Today, Masha and Nadia became U.S. citizens! The ceremony could, of course, have been a bit more pompous. Some people have been striving for this day much longer than us; I wouldn’t be surprised if there are those who have waited for about twenty years, and whose journey included hardships and working for an exploitative company sponsoring their “green card.”
The process involves a five-year residency period known as a “Green Card.” It is obtained either through a lottery or through company sponsorship — the latter is my case. The duration to obtain the “green card” can range from one and a half years (my case) to forever. Those coming from India, the Philippines, China, Mexico might wait 10 years, and during this time, they must work for the sponsoring company. If they quit, finding a new sponsor is definitely more difficult than just finding a job. After five years with the “green card,” you can apply for citizenship. It’s “can,” not “must.” The Green Card can be renewed indefinitely. One downside is that you’re still a guest, and if the state has a reason to ask you to leave, mechanisms exist to do that. True, such reasons include, for example, serious violations of the law. But who knows, in general, people without citizenship but with residency status are somewhat vulnerable.
With citizenship, the whole world opens up, as the American passport opens doors to many countries (about 180).
There is a view that taxation becomes more stringent upon obtaining citizenship — if you work, say, in Brazil, you have to pay taxes in both Brazil and the U.S. That’s actually the case even without citizenship. If you hold a green card, yes, you must pay taxes in the U.S. even if you do not live there. However, if you’re abroad for more than six months a year with a green card, that may be enough for it to be taken away. So, the main difference is that with a green card, in the event of a violation of tax law, you can weigh the benefits and, if needed, wave goodbye to America from, say, Brazil, without paying anything on those earned hundred million. True, afterwards, getting a visa might be difficult, but when you’ve made a hundred million there, maybe you wouldn’t need it anymore. With citizenship, this won’t work. The same Brazil, upon request from the U.S., will find and deport you. And they will take and split those hundred million.
Yes, some also asked about the documents — citizens and permanent residents don’t really differ in their “everyday life” documents. Roughly speaking, the hotel has no idea whether you are a citizen or just some guy who came on a visa and works here. Also, unless specifically asked, you wouldn’t know the status of someone on your team. (Well, apart from the fact that it’s improper to ask such questions, it’s also unclear why one would need to know.)
Congrats to Nadia and Masha, Lisa’s turn is coming up soon too 😉
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 