Countries That Give Citizenship by Marriage in the World (part I)

International travel has gained tremendous momentum over the years, a development not surprising given the prevalence of the global village phenomenon. Greater tolerance and acceptance of cultural differences, along with increased migration for economic and business reasons, have fostered more interactions. In the midst of such a scenario, mixed nationality marriages were bound to be an inevitable outcome. Consequently, countries offering citizenship through marriage were also a guaranteed consequence of these global trends.
written by: BOGI – Continent Surfer

This is particularly true of the current emphasis on the concept of family reunification. Family reunification has been emphasised as an important aspect of immigrant integration policy. Citizenship by marriage offers the right to live as an equal citizen with one’s spouse and to build a future together. Countries are continuously evaluated on the basis of their policies to facilitate easy migration and integration of family members.

Respecting “I Do”

The number of citizenships granted through marriage is rising worldwide. In FY 2023, the US approved naturalization for spouses, amounting to 188,200. The country recorded the highest share for naturalization among the immediate relatives of the US citizens, with spouses representing 21.4%. A similar upward trend in mixed nationality marriages was observed in Switzerland, where the Federal Statistics Office reported 12,000 such marriages in 2020, constituting 34.2% of all marriages in the country. In the UK, the total grants for naturalization by marriage reached 25,854 in 2020.

The prevalence of international marriages is also evident in Central, East, and Southeast Asian countries, with numbers continuously on the rise. Approximately 3.5 million men and women have posted online profiles on various platforms in their quest for an overseas spouse. Between 2019 and 2020, Bangladeshi media extensively covered the trend of non-Bangladeshi women moving to Bangladesh to meet and marry men they had encountered online. In Singapore, about a third of citizen marriages in 2022 comprised transnational couples (marriage between a citizen and a non-citizen), marking an increase from the 29% recorded in 2021.

More immigrants in the marriageable group

While international travel and online access undoubtedly contribute to marriages across nations, one of the primary drivers of migration, the search for better work opportunities, must also be considered. It was observed that a significant number of immigrants moving to the US, which hosts the largest immigrant base, totaling 45.3 million in 2021, did so for work. Among the 1.53 million new immigrants in the US in 2021, 41.8% cited work reasons. Consequently, the likelihood of mixed nationality marriages is expected to increase. Moreover, these workers typically acquire citizenship for themselves first and later sponsor their spouses, once again leading to a rise in citizenship applications and grants through marriage.

Numerous multinational companies in the US depend on foreign workers and sponsor their green cards. The country particularly relies on foreign workers for computer-related jobs, with immigrants constituting 25% of the computer workforce in 2019. Among various top tech companies, including Amazon Inc, Infosys Limited, Cognizant Technology Solution Corporation, and Google, there is a consistent practice of sponsoring H-1B visas, thereby bringing in immigrants in the marriageable bracket into the country.