Former U.S Citizens

[junit]

Hey everyone......I hope your weekend is going well......not sure if this is the best place for the post but we will see ... . Well here i am podering a little bit as i tend to do often during the day.....I would like to hear (Hopefully you would be kind enough to offer) from some Former US citizens who moved to a different country....

It doesnt have to be just for Marijuana reasons..... I am just wondering what one has to go through...... what the experience is like....... Was it different than you expected... did they treat you differently because you WERE an American....(I know the world doesnt have the greatest opinion about us) I mean its one thing to visit a different country...... its another to live there full time.

Please share your experience.

 

[Guest]

You do not have to renounce your US citizenship just to move to another country, in fact very few do unless it's a US citizenship your after.

You may need to be a citizen to own property or a business just for legal and tax reasons.

I have a few friends with daul citizenships and they use the one that is best for the situation.

You are treated differently EVERYWHERE because you are an American and most of the time not for the better. Go to Japan and try and beg a cab to pick you up, it's a joke. We would get people(japanese) to go out hail a cab, get in it and then we would run out and get in while they got out and told them where we were going. Sometimes they would still refuse to take us anywhere.

Look out here comes the LOUD American....hehehe

Tex

Oh yeh, I lived in Brazil for a bit and travelled non stop around the world for 5-6 years

 

[Guest]

Wow, Texas Kid, I didn't know you were a world traveler! I too am interested in leaving the US for foreign shores. Can you have american citizenship AND citizenship in a european country?

 

[Guest]

Alot of Americans carry dual citizenships because you can be a US citizen and also be a citizen in their parents home country of citizenship.

For example if someone was second generation "off the boat" so to say and their parents still retain their Swiss, German, Dutch, etc.. citizenship they may have a German and US passport on hand.

You don't get the same protections as a national would even if you go through the drill to get foriegn citizenship. Your an American, it seeps form your essence, it's damn hard to hide in the short term in another country. Even after living there for awhile you still stand out to the locals. They actuall called me "The American" or "Dallas" in a couple villages in Paranagua and Rio Grande De Sul in Brazil. Everyone knows "Dallas" the series because it still runs in reruns all over the world. Some still think it is current and still being filmed and ya tell them that that was the early 80's and it is still lost on them. Do you know J.R. Ewing the oil tycoon? all the time.

South America was always alot more fun for me than South East Asia, Asian languages are a total mystery to me. I can wing it pretty good with Latin languages so it lets you interact alot more and experience the local flavor alot more.

Marry a local girl and your in like Flynn.....hehe

Tex

 

[bartender187]

I got Tri-Citizenship ... i proudly hold, U.S., Mexican, and Spanish citizenship.

 

[junit]

Wow thanks Kid.... I didnt know That about the Dual Citizenship......Naturally i would think it would be hard to hide Americanism..... yet after a few years some people catch on........Yet Antonio banderas still cant kick his accient.lol .... My Grandmother is from Germany...... My Grandfather met her there while in the airforce...... He brought her back to Georgia to meet his 9 brothers and sisters tought her every word of english....and you would never be able to tell....Uncle Hanz Says she speaks German with an American Accent now.

Got any Suggestions on a place too look at if i wanted to reside a GOOD portion of my time to. MJ friendly of course..... the Netherlands has so been done before.... Canada the obvious one. Just somewhere someone could live fairly comfortablely..... Although Tex.... untill recently... i wanted nothing more than to move down there to texas...... get a lil old ranch...and watch the wind blow by.

 

[syko2]

I applied for my Citizenship for Canada last week

 

[Guest]

most of my international travels have been due to my military service. Ive been to some of the most dangerous places on earth where if you smell like an americian ur dead. But i have been to some real cool places on R&R. I like the eastern block countries, I.E. Bulgaria, hungry etc. I was always treated with the up most respect. Nice lookin ladies, that love american men....ahhhh those were the days ;-)

 

[Dutchgrown]

Living abroad is interesting, fun, exciting, educational
(in soooo many ways), but in the end.....

