Residency & Citizenship Forum

[Moomoo2u]

Hi all, I'm a dual citizen of Canada and the US and was wondering if putting residency as foreign or american (I'm currently living in the US although I'm not sure if I've physically been in New York long enough to be considered a resident) would have any affect on my applications.

Thoughts?

[tvt86]

Unless you have a residence in Canada that you may plan to return to, then you're probably a US resident no matter how long you've been living here.

If your circumstances give you the choice, I don't think it matters a huge amount. If anything, being a US resident is probably better to avoid having any yield protection issues.

[IamIn]

Unless you have a residence in Canada that you may plan to return to, then you're probably a US resident no matter how long you've been living here.

If your circumstances give you the choice, I don't think it matters a huge amount. If anything, being a US resident is probably better to avoid having any yield protection issues.

I am sorry, maybe it's a stupid question.... But what kind of yield protection issues non-US resident may face? Is it because the schools can admit only a certain number of international students?

[tvt86]

Not a stupid question at all. I'm just speculating anyway, so others should feel free to disagree.

My thought is not that schools can only let in a certain number of international students (OP is a citizen anyway, even if that were true). Rather, I'm thinking about schools wanting to protect their yield (number of prospective students who accept their offers), since this factors into the USNWR rankings. A lot of discussion on these boards focuses on examples such as a regional Tier 2 school rejecting an applicant with strong T14 numbers, especially when the prospective student has no ties to the T2 school's region. The T2 school doesn't think the applicant will accept an offer, so they may not make one at all. Depending on the schools OP is applying to, some may think that if OP is a Canadian resident, he/she would be less likely to give up his/her current life to attend that school than, say, a local student. I think, if anything, this effect would be marginal, especially when the foreign country of residence is Canada rather than some faraway land.

Again, just speculation, so other thoughts encouraged.

[cinephile]

Not quite the same situation, but I also have dual citizenship (although, I've never lived in the non-US country where I'm a citizen) and my parents encouraged me to declare only my American citizenship. They seemed to think American schools would prefer to fill their classes with American students. Don't know if that true, but I declared myself to be American and things turned out fine.

[IamIn]

Not a stupid question at all. I'm just speculating anyway, so others should feel free to disagree.

My thought is not that schools can only let in a certain number of international students (OP is a citizen anyway, even if that were true). Rather, I'm thinking about schools wanting to protect their yield (number of prospective students who accept their offers), since this factors into the USNWR rankings. A lot of discussion on these boards focuses on examples such as a regional Tier 2 school rejecting an applicant with strong T14 numbers, especially when the prospective student has no ties to the T2 school's region. The T2 school doesn't think the applicant will accept an offer, so they may not make one at all. Depending on the schools OP is applying to, some may think that if OP is a Canadian resident, he/she would be less likely to give up his/her current life to attend that school than, say, a local student. I think, if anything, this effect would be marginal, especially when the foreign country of residence is Canada rather than some faraway land.

Again, just speculation, so other thoughts encouraged.

OK, thanks! I am from faraway land so I guess it would not affect me...

[Moomoo2u]

The problem is that LSAC says this:


Country of primary citizenship
United States of America

Country of secondary citizenship
Canada

Citizenship status

U.S. Citizen / Resident Alien
Canadian Citizen / Permanent resident

State/Province of permanent residence
Quebec



Ther resident alien part is what worries me, how do you put citizen and then alien in the same line? I changed my residency to NY because I'm gunning for NYU/Columbia, do you think it will change anything?

[tvt86]

I see what you mean. Not sure if it will make a difference but, FWIW, I would put NY as my residence in your situation too.