When immigrants come to a new country, they have big hopes for their new lives. The path to becoming a legal citizen in Germany, Sweden, Britain, and other European nations is not the same and their policies can either make the process streamlined or full of roadblocks. Matriculating master of law students at the University of Southern California often study foreign policy on immigration in European nations when determining whether current U.S. laws are fair and progressive. For example, look at the recent travel ban put into place by the US President that forbids visitors from visiting specific countries. Although there are valid reasons for putting restrictions on international travel, no government wants to be suspected of discrimination.
Immigration in Germany
Germany has a policy that enables the children of German citizens to immigrate to their country of national origin at any time. This is a policy that lots of other European countries as well as the U.S. have in place. Immigrants to Germany can become naturalized citizens if they have lived there long enough, but not all visa holders have this option. Naturalized German citizens also need to be fluent in German and they are not allowed to hold dual citizenship with another country.
The Road to UK Citizenship
Becoming an official citizen in the UK is much like becoming a naturalized US citizen. First, you need to obtain a valid visa to move to and stay in the UK for an extended period. If it is found that you are living in the UK without a valid visa you can and will be quickly deported. People can become citizens of the UK by marriage as well, but they need to follow all the laws in order to be granted permanent residency. In short, you have to be able to show that you will be an asset and not a troublemaker if you to live in Britain permanently.
Permanent Residency in Sweden
Sweden also has basic requirements for those looking to become permanent citizens. Students studying for an online master of law may notice that Sweden allows those seeking asylum a great number of privileges compared to other European lands. You can’t have a criminal record if you want to become a Swedish citizen, and if you aren’t a native of a neighboring country, you will need to live in Sweden for at least five years. No immigrants under the age of 18 can become naturalized Swedish citizens either. Other than that, most people are free to come live in Sweden until which point they can apply for permanent citizenship.
There are some places in the world where immigrants can never become naturalized citizens. There are also time limits put on foreign residency in many cases. Using Europe as an example, immigration policy is internationally becoming more progressive. If you find somewhere in the world that you want to live in on a permanent basis, you must know what channels are available to you for citizenship. It usually takes years, but going about citizenship in Europe the right way is always advised.