Dorothy clicks her heels in shiny red glass slippers, and repeats:

There's no place like home,
There's no place like home!


dg

 

[Guest]

Truer words never spoken, Dutch

No matter how much fun I was having, how much I was learning, or how many girls I was having,ooops, girls I was meeting, I would see the lights of Miami or the lights of LA and get overly exited to be back in the ol'USA....

there's no place like home, there's no place like home

It's one hell of a ride though and I would pass on any opprotunity to travel or experience another culture first hand.

Tex

 

[Guest]

Where's home? LOL

I have to come back here when I have a minute

 

[Dramajic]

I have several retired friends who now live in Mexico. You can live like a king down there on a shoestring. They are close enough to the border to come back across to get medical attention and supplies if needed. So far they have had no trouble with the Federales.

 

[Guest]

i am in the process of getting my italian citizenship i am an american citizen but i fell the need to be more active in my italian nationality and heritage so i am going for dual citizensship then i will be hopefully opening a business in italy sometime within 3 years... i should have my citizenship by time i go in november hopefully.

swerve

 

[Dramajic]

I kinda agree with Swerve. Get the damn virgins out of their retarded heads and they would stop blowing themselves up. Who was it who said that sex is a misdemeanor: The more you miss, the meaner you get.

 

[m.steelers]

Anyone know what kind of regulations there are for people with a criminal record? I would like to live in Italy for part of the year, and potentially acquire dual citizenship. My job would permit it, but I am not sure if a Con like me would be granted citizenship if I chose that route.

MS

 

[Guest]

Hey steelers, I live in Italy and am very familiar with the immigration laws here.

- You can acquire dual citizenship if you have a parent or grandparent with Italian citizenship.

- You can acquire Italian citizenship after living and working in this country for at least 10 years even if you don't have a first or second degree ascending relative with Italian citizenship.

- You can acquire Italian citizenship if you marry an Italian

- You can acquire Italian citizenship from a first degree descendency (your children) if they are Italian citizens (meaning the mother of your child must be Italian)

- When you apply for citizenship here you are required to produce penal certificates for each place (country or state) in which you lived from the age of 14, as well as provide addresses of each place you lived from the age of 14.

Can you get citizenship with a record? Depends what's on your record. If its a felony offence, you can still try, but I think it'll be very difficult that they'll grant you citizenship. If its only a misdemeanor, depending on the nature of the crime you have a chance.

Things are VERY tight in Europe as you can imagine, and Italy is the country with the largest number of immigrants from countries such as Algeri, Libya, Tunisi, Albania, Serbia and a whole slew of Muslim countries. Its getting harder and harder for people to obtain things like work permits and citizenship over here, as you can imagine.

Anything I can help you out with, I'm here! :smile:

 

[m.steelers]

Thanks Blue - I have Italian heritage, but none of my immediate relatives are citizens. I don't meet any of the other req. either.... I just love Italy. I spent my hoenymoon in Roma, Positano and Capri and think about it every day! Unfortunately, I got a felony distribution rap when I was younger, and it looks like it will continue to haunt me for some time.... I am a business professional now, totally responsible etc.. so the best I can try to do is have it expunged some day I guess.

I really appreciate your advice.

KIND regards,
MS

 

[Guest]

Having records expunged is costly but worth it :wink:

I'll tell ya that even then it can pop it's little bitch ass head up and get ya.

Tex

 

[m.steelers]

Yeah Tex, I need to start looking in to that. I think enough time has passed by now. Some say it is virtually impossible for drug related offenses. I dont have all the details though.

That quote in your signature - you catchin em on tour this year? I'll be seeing them again shortly, lookin forward to it

MS

 

[Guest]

Not immpossible, expensive.

I was goin over to his 4th picnic but got blazed and didn't want to endure the heat.

I'll catch him around here I am sure when he does some the "Countryman" dates. Willie and reggae, how can ya go wrong?

Tex