We would probably all like to claim, as William Lord Garrison did, that the world is our country. But anyone searching for work overseas knows it's not so simple. In fact, Admiral Grace Murray Hopper's 1986 anecdote seems much more apt than Garrison's optimism: "I handed my passport to the immigration officer, and he looked at it and looked at me and said, 'What are you?'"

On the Web Irish Citizenship For detailed information about claiming Irish citizenship consult Ireland's Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. For a concise summary of the requirements, go to the country's Department of Foreign Affairs frequently asked questions Irish citizenship and passports. German Citizenship For information, go to the German Embassy. Italian Citizenship Get information on Italian citizenship in English and Italian at Italy's Embassy to the United States. Israeli Citizenship To learn more about Israeli citizenship, check out the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the US State Department's policy on dual nationality, visit the US Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs. Read up on related court rulings here compiled by Rich Wales, who researched the subject when considering his own move from the US to Canada.

Today, nationality defines for the rest of the world who we are and is at once a source of pride and a hindrance to wanderlust. But a world of opportunity may be more accessible than you think. A number of countries, particularly Ireland, offer citizenship to descendants of emigrants.

Obtaining Irish Citizenship

Ireland is famously generous with citizenship. Because of the potato famine and the devastating poverty it caused, many left Ireland with the hopes of, at least, staying alive. Today, Ireland's lenient citizenship laws are mainly for the purpose of allowing descendants of these emigrants to return to their homeland.

Most simply, the policy is that anyone who has a grandparent born in Ireland is eligible for Irish citizenship. In addition, you could be eligible for Irish citizenship if you have a great-grandparent born in Ireland, as long as your parent registers at the Foreign Birth Register.

If you plan to claim Irish citizenship, prepare to do some serious research and paperwork. You will need to assemble a portfolio of birth certificates, passports and marriage certificates, which could involve adventures searching through dark, dusty archives of town halls. The process of gathering documents and corresponding with government offices usually takes three to nine months.

Kevin Pata obtained Irish citizenship through his paternal grandfather and is currently applying for a passport. Having worked in Italy illegally, he's looking forward to the legitimacy his new dual citizenship will afford him. "It opens doors. It's one thing for me to work in Rome illegally as a kid, but I wouldn't want to do that for the rest of my life. [With Irish citizenship] I could get a real job overseas."

Pata also wanted dual citizenship because of the connection he feels to Ireland. "My grandfather was born there, so it's kind of like a pride thing," he explains. And his decision is meaningful, not only for Pata, but also for his grandfather. "He was excited when I told him. I think he likes it that later generations are going back. I think it made him proud."

What about the Rest of Us?

Not all of us have the luck of the Irish. But many Americans have parents, grandparents or great-grandparents who were born in another country. Nearly one in 10 US residents is foreign born, meaning a high percentage of the population is either first-, second- or third-generation American.

A number of other countries have programs to grant citizenship to descendents of emigrants. It is worth investigating these options carefully. Because laws change frequently, citizenship policies are riddled with loopholes. It could be, for example, that in the five-year span during which your grandmother left her country, a law was enacted allowing you to claim citizenship.

Germany, Italy and Israel, among other countries, have fairly liberal citizenship policies. For example, every person who was either born of a Jewish mother or has converted to Judaism, and is not a member of another religion, has the right to Israeli citizenship under the 1950 Law of Return. For more information about gaining citizenship in these countries, see our sidebar.

United States Policy on Dual Citizenship

US citizens may retain their citizenship when they become naturalized in another country. The only way you can lose your US citizenship is if you apply for the foreign citizenship by free choice, and with the intention of giving up your US citizenship.

One instance of this is the 1985 Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case, Richards v. Secretary of State. William Richards became a Canadian citizen in 1971. At that time, Canada's naturalization oath included the renunciation of all previous allegiances. A lower court ruled that in renouncing his allegiance to the United States, Richards voluntarily gave up his right to citizenship. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision.

For those of you seeking Canadian citizenship, don't worry. In 1973, Canada eliminated the renouncement from its naturalization oath.

And so, My Fellow Americans…

Obtaining a work visa is one of the biggest hurdles faced by people seeking employment overseas. With dual citizenship, you can get around some of the bureaucratic barriers to relocation. If you are of Irish descent, even second- or third-generation American, you are probably eligible for dual citizenship. But even if you're not, it's worth exploring the citizenship laws of the country or countries of your ancestors.

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