More Americans are considering dual citizenship as a possibility

Young people are driving the shift as more Americans consider dual citizenship as a backup plan during periods of pervasive uncertainty and widening political rifts. According to a recent Harris Poll poll, 42% of American adults have thought about or want to go abroad in order to enhance their standard of living or financial situation. This percentage rose to 63% among Gen Zers, while 52% of millennials were thinking about relocating overseas.

“America was the foundation of the American Dream throughout the majority of contemporary history. However, that is changing,” Tim Osieki, The Harris Poll’s director of trends and thought leadership, told the media report.

“While dual citizenship used to be reserved for retirees, the wealthy, or those with strong family ties abroad, it’s now a growing goal for middle-class Americans who want more control over their future,” he said. “It marks a real mindset shift—less about pledging allegiance to one nation, more about staying agile in a world that feels increasingly unstable.”

The belief that the United States was a place of opportunity that offered freedom, financial security, upward mobility, and personal success—as long as you were prepared to work for it—was the foundation of the American dream, which has driven immigration to the country for the last century and beyond.

That ideal has perished for a lot of regular Americans, particularly the younger generation. The present economic issues that drive them to race to keep up with the expense of living and postpone their intentions to start their own kids, as well as the near impossibility of purchasing a house in the current market, have destroyed it.

Many Americans today think that other nations may offer them greater possibilities than the United States, as seen by the increased desire to obtain dual citizenship, which is supported by statistics provided by lawyers and companies that assist clients in obtaining a second passport.

Leading international tax and immigration advisor David Lesperance, managing partner of Lesperance and Associates, told the media report that the surge of U.S. citizens seeking second citizenship began in 2016 after Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the election.

According to Lesperance, a Canadian native with a family history of dual citizenship, the tendency escalated during the pandemic when Americans learned they could live wherever they chose while maintaining their jobs in the United States. It then took up again after January 6, 2020, and the 2024 election.

“I have been using this comparison with my American customers. I tell them, “Imagine you live in a political wildfire zone.” I know it’s a little cheeky for a Canadian. “What worries you about wildfires?” he asked.

“Taxation, shootings, Islamophobia, anti-semitism, homophobia, any of these drivers,” said Lesperance. “So, what are you doing? There’s a reason it’s called a wildfire. What if you are unable to extinguish the blaze in spite of your best efforts? An alternate residence or citizenship would be your fire insurance.

According to a February Harris Poll survey, Americans are most likely to leave the United States for better opportunities because they want a better quality of life (43 percent), are dissatisfied with the current political leadership (48 percent), and have lower living expenses (49 percent).

As viable relocation destinations, they are considering Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Germany, and New Zealand.

The Harris Poll poll indicates that younger generations are particularly interested in dual citizenship. “Millennials and Gen Z are rethinking what success looks like—and where it can be found,” Osieki said.

“Many people fear that their rights and liberties are being curtailed, or they feel excluded from conventional milestones like homeownership. They are thus pursuing global opportunities rather than an antiquated kind of the American Dream,” he said.

“For these younger generations, dual citizenship isn’t a luxury—it’s a form of empowerment, a way to unlock better healthcare, more affordable living, and greater freedom to live life on their own terms.”

Importantly, a very narrow segment of the population—wealthy Americans—are also becoming more interested in dual citizenship.

Between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, the number of U.S. nationals attempting to gain dual citizenship increased by 183%, according to Henley & Partners, a firm that assists foreign customers in obtaining residency and citizenship in other nations.

Importantly, the business revealed a 39 percent rise from the last quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025 alone, indicating that Trump’s win and return to the White House sparked a spike in interest in dual citizenship.

According to research from Henley & Partners, the United States continues to attract millionaires, centi-millionaires, and billionaires, but an increasing proportion of affluent Americans are actively searching for other possibilities.

“So far in 2025, US citizens account for over 30 percent of all investment migration applications submitted through Henley & Partners—nearly double the combined total of the next five investor nationalities, which include Turkish, Indian, and British.” Sarah Nicklin, a partner at Henley & Partners

Similar rises in demand from U.S. nationals have been observed by other citizenship and residence advising businesses, such as Latitude Group and Arton Capital. According to Al Jazeera, Latitude claimed that U.S. applications for second citizenship or residence had increased by 1,000 percent since 2020, while Arton observed a 400 percent rise in U.S. customers in the first quarter of the year compared to a year earlier.

These figures show how high-net-worth Americans’ opinions are changing.

“Most view investment migration as sophisticated risk management, creating a ‘Plan B’ that provides optionality for themselves and their families to relocate if they need or want to,” noted Nicklin.

“Motivations include geopolitical risk diversification, enhanced global mobility, business expansion, educational and alternative healthcare access, and cross-border legacy planning for future generations.”

According to research from Henley & Partners, these affluent Americans are seeking second passports from the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and Europe.

