Filipinos leave the motherland permanently for three significant reasons: to follow the heart (as in get married to a citizen), to follow family member/s already living abroad, and to follow the money. In all cases, as a legal permanent resident, there is a choice to remain just that—legal residents—or level up and become a citizen.
Why do Filipinos desire to acquire foreign citizenship in the first place?
There is no harm in remaining a permanent resident. In the US, except for voting rights and eligibility to be a jury member at court trials, you still get pretty much the same benefits like social security, medical insurance, etc. But the appeal and the desire to possess that all-important document called a passport is strong—very strong, indeed.
Have we not heard it all before? Have passport, will travel.
But you can still travel with a Philippine passport, you argue.
Let’s face it. Some passports are more powerful than most, allowing you entry to several dream destinations visa-free (meaning free from the burden of rounding up a slew of documents including proof of wealth, just to show you are worthy of vacationing in Paris or Barcelona at a moment’s notice). Philippine passport holders can only enjoy visa-free travel in ASEAN countries and some others that may not include that one important place you would like to visit.
So how do we become a naturalized citizen of another county?
Embracing a nationality other than Filipino
If you are born in a country where your parents are considered foreigners, and that country recognizes birthright citizenship, then your acquisition of a dual citizenship has just been handed to you on a silver platter. You take the citizenship of your parents, and the citizenship of the land of your birth. Later on in life, you may make the choice to keep your dual citizenship, or renounce one and keep the other.
If this is not your circumstance, then you will need to go through the legal process of naturalization. The basic process for many countries is pretty cut and dried: You need to be in the country through legal, non-fraudulent means, and be a resident for a prescribed length of time.
In the US, for example, a permanent resident may acquire citizenship after five years of continuous stay within the country. Fewer years are needed for a spouse of a citizen. Not that you cannot leave the US during those initial years. Overseas trips are possible, even lengthy ones; but only for a maximum of five months a year, all together at once or staggered if you have the budget to fly in and out several times. The rest of the seven months must be spent on US soil (by the way, Hawaii is a US state even if it is not in the mainland, so let us not get confused there). If you stay out for more than five months, by choice or by accident, you are back to square one.
It goes without saying that residency is not the only key here. You need to keep your noses clean too: no hanky-panky, no run in with the law, although jaywalking or running a red light are not felonies. Worst punishment for those is that you may get a traffic ticket or be sent to attend a seminar. Committing criminal acts may warrant deportation even if you are a legal resident.
Upon eligibility, you may fill out your application from the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services), pay your fees, and while waiting for the next instructions, gather pertinent documents and prepare for your interview and civics exam. Don’t worry. The government will give you a cheat sheet (er, booklet) to study. The working timeline from when you submit your application until the day you take your oath is somewhere between 12 to 14 months; but trust us, the wait is much shorter than that by half.
When you pass your interview (no one really fails, but you are given another chance to try in six months if you do, otherwise you start the process all over again), your oath ceremony will be scheduled within a week or two, maybe even just a few days from the interview. Some lucky ones happen to take their oaths the same day as the interview.
Chris Mariano, an author friend now based in Alaska, did not expect her oath ceremony to happen the same day. It was just as well. She lived in Juneau, a plane ride away from Anchorage where the federal institution was located. She mentioned that had she known, she would have dressed more appropriately.
Et voila! You are now a proud Fil-Am—able to vote in the elections and may be called by the justice department to be a juror (jury duty). And hallelujah after a bit more waiting, there it is: a blue passport!
BUT I still want to be Filipino
Lucky for us, reacquiring the citizenship of our birth is not denied to Filipinos who are naturalized American citizens, as both countries allow dual citizenship. Now, depending on your country of naturalization, you may need to check with the foreign service, or whatever government agency handles these issues, if you are allowed to be a citizen of more than one country. If you are allowed to hold more than one citizenship, what are the limitations, if any?
There is no required wait time for you to book your appointment with your local Philippine consulate other than the length of time it takes for you to complete requirements for submission. These include (but are not limited to) your PSA-issued birth certificate, baptismal certificate, marriage certificate (for married individuals), death certificate (of the deceased spouse of a widow/er), divorce or annulment papers for separated individuals, naturalization certificate, valid foreign passport, canceled Philippine passport, application form (downloadable from the consulate website), photos, and a notarized affidavit of explanation on how you attained US citizenship (form is also downloadable from the consulate website). If you have a dependent, there is another form to fill out so you can include your children below 18 years of age in the petition.
Ang dami, ano? Parang nakakapagod. (There’s too much to consider, it’s exhausting.)
