To return to the UK to give birth to my second child so that all my children have equal opportunities

[supergrover]

I am currently living in the US and am pregnant with my 2nd child who is due to be born here and will therefore be a US citizen, have a US passport and be able to live and work in the US without any need for a visa in the future.

My issue is that my older daughter was born in the UK and will only have British citizenship.

I just feel that it seems so unfair that I am giving my second child so much more opportunities than my first and am wondering if I should return to the UK to give birth to prevent any resentment / jealousy issues in the future.

Am I being unreasonable?

Tillyipswitch..the OP is def right..it's the 14th Amendment to the constitution

And yes i'm pretty sure that the parents could well be evicted and therefore the child as a dependent..think that's to do with people from Mexico who could just hop over the border and deliver a baby..i think they used to be called anchor babies

I still think the OP should find a way to stay in the country....how old is your older daughter?

Lola is right...i can't pass my US citizenship onto my kids as i didn't have enough years residency after the age of 14...neither could i have passed on my UK citizenship had my kids not been born here!

YABU! I'm a dual South African and British Citizen (naturalised). Citizenship of different countries is an enormously useful thing to have and I am really pleased that my DS has both.
It's unfortunate that your older child will only have UK but don't deprive your youngest to have US too, it will allow him/her to have such a wider range of opportunities.

Thanks for all your comments. I do feel slightly better today and having had a better nights sleep I can see that it would be madness to return to the UK.

As some of you have said, a better way to put it is that I am a little sad that my older daughter will not be lucky enough to have dual nationality unlike my younger daughter. Of course we can't treat all of our children entirely equally but I do truly believe that our second child will be privalaged to be an American citizen all her life as well as British and would so love to be able to turn back the clock and do the same think for our DD1.

DD1 is 9, she really loves our life in the US and all things American.

milkshakejake They dont make you give up your other nationality.They just dont recognize dual nationality,to them you are an American.I can keep and use my British passport but I have to travel in and out of here with an American one.( which I never ever applied for cos it feels like treason:o )

We are here on an L1 visa so there is a small hope that my husbands company can petition for greencards for us should they wish to do so. If we were to all become permanent residents that would solve all problems I guess. Then in time we could apply for naturalisation.

If I could give my children dual citizenship I would. It opens up so many opportunities. And if your youngest is a citizen she will be able to sponsor any siblings (and you!) later in life - so it opens up possibilities for both of them, really.

I live and study in the US but don't have a green card. I am a bit miffed that my sister, who does have a green card, is resolute that she doesn't want to become naturalised - she could have been a citizen by now and sponsored me. Not that I would ask her to for my sake - but once you're over here, you start to realise how much easier life would be and how many more opportunities there would be if you had citizenship.

The only thing which I think might be relevant to your decision is whether you want to give birth in the US health system - I've heard that obstetric care can be very different - higher rates of c-section etc. But you probably know more than me about that by now.

That's intresting - thanks paddy and Madam.

My best friend and her DH (Kiwis) had their DD in the UK but she wasn't entitled to British citizenship, so I guess it varies from country-to-country.

I'm surprised the US allows it - for exactly the 'anchor baby' reasons. I believe it used to be allowed in Britin, but they stopped it since it lead to an influx of people coming in to have their babies there.

Our DC have citizenship of three countries - i think it's a fantastic thing to be able to give your children and while it's a shame that one child will miss out I don't think it's worth depriving the other just for the sake of it.

hang on - have you checked the tax implications for US citizenship? I was just chatting with a friend who is also a US citizen and she was complaining about having to file and pay taxes in the US. Might be rather awkward?

I've never had to pay any US taxes..but i do have to file a return every year

Paddy- that's probably because you pay more tax where you live now than you would if you lived in the US, so you don't have to pay anymore.

i.e you pay the higher of US tax, or tax in country of residence.

The problem only comes when you are a US citizen but you live in a low tax country. Then you have to pay the difference between what you've paid in country of residence and what you would have paid had you been resident in the US. If you live in the UAE, for example, where income tax doesnt exist, you get a big US tax bill, and it's quite galling when all your mates are enjoying their tax free salaries (and, less flippantly, wage levels are increasingly set to take into account the fact that there's no tax)

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."s

If you are born in the US you are automatically a citizen, yes. It's in our Constitution. :)

But "anchor babies" don't always work. Some judges take pity on the parents, some don't, in which case the parents can take their children with them until they grow up and can come back on their own, or leave them with a host family. :(

OP I think this may just be the hormones talking, darling. If you want to stay, stay!

What state do you live in, by the way? (If you don't mind my asking! :) ) I'm in Minnesota.

We are in New Jersey. I am going to stay and give birth in the US. Just need to find a way of staying here permanently so the my older DD doesn't miss out!