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Losing Japanese Citizenship

I second that two tier British passport deal, I remember reading about it.

Theres Citizens and subjects.

I guess it was a measure to stop millions of "Subjects" flooding into britain for a better life, though I'm just guessing at the motives that caused passport folks had for it.


I assume most country's otherwise have the single deal.


When I first learned that in Japan, marriage doesnt give you citizenship was a shock, I always assumed all civilized nations gave citizenship to a spouse of a native, but then, I spose there is the issue of bogus marriages for citizenship-sake.


Still, would suck to have at best, a spouse visa.

God bless the EU, if it manages to do anything right at least it allows me to live and work almost anywhere in Europe with minimal of hassle, ehehehehe!. 👍

Thanks to that I wouldnt even need a German passport if I suddenly had an old-country yearning and decided to immigrate. 😊

Ohwell, chances are if I did get german citizenship I'de find call-up papers for national service through my mailbox. :p
 
Hi, I'm new here. I'd like to ask about the case of my Japanese mother who married my dad who's a Filipino in St. Ignatius church in Tokyo. They had separated and my father had passed away in 2005. I found out that my father did not register their marriage with the Philippine foreign affairs and no marriage between the two of them in Census. Although it is I think stated in my mother's family kosekitohon.
My mother does not know this and thinks that the Japanese gov't. has already renounced her citizenship. Now that no marriage seemed to happen, can she get her Japanese citizenship back?
How can i go about this? My mom is 78 yrs. old and has relatives in Kyushu but she has lost contact with them.
I'd like to take my mom to Japan and visit but can she apply for a Japanese passport?
 
You'll have to check with the Japanese government to be sure, but if she didn't file to be naturalized as a Philippine citizen (or did so before 1985 when you were still allowed dual citizenship, which given her age seems possible) then she should still be a Japanese citizen. You don't lose your citizenship for marrying a foreigner or living out of the country, only for taking another citizenship. But I only know what I read here:

 
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I think the simple rule of thumb is: "Don't ask, don't tell." The Japanese immigration office is well aware that there are middle-aged or older offspring of international marriages holding both a Japanese and, for example, a UK passport. But they don't seem particularly concerned about the issue.
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There's a very clear, direct question on the Japanese passport application that asks if you hold a passport from another country.

Do you want to get caught lying on that application?

Both our kids have gotten Japanese passport renewals in spite of answering "yes" to that, and they did so in their 20s, when, technically, they were supposed to have to choose. They will both be over 30 when the renewal happens again, and from what I hear and read, there's a pretty good chance that the Japanese passport people will not give them much, if any, trouble about it then, either.

As opposed to naturalizing, they acquired both by birth and parentage. They are now adult dual nationals--US and Japan. Apart from when they enter & leave the US, they use their Japanese passports all the time.

I think there are actually lots of people with similar situations/backgrounds around.
 
There's a very clear, direct question on the Japanese passport application that asks if you hold a passport from another country.

Do you want to get caught lying on that application?

They will both be over 30 when the renewal happens again, and from what I hear and read, there's a pretty good chance that the Japanese passport people will not give them much, if any, trouble about it then, either.
We're trying to decide the best action fr our kids who are now crossing into the over 20 yr old zone.

Should they continue to use both without notifying the gov't or fill in the "choose" form to officially declare they will give up their other nationality, while actually doing nothing.
 
Both our kids have gotten Japanese passport renewals in spite of answering "yes" to that, and they did so in their 20s, when, technically, they were supposed to have to choose. They will both be over 30 when the renewal happens again, and from what I hear and read, there's a pretty good chance that the Japanese passport people will not give them much, if any, trouble about it then, either.
How did it go at the next renewal?
 
How did it go at the next renewal?
I haven't heard anything about it, so I guess things continue without change. They're 28 and 32 now. Older one's husband is being seconded to the US soon, she'll follow with the kids next spring sometime (2-5yrs is possible).

Younger one worked in a lab for a couple years (in the US), then got into grad school at the same place, now two years done (just got her thesis proposal accepted, so maybe two more years?).

Again, I've yet to hear of a person born into dual status being 'forced' to choose.
 
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