But there are drawbacks to dual citizenship, such as having to pay taxes in the United States.

“Even with a second passport, you still have to report your worldwide income to the IRS because the U.S. is one of the few countries that taxes its citizens regardless of where they live,” CPA and personal finance specialist Kevin Marshall told the media report.

“When customers believed that having dual citizenship would lower their U.S. tax obligations, I’ve seen them be taken by surprise. “No,” he continued.

“If anything, it emphasizes how crucial it is to continue reporting on the situation. Therefore, anybody considering obtaining a second passport should be aware of the requirements in both nations.

A U.S. national may get a second citizenship or residence in another nation in a number of ways.

Americans who can demonstrate that they had parents or grandparents from countries like Spain and Ireland are eligible to petition for citizenship, a procedure that typically takes one to three years. American descendants of Italian immigrants to the United States are incensed by Italy’s recent announcement that it would discontinue a comparable program that has been in effect for years.

Programs such as the “Golden Visa” that require the purchase of government bonds, real estate, or other types of financial contributions enable U.S. persons to apply for citizenship or residency in many nations via investment. These programs typically last 12 to 16 months and range in cost from $10,000 to $1 million.

Why Is Dual Citizenship Appealing to More Americans?
Marshall has also seen a noticeable increase in the number of Americans seeking dual citizenship in recent years, particularly those with substantial wealth.

“People want options, and a second passport gives them just that,” he told the media report.

“From a financial perspective, having dual citizenship may lead to opportunities that aren’t accessible with a U.S. passport alone. He clarified that several nations provide access to institutions with more stringent privacy regulations or other investing options.

Certain nations provide more tax freedom, particularly for individuals wishing to diversify or structure foreign holdings. “When someone is already thinking about estate planning, wealth preservation, or international business, having legal status in another country just makes planning more effective,” Marshall said.

However, Americans’ increased interest in dual citizenship is not just due to financial opportunism.

“There’s also a growing sense that things are a little less stable at home than they used to be,” Marshall said. “We’ve seen political shifts, healthcare disruptions, and economic uncertainty, and for people who have the means, being able to step away and settle elsewhere—even temporarily—is seen as a smart way to protect themselves and their families.”

That might be easier travel, easier access to schools overseas, or just knowing that there is somewhere else to go in case things go really awful. “This kind of flexibility has become a serious part of personal planning,” Marshall said.

“What’s interesting is that this shift isn’t just about wealth or status,” he said. “People are reacting in pragmatic ways as the world seems more uncertain than it did ten years ago. One of such methods is dual citizenship. It is now a component of a comprehensive financial and personal plan rather than only a luxury.

Osieki asserts that dual citizenship is rapidly emerging as the contemporary safety net in the United States.

“With economic pressures mounting, political division deepening, and growing concerns about personal rights, Americans are no longer just toying with the idea of living abroad—they’re taking steps to make it happen,” Osieki said.

“The goal is to provide choices, not to leave the United States. People who have a second passport have the flexibility to travel, feel secure, and live their lives as they see fit, no matter where that takes them.

The current political climate, with some stating that the nation no longer reflects their values, others citing what they perceive to be the end of democracy, rising antisemitism, worries that same-sex and mixed marriages may be void, and parents of transgender children, are among the most frequently mentioned reasons and concerns among Henley & Partners’ clients for obtaining a second passport.

Is There Going To Be A Population Exodus From The United States?
Experts concur that a mass exodus of Americans is unlikely to occur very soon due to increased interest in dual citizenship.

“Most American clients we engage with are primarily wanting a Plan B or option to relocate if they need or want to but almost all of them say they don’t want to leave the U.S., even temporarily,” Nicklin said. “They just want to have something in place so that they have the option if it becomes necessary.”

However, increasing interest in obtaining a second passport shouldn’t be written off as a minor occurrence. Lesperance claims that most individuals dislike moving and forsake their known lives in favor of unfamiliar ones. Additionally, they only relocate when they are certain they can provide for their family.

Due to these requirements, some American families could have little choice but to go overseas. Lesperance gained a number of additional customers with trans children when Trump issued an executive order in late January that limited gender treatment for those under the age of 19.

“I got seven clients, seven families with trans children in nine days,” he said. “Those wealthy families with transgender children make up a really particular demographic. Those folks were directly in danger. The smoke from the conflagration was odorous to them.

Others prefer to know they have a “fire escape plan,” even if they may never need it, according to Lesperance.

“This isn’t about a mass migration overnight—but we are at a tipping point,” Osieki said. “That type of determination counts, since one in five younger Americans say they are seriously contemplating going overseas. Therefore, even while it may not be an exodus just yet, it is undoubtedly a trend that reflects the sentiments of people about life in the United States at the moment,” he added.

“The American Dream may not be ending—it could simply be relocating.”