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Move abroad, forfeit citizenship?

Mae Cheng | Staff Writer

April 4, 2004

Q. I am an American citizen and have retired from my job. I am thinking about going to a foreign country to live. Before I do so, what steps should I take?

A. You should first check on the immigration requirements of the country you intend to move to, said the Rev. Brian Jordan, immigration counselor at The Border at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Manhattan. You could probably get that information from the country's embassy or consulates in the United States.

You won't lose your American citizenship simply if you move to another country, Jordan explained. An exception would be if you take another country's citizenship oath in which you freely give up your American citizenship.