Dual Citizen Law and Legal Definition
A dual citizen is an individual who is a citizen of two countries at the same time. Laws regarding dual citizenship differ from country to country and while some countries allow it some other countries have no particular laws regarding dual citizenship. Dual citizenship is not secured by an application process. Instead, it is a process that happens when a person becomes a citizen of another country, in addition to his or her country of birth. Dual citizenship occurs automatically for some individuals. For instance a child is born in the United States to foreign parents will be a dual citizen because the child automatically becomes a citizen of the United States and a citizen of its parent's home country. Although United States law recognizes Dual Citizenship, the government does not encourage it is as a matter of policy due to the legal complexities involved in such cases. A foreign citizen will not lose his or her citizenship when becoming a U.S. citizen. An individual that becomes a U.S. citizen through naturalization may keep his or her original citizenship.
