Russian Citizenship - Married to a Russian

[Dingbat70]

Hello,

I have been married to a Russian Woman for 8 Years now. I got married in Moscow. I have never lived in Russia, although I have visited it a few times. me and my wife live in the USA. Our son was born in the USA. He is on my wife's Passport and has US/Russian citizenship.

My Question to you gurus is:

How easy/difficult would it be for me to obtain a Russian Citizenship?

Thanks,

DB

[tvadim133]

I have forwarded a link to you, may be it will help you.

[tgma]

Have a search around this site for TRP, PRP, etc - there are multiple postings on this subject, if you read all the related material. Basically you apply for TRP, and after a year, you can apply for PRP or citizenship.

[Dingbat70]

I have forwarded a link to you, may be it will help you.

Yes, I got the link, truly appreciate your help.

DB

[web]

Short answer is NO coz US doean's allow dual citizenship by law although I know MANY people who were born in the US, whose great-great-great...grandparents were born there and they DO have a dual citizenship simply beacause there is no service in the US that checks out that kind of stuff. But legally, US citizen looses US citizenship at the oment of obtaining citizenship of another country.

Now, regarding the Russian citizenship, my 1st-hand expirience

1. you need to get TR first.
2. after that you need to get what they call "вид на жительство" that you have to hold for at least 5 yrs and live in Russia for at least 5 years with leaving russia for no more then 3 month during 1 year (with a minor exceptions, you can find those here Ôåäåðàëüíûé çàêîí "Î ãðàæäàíñòâå ÐÔ" îò 31.05.2002 N 62-ÔÇ \ Êîíñóëüòàíò Ïëþñ ). You also have to get a legal job here (no need for working permit when you get "вид на жительство" ), pay taxes etc etc and keep track and receipts of all this stuff coz they MIGHT ask you to ahow that (I was even asked to show payed phone and power bills for that period).

3. after that you can ask for a russian citizenship but according to the current law YOU NEED TO REJECT YOUR ORIGINAL CITIZENSHIP except in case if Russia has an dual citizenship agreement with a certain country and then pass the russian language exam.
4. Then when you sort all that out, immigration hands that over to some service that hands it over to the president who says yes or know (according to the law).

Now, I know many will tell that is wrong and not true and that there are people who have both which is also true (if you know the right person everything can be done) but i've just completed part 2 of the list above and got all the papers for the citizenship and decided not to do that as I was requested to sign the papers where I'm rejecting my original citizenship. Those were to be given ty the embassy who should then send them to my home country where I was supposed to be erased and then I kinda get a russian citizenship. Coz with the russian passport you need visa almost everywhere and right now I don't need need a visa in 95% of the world i've decded not to go for the russian citizenship coz there are more disadvantages then advantages.

Local law also says that you do not have to reject your citizenship when obtaining a russian one if the russian citizenship is obtained by birth (like in your son's case) or when a child is accepted into russian citizenship (in case you had a kid from previous marriage and you get a citizenship, your underaged kid can get through you a russian citizen ship without rejectiong his original one - or in case that you guys have adopted a kid, the he ca get a russian citizenship throught your wife without rejecting his original one).
Now, what is confusing me in your case is how your son got a russian citizenship when a russian citizenship clearly says that a child born from parents where one parent had a russian citizenship and the other doesn't, can obtain a russian citizenship by birth only in a case IF the child was born on the RF territory.

Now, I've heard that #3 was/will be changed but the immigration office I was talking to and who was helping me in setting up my docs, toldme that that rule is still on. That was on Dec 21 2009. The only 2 countries that Russia signed dual citizenship agreement at that moment were Tajikistan and Turkmenia. Something might have changed in the last month but I seriously doubt that

[SV1973a]

I was requested to sign the papers where I'm rejecting my original citizenship. Those were to be given ty the embassy who should then send them to my home country where I was supposed to be erased and then I kinda get a russian citizenship.

You sign a letter saying that you want to renounce your current citizenship, and this is then sent to your embassy.

However, it is up to your embassy to do with this letter whatever they deem necessary.
I checked with my embassy and they told me that it is up to them to decide whether you loose your citizenship.
In my case, they told me that I will not loose citizenship. If I want to give up my citizenship, I have to follow the procedure set in place by my embassy. (This involves showing up in person before the consul and signing an official statement, not just sending a letter even if this is signed by a Russian official)

[ilya25]

Hello,

I have been married to a Russian Woman for 8 Years now. I got married in Moscow. I have never lived in Russia, although I have visited it a few times. me and my wife live in the USA. Our son was born in the USA. He is on my wife's Passport and has US/Russian citizenship.

My Question to you gurus is:

How easy/difficult would it be for me to obtain a Russian Citizenship?

Thanks,

DB

Why do you need a citizenship - maybe permanent residency permit will be enough?

[Fakename]

Hi, according to the law if you have been married to a russian citizen for at least 3 yaers and you live permanently in Russia you dont need to wait for 5 years (it is called fast track i guess) but certainly will have to abondon your US-citizenship

[dizahav]

can anyone direct me to a site about acquiring temporary residency? i am married to a russian citizen