Growing numbers of Americans must be getting more uncomfortable with the status quo there these days. At least that may be one reason hits on my web site’s area on the topic of obtaining dual citizenship are rising dramatically in number lately.
I suppose it’s not surprising that interest in Irish citizenship is rising, given the number of Americans (and others) who are eligible. Even the Irish government estimates that between 30 million and 40 million American citizens could claim citizenship here under the so-called ‘granny’ clause.
Under current interpretation of Irish contitutional law anyone who has either a parent or a grandparent who was born on this island is eligible to claim citizenship. In fact, a person who has a parent born anywhere on this island is automatically a citizen in the Republic of Ireland.
And anyone who has or had one grandparent born here can probably claim full Irish (and European Union) citizenship by registering through the Foreign Births Registry.
I’ve covered this topic in some detail in pages on my site (www.patobrien.net), but it appears that a number of ugly worms have crawled into this lovely little apple that’s otherwise practically free for the plucking.
I’m speaking about the growing number of companies … err racketeers … advertising to help people seeking a second passport to achieve their goal. I don’t know how similar processes work with other countries, but in the case of the Irish system very little help from anyone is necessary to complete the process and obtain dual citizenship.
As I have responded in many emails to people who have found my web site through search engines, you don’t need anyone or any business to help you in gaining Irish citizenship — if you meet the basic qualifications outlined above. As long as you’ve got about $200 to spend, you can read and write, and you’ve got the patience to do the necessary and simple one- or two-generation genealogical research you can sail through this process.
Specifically, if you can collect the necessary birth certificates, marriage licenses and, if it’s the case, death certs, you can complete this process and have a nice new red passport delivered to your door. It takes about a year and, by the way, having dual citizenship is perfectly legal for Americans.
So, whatever you do, if this sounds like something you’re interested in doing, don’t pay anyone a retainer or fee to do what any literate person can do on his or her own.
March 26, 2008 at 9:37 pm
wow. i didn’t know about this. if i’m reading this correctly my granddad’s being born in co. cork qualifies me to claim citizenship in ireland. no one in the family’s ever mentioned this; maybe they don’t know. maybe we’re all heading for ireland. i’d also assume from this that citizenship eliminates the need for work permits in ireland and in the rest of the european union. great stuff.