These days, it can be hard to know whether you can immigrate to the US at all, stay here legally, or bring a loved one here any time soon. The hardest reality is that your country of origin is a huge factor in determining whether and when your application will succeed.
What if you’re a citizen of two countries? That’s where your immigration case may get interesting – and more likely to succeed. Depending on which two countries you’ve got citizenship in, your dual citizenship may just be the way you achieve your immigration goals.
The best way to explain it is with this simple equation:
Citizenship of restricted country + citizenship of unrestricted country = likely success in your immigration application
In other words, even if you’re immigrating from a country where the US has restricted or banned immigration, your case is likely to succeed if you’re also a citizen of a country that the US “trusts.” One of your citizenships assures the USCIS that you have been vetted properly.
For example, if you’re from Haiti – a country from which the US has restricted immigration – but you’ve also got French citizenship, your application is much more likely to succeed. Or if you’re you’re from Iran (also heavily restricted), but you have German citizenship, the USCIS is much more likely to grant your request.
Of course, the specifics of your case always matter, and citizenship in one country doesn’t guarantee any outcomes in the US.
Even if you are only the citizen of a US-restricted country, you may still be able to immigrate, or at least set yourself up for good news if and when the restrictions are lifted. Your immigration attorney will need to think beyond the ban and look at all possible paths forward for you.
Wherever you’re from, you can contact me, Boston immigration attorney Giselle M. Rodriguez, to discuss your case and help determine the best route for you.