PH embassy: No policy changes yet on dual citizenship in US

The Philippine Embassy in Washington said the United States government has not made any policy changes regarding dual citizenship amid a proposed Senate bill ending it.

In a statement, the embassy said the bill is currently a legislative proposal and has not yet been enacted into law. 

"It will go through several stages of lengthy deliberation and may or may not proceed depending on the decisions of the US Congress," it said.

The embassy advised the Filipino-American community to exercise caution in renouncing their citizenship as renunciation of Philippine citizenship is "an irreversible legal action."

"US lawmakers will have to carefully consider the provisions of the bill, given its possible significant impact on major immigrant groups in the country," the embassy said, adding that all Philippine diplomatic posts in the United States are closely monitoring the bill introduced by Senator Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican.

Moreno's bill would require Americans to exclusively be US citizens. 

Current US law allows Americans to be dual citizens provided the other country permits it.

Under Philippine Republic Act 9225 or Dual Citizenship Law, natural-born Filipino citizens who became a naturalized citizen of another country can reacquire Philippine citizenship if they are at least 18 years old. 

The embassy noted that previous challenges to dual and multiple citizenship in the US had not materialized. 

As early as 1952, the US Supreme Court stated that dual citizenship is a "status long recognized by law" and that "a person may have and exercise rights of nationality in two countries and be subject to the responsibilities of both."

"The mere fact he asserts the rights of one citizenship does not mean that he renounces the other," the ruling said.

For further questions, the embassy said Filipino-Americans may reach out to the Philippine embassy in Washington or consulate near them. — VDV, GMA Integrated News