Question 3: How can I vote ? He asked me where I was naturalized and gave me all the forms for that state and additional information. Everything I need to be able to vote. The only question left for me to answer now is who to vote for. I still need to read up more about that

• taking an oath, affirmation or other formal declaration to a foreign state or its political subdivisions (Sec. 349 (a) (2) INA) is a potential cause of loss of citizenship if they perform certain specified acts voluntarily and with the intention to relinquish U.S. citizenship.
• when renewing or applying for a US passport, before you sign the form , since in the Acts or Conditions list this will apply to you, you need to line out the part that says “taken an oath or made an affirmation or other formal declaration of allegiance to a foreign state”, and you must provide a supplementary explanatory statement under oath or affirmation by the applicant that you do not wish to relinquish your U.S. citizenship.
• you might have trouble running for public office in either countries or obtaining special security clearances

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed attorney, all information here is gathered only from reading official websites. Please consult your immigration lawyer or consulate for confirmation about these issues before you decide on any course of action.

Yesterday, I decided to do finally complete my paperwork errands for my Mom by going to the Philippine Embassy in Den Haag. And at the same time, I figured, I could inquire more about the visa options that we have in line with our plans to come back to the Philippines and stay long-term.
One thing I noticed about their office is that it is so much better than the one in New York City where there are long lines, noisy crowds, steel bars and glass windows and irritated government workers. Instead, I was greeted by a couple of relaxed women and a nice open office environment. During my visit, there was also a Dutch couple applying for a tourist visa. Basically, the nice lady told me that she strongly advise me to just apply for reacquisition of my citizenship which is by far the simplest for both of us. I told her that my main concerns is the length of time to process it and how it would affect my citizenship status in the US. I found out that it only takes 5 days to process my application for citizenship retention after I submit all the necessary paperwork and also 5 days to process my husband’s non-quota immigration application as well. The good thing about this also is that if we try to setup a business there we could solve the ownership issue easily. She told me that Philippine law recognizes Dual Citizenship. Later that day I found my answers from the website of the San Francisco consulate.

Here is what it says in the website:

Will taking the Oath endanger U.S. citizenship?

No. According to a study prepared by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NAFFAA), a person will not lose his/her U.S. citizenship by merely pledging allegiance to another county. Such act can result in loss of U.S. citizenship only if done with an intention to relinquish U.S. citizenship. Since applicants for dual citizenship under this law generally do so with every intention to keep their U.S. citizenship and enjoy the benefits of citizenship in both countries, they are in no way intending to relinquish their U.S. citizenship.

Moreover, NAFFAA assures that American citizenship is not easily lost and is protected under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that “all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens of the U.S. and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall.. deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.”

U.S. government sources recognize that “dual nationality” or “dual citizenship” can and does occur as a matter of fact, when the laws of the U.S. and another country simultaneously recognize an individual as their citizen.

Because I am a former Filipino citizen, the following will be our options when we decide to stay longer than 21 days:

• Balikbayan Program

Here, both me and my spouse can stay visa-free for a period of one year. With this, we can purchase tax free up to $1500 worth of goods from a government owned/operated duty free shops. We are also exempted from paying travel tax. However after that one year, we will have to deal with renewals of visas which can be a big hassle if it takes place every 2 months or so. It can also be costly in the long run. We also both need to register as aliens and get an ACR card.

• Retention of Citizenship

When I became a naturalized US citizen, I had lost my Philippine Citizenship. However, with the new provisions of Republic Act No. 9225 I can regain my citizenship after taking an oath of allegiance to the Republic at the nearest consulate. After then, I can apply for a passport. With this option, we will not have to worry about percentage of ownership when opening a business there and other things such as land / property ownership. My husband can also apply for a Permanent Residency and engage in business. I believe applying for his permanent residency involves a lot of paperwork and waiting which we don’t want to happen (after our experience here).

• Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV)

This newly-introduced visa is granted by the Bureau of Immigration’s Retirement Program under the Philippine Retirement Authority. All foreigners and overseas Filipinos are eligible to apply for this visa. Under this program, the holder is entitled to multiple-entry privileges and the right to stay permanently in the Philippines. Requirements include: Age must be at least 35 years old (I am almost 36 now) and a required time deposit. For our situation, since I am a former Filipino citizen, our required time deposit is only US$1,500.00. Not bad!
The one-time application fees are the following: US$1,400.00 application fee or equivalent Philippine Peso for the principal applicant and US$300 for the spouse. If we had children, each dependent is also $300. For every additional dependent (in excess of two) an additional US$15,000.00 deposit shall be required per head except for former Filipino citizens. Whew! that was close. I am glad it doesn’t apply to us. And to add to that I can purchase a lot not exceeding 5,000 square meters in urban areas or three (3) hectares in rural areas for business use or other purposes. We can use our deposit towards purchasing other kinds of properties such as condominium or a house or office space for our business. Sounds too good to be true? Maybe we should really schedule an appointment with the Consulate soon to clarify this. This visa also welcomes business ventures with less restriction on foreign ownership if our business is totally for export or within the list of investment priorities as outlined by the Board of Investments. As of now, this is the option we are most interested in. The application process seems simple and we only need a medical clearance from the physician here. For more details on the SRRV, please visit this link.

As I have said earlier, we have to confirm all this information from our embassy here. I wonder when I can set up an appointment?