Well, I guess I don’t have much of an imagination then. He could mean tax issues, since on paper at least you’re not allowed to renounce to avoid taxes, so people who are renouncing tend to avoid any mention of taxes – though I’d argue that the vast majority of us don’t do it to avoid taxes but to avoid accountants’ fees year after year. He could also mean politics, and a general desire to leave the US because of the endless political craziness. What does your imagination tell you he means?

Please Rachel, you don’t need much of an imagination to figure it out.

I’m sorry, I’m not following. In my view it’s a practical question more than anything else – if you’re stateless, no particular government is required to help you in case of calamity or war. Perhaps the Declaration you cite would mean they do have to help you, but in the middle of calamity or war would you be able to get anyone to listen to that argument? And in any case, if you’re stateless, you wouldn’t be able to travel out of your country at all.

I don’t have another citizenship. Indeed, I’d end up stateless, but I still ought to be able to avail myself of protection in another State?

I thought it is “I’d need to have another citizenship unless it’d be inconsistent with the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights” rather than just “I’d need to have another citizenship”? But the only thing I can find on this now, is Article 7(1)(b) of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. I’m sure Article 7(1)(b) of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness which is the “inconsistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” exception to the “You’d need to have another citizenship” is written down and mentioned in the convention for a reason.

I haven’t had trouble so far. What most people do is carry their Certificate of Loss of Nationality with them, just in case.

Just wondering if anyone reports difficulty vacationing in the US after renunciation. I would only have a Canadian passport that shows the US as birthplace. A friend told me her mother had trouble crossing the border as she didn’t have a US passport while her Canadian one showed an American birthplace.

I did get emotional, so I don’t have any tips! I don’t think the people working there were particularly surprised when I burst into tears. But when I had pulled myself together, they just wanted to know if I was really sure I wanted to do this. They’re supposed to check that you’re not being coerced into it. Since I had written down my reasons, they could see that I had thought it all out. Good luck!

Yes, I wish I’d thought of that beforehand. I last lived in California, so I had to vote there. Since I’m solidly Democrat (or, rather, I was, when I was a citizen), my vote had no influence. California always votes Democrat in presidential elections.