Information regarding a new baby

[deermit]

Hello folks, As I stated in my introduction post, I have a brand new baby boy named Isaiah. He was born Oct 29, 2006. He weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces and was 21inches long!
My questions for those who know are (1) should we get him dual citizenship as his mother is a Filipino and I’m a US citizen? (2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of dual citizenship? (3) If we happen to do the dual citizenship, what is the proper procedure for doing so?
All the information I could find on the website of the Philippine Consulate General is a “report of birth form”. Should I file this report regardless of the citizenship status?
Any information or informative web sites are appreciative.
Thanks, Tim

[Ray]

Hi Tim, welcome to the forum.

My understanding is that your child is automatically legally a dual citizen (U.S./Philippines) if his mother was a Filipino citizen at the time of his birth in the U.S.

You can register the child’s birth with the Philippine consulate to have it recorded with the NSO. Then he could apply for a Philippine passport with an NSO certified birth certificate. Even without registering the birth now, he could later have his birth registered in the Philippines with proper documentation and apply for a Philippine passport if he wished to.

The advantage to him as a dual citizen? He could vote, run for office, live, work, and own land or a business in the Philippines with full rights of Filipino citizenship. He could travel or stay as long as he wanted in the Philippines without any visa.

How many folks do I personally know in your situation who registered their child’s birth with the Philippine consulate? Zero.

For further info, contact any Philippine consulate.

Does your wife intend to become a naturalized U.S. citizen?

Ray

[william3rd]

It is not up to you to apply for the baby as a citizen of the Philippines. You are a US citizen. It is up to the mother. . .

[jm21-2]

Because the Phils do not require you to renounce your US citizenship (as far as I can see), then a child born in America who later also becomes a Filipino citizen shouldn't have any problems. It's possible that there might be some problems concerning your wife though as far as dual citizenship goes (from what I briefly read, it looks like she would have to retain/re-acquire her citizenship in the Phils in order to get citizenship for her child), because you're supposed to renounce your old citizenship when becoming naturalized (I'm assuming she is or wants to become naturalized?), but I'm not sure anyone really cares that much anymore.

Some seemingly straightforward information on dual citizenship in the Phils here:
http://www.gov.ph/faqs/dualcitizenship.asp

In the US:
http://www.richw.org/dualcit/faq.html#possible

[deermit]

Hi guys, thanks for the replies.
Yes Ray, my wife does intend to become a U.S. citizen in the near future. Jm21-2 thanks for the web sites you listed, they were what I was looking for! They seem to comfirm everything Ray said in his post Thanks again for the help,Tim

[Ray]

Because the Phils do not require you to renounce your US citizenship (as far as I can see), then a child born in America who later also becomes a Filipino citizen shouldn't have any problems. It's possible that there might be some problems concerning your wife though as far as dual citizenship goes (from what I briefly read, it looks like she would have to retain/re-acquire her citizenship in the Phils in order to get citizenship for her child), because you're supposed to renounce your old citizenship when becoming naturalized (I'm assuming she is or wants to become naturalized?), but I'm not sure anyone really cares that much anymore.

To clear up a couple of points where I believe you are in error:

First, a child who is born to a Filipino citizen parent is a “Natural Born” citizen of the Philippines at birth. Such child does not “later… become a Filipino citizen”.

Second, whether or not the child’s mother later becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen is irrelevant in this case. As long as she is a Filipino citizen “at the time of birth” of the child, the child is a citizen of the Philippines by Philippine law.

Ray

[jm21-2]

To clear up a couple of points where I believe you are in error:

First, a child who is born to a Filipino citizen parent is a “Natural Born” citizen of the Philippines at birth. Such child does not “later… become a Filipino citizen”.

Second, whether or not the child’s mother later becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen is irrelevant in this case. As long as she is a Filipino citizen “at the time of birth” of the child, the child is a citizen of the Philippines by Philippine law.

Ray

Sorry, you are entirely correct. I think I got caught up in looking at the provisions for a parent with re-acquired citizenship and forgot about the more obvious natural born citizenship somehow. Thanks for clearing that up, sorry for the confusion.