Dual citizenship (Japan and U.S.)

[Happydude]

If a citizen of the U.S. were to marry a Japanese citizen would the Japanese citizen have dual citizenship in both countries? I want to marry my girlfriend who is Japanese but she does not want to lose her Japanese citizenship. I though she would be able to keep it if we get married but she says she will lose here Japanese citizenship if we get married. Could someone please shed some light on this for me?
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Glenski]

Dual citizenship does not come from marrying a person of another country. Marriage only constitutes eligibility for a spousal visa. Your girlfriend will not lose her nationality unless she chooses to undergo naturalization, which is a completely different story.

BTW, I'm American married to a Japanese. My wife is still Japanese, and I'm still American. Our child has dual nationality until he is 22, then he has to choose.

 

[DoctorP]

Glenski is right. Your (wife) would remain a Japanese citizen, but she would carry a green card in the US. As long as she never goes through the naturalization process then she is fine. My wife is still Japanese as well.

 

[Pachipro]

As mentioned above, your wife will NOT lose her citizenship unless she chooses to become a US citizen. My wife has been here with me in the US for 18 years with a "Green Card" and she is STILL a Japanese citizen. She can go back and live whenever she chooses.

Also, one word of caution about your (or anyone's) wife/husband/significant other maybe considering giving up her Japanese citizenship. If she does, then she will be considered a foreigner and will not be eligible to benefit 100% from the inheritances of her family which may, or may not, include real estate, etc.

 

[bakaKanadajin]

Japan does not support dual citizenships. I have one but I have to give up one of my passports at some point in time. Generally, the only period where Japanese citizens can have dual citizenships is if they acquire one by virtue of their birthright, that is, Japanese blood but born abroad. They have until the age of 22 to choose one country to claim citizenship in. I'm 27 and I only have the two because I go it before I was 18 but I haven't had to make the decision yet. Once my Japanese passport expires I will have to choose and ultimately give it up.

As far as I know there are no situations as adults via marriage where dual citizenships are at all possible.

 

[Happydude]

Thanks so much for the replies, they have been quite helpful.
So lets say we get married and she gets a green card, how long will it last?
Does she have to reapply every X number of years or so?

 

[Pachipro]

Once a "Green Card" is issued it is permanent and does not have to renewed until one returns their home country. My wife still has her original one issued 18 years ago.

 

[Mars Man]

Once a "Green Card" is issued it is permanent

until it turns brown with age?

SORRY !! Please forgive me. The devil made me do it. Yes, it will last. Now I wonder, however, if you had not considered such things, Happydude, before falling in love with, and deciding to marry a Japanese girl?

 

[Mike Cash]

If a citizen of the U.S. were to marry a Japanese citizen would the Japanese citizen have dual citizenship in both countries? I want to marry my girlfriend who is Japanese but she does not want to lose her Japanese citizenship. I though she would be able to keep it if we get married but she says she will lose here Japanese citizenship if we get married. Could someone please shed some light on this for me?
Thanks in advance for your help!

Is it at all possible that she is telling you that as a gentle way to get you to back off? Just going by what you have presented and how you have presented it, it does seem possible.

But if that's not the case, then everything everyone has replied about green is golden.

 

[Happydude]

Now I wonder, however, if you had not considered such things, Happydude, before falling in love with, and deciding to marry a Japanese girl?

Hmmm....I did not realize that most people can plan falling in love with someone.
She was here for a year on a student visa studying English. She is the cousin of my cousins wife who is half Japanese. I took her out a few times just to show her around with no romantic intentions whatsoever. She went back home a few years ago and she has come back 3 times since then to visit. Things happen, I had no intentions of falling in love with her so I did not research anything in regards to marrying someone from a foreign country until now.

 

[Happydude]

Is it at all possible that she is telling you that as a gentle way to get you to back off? Just going by what you have presented and how you have presented it, it does seem possible.
But if that's not the case, then everything everyone has replied about green is golden.

No, she is not telling me to back off.
She wants to marry me but there are some issues regarding her current profession. She mentioned something about she cannot work in here current profession if she comes to this country. She went back home a few days ago but I cant get in touch with her because she left her cell phone at a friends house while she was here and her friend is mailing it back to her in Japan. I am in the dark on a few things until I can get back in touch with her.

