 15 years) i.e. you hold permanent resident status you also become in-scope for the tax expatriation law that apply to US Citizens, and possible ongoing declaration requirements: https://www.expatriationattorneys.com/green-card-u-s-exit-ta...
I've never been US-resident; the reason I know about this is talking to someone who relinquished theirs when I asked if they could keep it.
*from the U.S. Government's point of view.
Major con: infinitely easier to deport
pros: if you leave the US you can still claim your SS on retirement (some countries have a reciprocal agreement, most dont)
What is your timeline to stay in the US? If 5 years or less, I would say avoid it, unless have a specific "pro" that you want. Also, if you have a spouse and children, they might be important factors in your decision.
Main pro: You are an American.
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