Pros and cons of obtaining citizenship

[sparkynow]

The time is near as her two year green card expires in April. I am wondering what the pros and cons are to her becoming a citizen. She has family and bank accounts in China, but sold her property before coming here. She has returned to China three times in the three years she's been here, six weeks, four weeks and three weeks. She loves everything here and doesn't particularly want to go back and if she did it would be mainly to see her mother although we might go together one time mainly as tourists. There are some things I haven't seen. I'm not sure what she will do someday when I die, but I think she would stay here.

 

Why does my computer tell me this site is not secure? In red letters no less.

[Randy W]

The time is near as her two year green card expires in April. I am wondering what the pros and cons are to her becoming a citizen. She has family and bank accounts in China, but sold her property before coming here. She has returned to China three times in the three years she's been here, six weeks, four weeks and three weeks. She loves everything here and doesn't particularly want to go back and if she did it would be mainly to see her mother although we might go together one time mainly as tourists. There are some things I haven't seen. I'm not sure what she will do someday when I die, but I think she would stay here.

 

Why does my computer tell me this site is not secure? In red letters no less.

 

 

Because you're using Google's Chrome browser - see https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/fix-not-secure-chrome

 

 

The main reason Chrome started doing this was to incentivize website owners to adopt the more secure HTTPS protocol. During the past couple of years, HTTPS adoption has skyrocketed, thanks to this and other initiatives.

 

In case you’re not sure what HTTP and HTTPS are, let’s go over some basics. For a long time, HTTP has been the protocol browsers use to send and receive information from web servers. It’s this type of protocol that enables you to read this article right now, as well as view the rest of our website.

 

The problem is that HTTP is not ideal from a security standpoint. For example, the protocol is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks, which means it’s not a safe way to transmit sensitive data. HTTPS, on the other hand, encrypts your connection to the website you’re accessing. In other words, it keeps you and your information a lot safer.

 

 

 

As an American citizen, she would need to acquire a visa to visit China, but would no longer need to "replace" her green card every 10 years.

 

If you are planning to return to China to live, it might be better if your wife keeps her Chinese citizenship. Yes, foreigners CAN purchase homes, but there are more hoops to jump through. But anything you and she purchase BEFORE she attains American citizenship will remain as is.

 

Foreigners working in China will need a work permit. This is usually tied to your employer, but I believe it's possible to get a generalized work permit. I don't know any details there, though - talk to your PSB.

 

Of course, you'll still have immediate relatives in China, so this will make it easier.

 

The logistics of an international marriage make that a complex issue, with no simple answers. A lot depends on your own specific situation and what you intend to do.

 

 

 

She can draw on your Social Security as long as she lives in the US - 50% of your benefit once she has reached retirement age, 100% after you die. If she has lived with you in the US for 5 years or longer, she can continue to draw on your account even if she returns to China to live. This is true whether she becomes a citizen or not.

 

If she has a pension in China, see CFL topic Wife retired now needs yearly check in.

[amberjack1234]

If Randy says it so it is so. Dan is really good too but he has other duties now as site Administrator. Good answers Randy.

[dnoblett]

Firstly you will need to remove conditions from the two year card by filing an I-751 and get the 10 year green card, or be in the process of getting the 10 year card befor entertaining citizenship.

 

She can apply for citizenship after 3 years of residency based on marriage to a US Citizen.

 

For my wife the big advantage of citizenship was her ability to file petitions for her mother and sister, her mother now has a green card and is living with us, her sister's petition will be another 11 years or so before a number comes up at which time her sister can make the disision to immigrate, bringing her son and husband.

[Randy W]

A topic from a few years ago (2013) - we have since determined that your spouse can continue drawing your SS benefits after moving to China IF they lived with you in the U.S. for at least 5 years

 

Is US Citizenship worth it?