I have recently finished an internship with State Dept. and for it I had a secret security clearance. Recently graduated, I am looking for a job overseas before I go back to the US to start a master’s in about a year. I have been hired by a university to be a research assistant and for the hiring HR from the university has told me that it much easier to be complicated as a citizen. Because my parents are dual citizens, I can obtain citizenship here in this country, and be hired here. However, because I do eventually want to work for the government, I am worried that becoming a citizen here and staying to work for a year in this country will hurt me going through a security clearance later. I am completely willing to renounce the second citizenship when it comes times for it, however I understand that sometimes that is not enough. In your professional experience, will seeking foreign citizenship and employment here give reason to deny my security clearance in about 3 years? Thank you for your help.
Foreign Preference is a concern when anyone who is a U.S. citizen seeks citizenship with another country for the purpose of obtaining some type of benefit, which is exactly what it sounds like here. Many U.S. citizens live and work in countries all over the world, but do not seek that country’s citizenship to do it. This will be a concern for sure.