Piper Gilles eyes Canadian citizenship

[gsk8]

Gilles and ice dance partner Paul Poirier hope to crack Canada’s team for Sochi Olympics.

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[Mathman]

She should not do this. A skating career lasts a hot minute. Citizenship is a lifetime commitment. (Not that she asked me. )

[wishonastar]

But can't she hold dual citizenship with Canada and the U.S.? I don't think she has to give up her U.S. citizenship to achieve Canadian citizenship.

[starryxskies]

Canada definitely allows dual citizenship. We are not Japan.

I'm not familiar with American rules but I know people that hold both American and Canadian citizenship so it's really not a big deal. She should go for it.

[bigsisjiejie]

The USA also allows dual citizenship. Piper can keep her US citizenship and take Canadian citizenship as well, if she wants.

[dorispulaski]

One of my neighbors has dual USA / Canada citizenship.

Skating's hard on the body; so many wind up with a prior existing condition of one sort or another. Even if Piper doesn't skate for Canada, the possibility of obtaining Canadian health insurance is such a plus that she should go for it.

But I do wonder in these cases how they keep people from voting in both countries.

[rvi5]

But I do wonder in these cases how they keep people from voting in both countries.

Why would it be necessary to stop them from voting in both countries, unless they are getting two votes for the same agenda item (can't think of a situation where that would occur)?

I assume once you have citizenship, you are expected to obey rules as if you were born in that country. ie. if you are called for jury duty, military draft (that is probably among the biggest risks of dual citizenship), etc. Fortunately, Canada isn't currently drafting anyone for military duty. Payment of income tax is another issue requiring special consideration.


P.S... I wonder what happens if you are called for military duty within two countries simultaneously?

[dorispulaski]

re military duty, that could have happened back in WW2 days; I wonder whether it ever did?

[colleen o'neill]

Canada and the US didn't allow dual citizenship in them thar days. My mother had to choose when she turned 21.

[Mathman]

Still...when you apply to become a citizen of a country, don't they ask you why you want to become a citizen? "So I can ice skate with a Canadian boy?"

[Serious Business]

I do wonder in these cases how they keep people from voting in both countries.

Where people vote and when they vote is a matter of public record. Various voter suppression groups go around digging through those records to try to find duplicates. They hope to use such cases as evidence to push for odious laws and regulations to discourage and limit voting. What they found was that it rarely happens. It turns out, both Canadians and Americans can hardly even be bothered to vote once!