 

[Mike Cash]

Well, maybe she was equally uninformed about the practicalities of working in her current profession in the US as she was regarding the citizenship thing. If you care to share with us what her profession is, we may be able to help with information.

 

[mr.sumo.snr]

Once my Japanese passport expires I will have to choose and ultimately give it up.

Is there a part of the Japanese passport renewal document that actually asks you to declare that you are NOT a holder of another country's passport?

I would be interested to find out. I have several friends with children in their thirties who still have two passports. I assume they must have completed renewal applications for both passports - at least once.

BTW you can renounce UK citizenship and then one month later re-apply for it. And you can do this with the intent to circumvent the Japanese no-dual-citizenship rule. It's officially condoned. Death, it would appear, is the only way you can stop being British - a statement that works on several different levels...

--

 

[nyouyaku]

Dual citizenship does not come from marrying a person of another country. Marriage only constitutes eligibility for a spousal visa. Your girlfriend will not lose her nationality unless she chooses to undergo naturalization, which is a completely different story.
BTW, I'm American married to a Japanese. My wife is still Japanese, and I'm still American. Our child has dual nationality until he is 22, then he has to choose.

Yeah, the needing to choose at age 22 is the bullshit part. Why bother naturalizing any complete foreigners in Japan as Japanese nationals when they are busy cutting off nationality of those who are dual nationals who at least are in part Japanese by blood. As long as they are making Japanese people choose or required to give up Japanese nationality by being American, I think no Zainich Korean or Zainichi Chinese should not be considered. The Brazilian Nikkeijin and other Nikkeijin must all be given Japanese nationality before any naturalization of complete foriegners should take place. To do this would be to be truly ketoushugi.

 

[quato]

Japan does not support dual citizenships. I have one but I have to give up one of my passports at some point in time. Generally, the only period where Japanese citizens can have dual citizenships is if they acquire one by virtue of their birthright, that is, Japanese blood but born abroad. They have until the age of 22 to choose one country to claim citizenship in. I'm 27 and I only have the two because I go it before I was 18 but I haven't had to make the decision yet. Once my Japanese passport expires I will have to choose and ultimately give it up.
As far as I know there are no situations as adults via marriage where dual citizenships are at all possible.

At the Japanese consulate in San Francisco, CA, USA they care about dual citizenship. Maybe you can go abroad to renew your passport?

Is there a part of the Japanese passport renewal document that actually asks you to declare that you are NOT a holder of another country's passport?
I would be interested to find out. I have several friends with children in their thirties who still have two passports. I assume they must have completed renewal applications for both passports - at least once.
--

If you renew it in the US at the embassy they require you to prove that you can legally be there in the US (ie show them your US passport) but they don't care about dual citizenship at the Japanese embassies in America. (probably the same in the UK)

 

[otoko]

Japan does not support dual citizenships. I have one but I have to give up one of my passports at some point in time. Generally, the only period where Japanese citizens can have dual citizenships is if they acquire one by virtue of their birthright, that is, Japanese blood but born abroad. They have until the age of 22 to choose one country to claim citizenship in. I'm 27 and I only have the two because I go it before I was 18 but I haven't had to make the decision yet. Once my Japanese passport expires I will have to choose and ultimately give it up.
As far as I know there are no situations as adults via marriage where dual citizenships are at all possible.

The whole choosing thing really isn't true. You don't have to. I have both still. In regards to US\Japanese dual nationals, the US cannot take away your citizenship. Actually they make it pretty difficult to renounce your citizenship, there is certain protocol to do so.

Dual nationals come about because different countries have diferent ways in which they define their citizens, and pay no heed to how other countries do so. So legally speaking you can be a dual US/Japanese national. The one thing the the US State Department has to say about dual nationals is when you come into the US use your US passport.

I have renewed my Japanese passport. They don't ask about your other passport, most of the time they don't know. Even if they knew they can't do anything. I have talked to the US embassy about it. Off the record they said that there are many dual nationals, it isn't a problem. When going to the US use your US passport, when in Japan use your Japanese passport. Sometimes travel can be confusing, but it can be cleared up if you show both passports.

I don't think it would be any different for a Canadian or whomever.

 

[quato]

When going to the US use your US passport, when in Japan use your Japanese passport.

Do they ask you any questions at the J-airport?


