Off to the lawyer tomorrow...

[chrishansenhome]

I have been moved by keith_london's blogposts about the United States to finally go somewhere with renouncing my American citizenship. Tomorrow I'm off to the law firm of Gary Ferman, who specialise in citizenship and immigration issues. I'll be speaking with him about the consequences of renunciation, not particularly financial ones (since I do not have enough money or resources to trigger any of the horrid penalties that the US places on people who renounce their citizenship) but focussing on travel consequences.

For example, does it become more difficult to enter the US as a foreigner when you've renounced your citizenship?

I am doing this mostly to simplify my life. I now have to manage my affairs to take into account two different systems of law, tax, and citizenship. Why should I, a UK citizen, be barred from going to Cuba for a Caribbean holiday simply because I am also an American citizen? Why should my ISA (tax-free savings account in the UK) be taxable in the United States but not taxable here? Why should I have to put up with intrusive questioning at the US border even though I am currently a US citizen?

I realise this may make some readers of my blog uneasy. Well, imagine coming to the US four times in 2008 and, the fourth time, being suspected of money laundering and getting the third degree about what I do for a living, why I'm coming to the US, and how much money I have. I get no privileges from my US citizenship (besides the honour of being able to vote for Federal offices) and lots of grief. Better to give it up.

People have said to me, "Well, you never know—someday you may want to move back to the US."

To them I say, "Imagine, if you will, an unemployed software test manager who has had diabetes for more than 20 years and a heart attack 3 years ago moving back to the US from the UK. This person would go from totally free health care, including free medications, to having no health insurance at all and having to pay full whack for his health care and prescriptions. In addition, imagine that this person has a civil partner who is not a US citizen. Thus, in moving back to the US this person would have to forego living with his civil partner. After 11 years of partnership, this might be a bit of a hardship."

I think it is a clear choice. For younger people who are not ill and whose full-time job prospects (and health insurance benefits) in the United States are good, it might be a struggle. For me, it's clear. Living in the UK is my future. I am now a European. I benefit from a health care system that gives me first-class care which is free at the point of delivery, including all medication. I feel patriotic about the UK, and, for all its faults, I love it still.

Nothing will happen tomorrow except that I will be better informed about my choices and their consequences. After that, I shall make the final decision, and I will, of course, keep you all informed.

However, so that any super-patriotic USans might not get so upset they say naughty things in the comments that they might regret later, I'm screening all comments on this post.

Comments

[misc-negro.livejournal.com]

Renounce or whatever, I am glad you are doing something about it.
Living here I feel it is the best country ever, but that is due to the circumstances I am in and what I have made from it. But when you are the one in charge of your life and you have to live with the choices that make things better for you, then rock on. HAHAHA if its causing you nothing but grief then you do yo thang!
And they way you have things set up it would terribly insane to move back.