Across the globe, many people dream of possessing American citizenship. The fact that the United States of America holds immense amounts of power ensures that its citizens will enjoy political stability and economic and physical security. These are just some of the reasons why American citizenship is a sought-after commodity. Besides the stability of having citizenship in the world’s largest power, American citizenship has many other advantages and rights.
These rights are provided even if you are Israeli citizenship in addition to being an American one. So, if you are an American citizen living in Israel, here are the six rights you should be familiar with.
The Eligibility for a Passport That Opens Doors
Having an American passport allows many privileges. Every American citizen is entitled to an American passport. The US passport allows free entry to the United States for any need, and so they need for visa and residence applications becomes redundant. Moreover, the US passport enables one to move freely in the world without the need to issue visa applications in many countries.
U.S. Citizenship for Children
One of the main advantages of American citizenship is the ability to transfer it to your child as well. If you and your spouse are American citizens, and one of you has lived in the United States for a certain amount of time– your child is also entitled to U.S. citizenship and all rights inherent by it. If only one of you is an American citizen, your child will be eligible for U.S. citizenship if the same parent resides in the United States for at least five years, two years of which he was over the age of 14.
If you do not meet these criteria, one of the grandparents’ U.S. citizenship can be used – if one of the grandparents lived in the United States for at least five years, from which at least two of them the grandparent was over the age of 14 – his or her citizenship can assist in issuing the child’s U.S. citizenship.
For further information about U.S. citizenship for children, see the following article.
Assistance in Financing Academic Studies
The United States provides its citizens with assistance in funding academic studies in recognized institutions. An astonishing aid Indeed. This assistance is provided to make academic studies more accessible to its citizens. To achieve this, the United States government grants tax benefits to students. If you are a US citizen, have a Social Security Number, and have studied at a recognized academic institution – you are entitled to a tax refund worth $ 2,500 depending on your expenses. It is worth mentioning that you can get $ 1,000 out of the tax refund as a refund.
What is a recognized academic institution? The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University, Bar Ilan University, the Technion, and the Interdisciplinary Institute Herzliya are all considered recognized institutions to receive the tax refund.
Child Tax Refund
The United States provides its citizens with tax refunds of up to $2,000 per child under the age of 17 per tax year. You are entitled to this refund, even if you have dual Israeli citizenship and as long as you meet the following criteria:
- Your child is under the age of 17.
- Your child also holds U.S. citizenship and has a Social Security Number.
- The annual income of the family unit exceeds $2,500 but does not exceed $200,000 per year.
If you meet these criteria, you can receive up to $2,000 for each of your children.
Not only that, in some cases you can get a tax refund of up to $500 for children over the age of 17.
Want to know if you are eligible for this refund? Contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
Corona Grant, Also Known as the Stimulus Check
Following the global coronavirus crisis, the U.S. government decided to give its citizens a grant of up to $1,200. Israeli citizens with U.S. citizenship are also eligible for this grant. The credit rate depends on your income level and the status of submitting the annual tax report for 2019. Citizens with an annual income below $75,000 will receive the full grant (excluding children, the grant for children is $500 per child), while citizens with higher incomes will receive a grant at a lower rate.
In light of the Corona crisis, the United States has given its citizens an array of benefits. For further information check the following article.
The Right to Vote
Last on our list is the right to vote. As Americans, you are entitled, even while in Israel, to exercise your right to vote and the ability to influence the policy of the world’s most prominent nation.
In Summary
American citizenship allows one to enjoy the abundance of incessant opportunities this powerful country has to offer. Its citizens are entitled to many rights even when they hold additional citizenship and do not reside within the country.
Mas America’s team consists of American and Israeli accountants and lawyers who are well versed in all the secrets of the profession and will be happy to assist you in planning your tax in a manner that will minimize and even diminish your tax liabilities.