On my j-passport I have about 3 pairs of entry/exit stamps from Narita and no stamps from any other country. So far they haven't asked anything, but I wonder if they will one day.... But I guess controlling dual citizenship is not in the job description of Narita passport control, so they don't give a sh1t.

BTW my mom was refused renewal of her j-passport at the Japanese consulate because she'd recently become a US citizen.

 

[thatsme]

Hi,
I took the liberty to copy from another site.
hope that it will make you think.

In the first place, I must declare that I'm not the author of the following info, I just made a compilation from this forum. But maybe it will help others you know?

"........ First of all, note that the age you must choose your nationality is 22. This is according to Article 14 where it says,

"A Japanese national having a foreign nationality shall choose either of the nationalities before he or she reaches twenty two years of age if he or she has acquired both nationalities on and before the day when he or she reaches twenty years of age or, within two years after the day when he or she acquired the second nationality if he or she acquired such nationality after the day when he or she reached twenty years of age." However, the law doesn't actually tell you to surrender your other nationality. It just says you have to keep trying. Please refer to Article 16 for details where it says, "A Japanese national who has made the declaration of choice shall endeavour to deprive himself or herself of the foreign nationality."
So bottom line, you won't get "caught" even if they find out you have dual nationality after 22 years of age. Just tell them, "I'm trying" and you'll be okay.
If the worst thing happens, remember any government cannot impound a travel document that belongs to another country. They can only "advise" you to do certain thing after entry.

No authority will punish you even if you continue to hold dual nationality of Japanese/ ... another Citizenship. Say you declare japanese nationality, and tell Japan you renounce your US, British, Brazilian or anyone.

Japanese government would like you to choose but they cannot compel you to do so simply because the US government/and other ones likewise, will not recognize their intention to force you to relinquish another citizenship. Basically, you are free to be a US citizen for as long as you choose to be one. Most countries do not accept renounciation done made to foreign governments. It is a loophole that Alberto Fujimori used. Now, anyone can use it.

They can't revoke your Japanese citizenship, as long as you got you Nihon passport. If you are in the States, or in any country, just go an renew your passport at the Japanese Embassy or Consulate. As said before, go with the parent that is a japanese national.........."

You will need a "jyuminhyo" at your parent's ward

 

[tyciol]

This seems like something that has to be researched independantly for each country. It likely varies upon whether you're a foreign national naturalized as a Japanese, or a Japanese born elsewhere who is returning to be naturalized.

In my context, I'm born in Canada and thus a Canadian citizen, but I think Japan, the US, England and France are all pretty cool places so I want to be citizens of them too. Say I were to begin with Japanese, they would make me renounce Canadian citizenship, but Canada wouldn't recognize it?

I think where they get you is when you exercise citizenship. If you exercise Canadian citizenship by voting or something I think they use that to remove the Japanese citizenship or something. What happens?

 

[hsakakibara1]

Yes you can keep both!

I can assure you all that I know more than a few dual Japanese-US and other citizens and they do not have any trouble maintaining both citizenships and getting their Japanese passports renewed at the local Japanese consulates. The consulate may, for the sake of reporting stats, ask you to sign a document that you are not a citizen of that country, if you do not have a valid visa, but other than that nothing happens.

I have also heard but am not sure that the Democratic Party of Japan will, if they win the election, allow dual citizenships. Again, how true this is I am not sure.

 

[hsakakibara1]

Better off in Japan

That's right. He is better off in Japan rather than coming to the US of A. Things in Japan are not great, I know, but here in the US they out-right SUCK!!!

 

[hsakakibara1]

Dual Citizenship Openly Allowed?

The Japan Times has an article today that states that the LDP will move toward making dual citizenship legal. If anyone has any more news please add it here. Thank you.

 

[Glenski]

In case anyone actually wants to read that article...
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20081114a1.html

For more information.
http://www.crnjapan.com/citizenship/en/

 

[Kanye]

Those links look interesting, they may come in handy to me and others

 

[Joji]

Green Cards do expire now.

Once a "Green Card" is issued it is permanent and does not have to renewed until one returns their home country. My wife still has her original one issued 18 years ago.

The new Green Cards do expire after 10 years. Has an expiration date printed on it.
I don't think you can actually lose your Permanent Resident status but better to make that trip to the USCIS office every 10 years so you can avoid any hassles when travelling.