When you have secured a predictable timeline when your foreign-provided documents will be completed, you can go ahead and book an appointment online, pay your fees, and wait for your scheduled interview and oath ceremony.
What you need to know about reacquiring your Filipino citizenship
While the steps to take back your Philippine citizenship seems simple enough despite the mile-long list of requirements, and even as you expect the road to be hassle-free by virtue of the fact that you were a naturally-born Filipino, the process definitely takes patience—lots and lots of patience and, in some cases, financial resources.
One major roadblock is the availability of an embassy or a consulate in your locale. The nearest one may actually be a plane ride and thousands of miles away that it may make more sense to go back to the Philippines and book your appointment with the Bureau of Immigration in Manila. You can also opt to wait for a consular outreach at a city near you, but that is not a regular occurrence. The nearest consulates conduct these outreach programs if there are enough petitioners that warrant their presence in the city. Even then, the outreach may also take place not in the near future.
Having mentioned that, it may be wise to gauge how immediate your need is to reacquire citizenship. Remember that distance and circumstances surrounding distance (postal and delivery issues, you know) may work against you.
A friend, Fritz Bermejo, who was recently sworn in as a naturalized American earlier this year in Los Angeles, recounts how he tried to navigate the LA consulate website and found it trying. There was no dedicated page on reacquiring Philippine citizenship, much less a tab identifying it. When he finally stumbled on the page, it would freeze or not load properly so that he would have to refresh the browser and start over.
As of this writing, the LA consulate website is down and undergoing maintenance. They have simply posted a QR code on their Facebook page that directs the applicant to a Google Form where they can sign up for an appointment for any service they may need. And there are not many schedules to choose from. Even if you did choose a date and time, you would need to wait for an email confirmation to find out if you can be accommodated.
It is not for lack of desire and love of country that we, naturalized foreigners, end up not pursuing a dual citizenship with the Philippines. Why would we not want to enjoy the benefits of having two passports and be recognized as legal residents of two countries? But this tiresome process and the lengthy quest to complete requirements wears our patience thin. Hopefully, when that website is back up, this author and her friend can finally book an appointment and gain back their Philippine citizenship.
Perks of dual citizenship
Lorna* (name withheld), married, from Bulacan in the Philippines and Cerritos, CA, USA
“I obtained dual citizenship so I can inherit the land my parents left me. Although I could have obtained the land as an American since the size is less than 1,000 sq km, nevertheless, dual citizenship will allow me to retire in the Philippines and live on that land and not worry about getting deported.”
Oriel, married, from Las Piñas, Metro Manila and Signal Hill, CA, USA
“I wanted to be able to vote. And now I can! Also, I was able to buy a 200sqm house and lot in Las Piñas City, where my whole family lives now.”
Rene Ardent, author, married, from Sampaloc, Manila and Sydney, Australia
“As a Philippine citizen, I am entitled to a disability card, meaning 20% off meals at restaurants and certain food items at groceries. If I were non-Filipino, I would be required to renew my tourist visa every two years.”
Charrie, married, from Quezon City, Metro Manila and Torrance, California, USA
“I earn a modest income in the Philippines from our businesses and I am getting taxed at Filipino rate. Definitely [more] favorable than getting taxed at foreigners’ tax rate. I feel that I am somehow giving something to the Philippines with my measly contribution, especially since I left the country before I started working.”
With the confirmation that you have been approved to reacquire your Philippine citizenship, you are again able to enjoy civic and social rights, like voting in national elections and owning property and businesses in the Philippines without the limitations on foreigners, just as our dual-citizen kababayans shared above.
As a dual citizen, you may also enjoy retiring in the Philippines without getting deported or fined (remember, even as a natural-born Filipino, you renounced your citizenship when you became a naturalized foreigner). You will not need to apply or pay for a visa (or an extension for it) to stay beyond the prescribed limit for foreign passport holders.
As a Filipino-American, you are also able to receive your pension even if you decide to spend your retirement years outside of US soil. Permanent residents (otherwise recognized as green card holders) need to stay in America to receive their pension or else they forfeit it altogether.
And yes! Time to see the world! The Philippine passport can bring you to about 30-something countries visa-free. Your brand new, shiny blue passport allows you to travel to about 150 countries visa-free! Imagine that! All you’ll need to worry about on this part is your travel budget as well as your time off from work or school, whichever the case may be.
Travel. Loyalty to your bayang sinilangan. Whatever perk floats your boat. Dual citizenship is like having two sets of parents who are there to look after you and your welfare. Why would you not want that?
