The latest in the identity crisis issues engulfing the world is that of Caroline Foran. The Canadian prime minister has been under fire after it was revealed that she had the wrong nationality when she applied for a passport and traveled to Argentina on her own passport. She claimed to be a dual national with the British citizenship, even though at the time of her application she was a citizen of Mexico. There is an issue of whether or not she committed fraud or not when she changed her status and traveled to Argentina without informing the proper authorities. For many years, people have been wondering if Ms. Foran committed fraud or not because she had access to the Bank of Canada, which is supposed to keep financial records confidential.
In considering this matter, you will find yourself pondering on whether or not you have a national identity or even a dual national identity. In the first instance, you will need to make inquiries as to whether or not your citizenship status is changed by your own country, which might include Mexico, the Dominican Republic, or the United States. You also need to inquire about which country’s laws permit you to change your national identity. If you are from Mexico, you are required by law to inform Mexican officials of any changes that you make regarding your identity. Your status in the United States can only be revoked by executive order of the U.S. president. These facts seem to lead one to question, does Ms. Foran actually have dual citizenship?
This article attempts to clear up this issue and point out how complicated citizenship changes can be, and how one needs to be very careful about changing their identity status. If you are thinking of applying for a Canadian passport, remember to check if your birth place is in Canada, whether your parents are Canadian, and if you have lived in both countries for more than five years. You may have to renounce your citizenship before you can apply for a passport. If this is the case, remember that it takes a couple of years for you to become a permanent resident of Canada, and you have to wait at least two years before you apply for American citizenship. However, if you are not in the United States when applying for your passport, you can apply for a U.S. passport immediately and use that to travel to Canada.