The “Interview” At Your Renunciation Appointment – A Public Service AnnouncementI haven't posted at Brock for a while. Although I have some ideas for some interesting posts, I wanted to create a very short post about the renunciation interview. This isn't major and it isn't something you…
— Isaac Brock Society (@isaacbrocksociety.bsky.social) 2026-05-24T15:30:50Z
I haven’t posted at Brock for a while. Although I have some ideas for some interesting posts, I wanted to create a very short post about the renunciation interview. This isn’t major and it isn’t something you (probably) don’t know, but here goes …
Note that effective November 1, 2024 there has been a very significant change in the renunciation process which is reflected in the new DS-4079. Here is an earlier Brock post discussing this (in a minimal way):
New Renunciation Form And Processes For US Citizenship Relinquishment Effective November 1, 2024
“Some” thoughts on the interview …
1. Remember that by taking the oath of renunciation (assuming it is determined to have been taken voluntarily and with the intention of relinquishing U.S. citizenship), you will NO longer have the right to live or work in the United States. Your access to the United States will be based entirely on what country you are a citizen of. Canadian citizenship is the “Gold Standard” because Canadians can enter the United States with ONLY a Canadian passport. Many renunciants are citizens of “visa waiver” countries and may go through the ESTA process without actually getting a visa. Citizens of visa waiver countries may stay in the United States for up to 90 days. Obviously, citizens of certain countries will be required to obtain a visa to enter the United States. This should be one of many considerations in deciding whether you wish to take the oath of renunciation.
2. U.S. Immigration law does contain a section listing “excludable aliens”. Much has been written about the 1996 REED Amendment (which in theory can result in being excluded if renunciation was determined to be for the purpose of avoiding U.S. taxation). To date that has not been enforced in a significant (it’s not quite zero) way. The REED Amendment should not be a concern unless you tell the Consular officer in the renunciation interview that are taking the oath of renunciation to avoid U.S. taxation.
3. Those with a criminal record should seek legal counsel before making the decision to renounce.
4. At the end of the day, nobody has a statutory right (with the possible exception of U.S. citizens) to enter the United States.
5. At the renunciation interview the Consular officer is required to take notes, prepare a report along with a recommendation (allow the renunciation or not) which goes to the State Department lawyers in Washington, DC. This is the context in which the approval to issue the CLN is made.
6. Therefore, you should be thoughtful about what you say in the interview. Apparently, at least one person has been recently asked whether his decision to renounce was motivated by recent political events in the United States. Yes!
7. FYI interest, here are “some” other questions that people have been asked …
– are you renouncing because of U.S. taxation?
– what are your connections to the United States?
– do you have U.S. citizen children?
– has anybody been pressuring you to renounce, etc.
Note that the new DS-4079 includes a number of questions to determine your ties to the United State!
My point is:
The renunciation interview clearly functions as a way of documenting statements you make at the time of renunciation. You should be aware of this and (I think) be somewhat of a minimalist in your responses to questions in the interview. To be clear, the Consular officers are just doing their job. They are generally friendly. Their job is to make a determination of voluntariness and intention. That said, please remember that the contents of the conversation will (mostly) be documented and become part of your permanent file.
In conclusion:
To be “FORMWarned Is To Be ForeArmed!
P.S. At least one Consular officer recently said that they are expecting more renunciations because of the decrease in the renunciation fee from $2350 to $450.
P.P.S. Re Renunciation vs. relinquishment: An earlier post on Brock warned of the dangers of seeking a back-dated relinquishment as opposed to a present day renunciation. It has become far far far more difficult to get a CLN (“Certificate Of Loss Of Nationality”) based on a prior relinquishing act. You absolutely should NOT attempt a relinquishment without getting legal advice. The climate surrounding relinquishments has definitely changed since 2011.
For those interested, here it is …
John Richardson’s Observations on Current Processing of Relinquishment-Based CLN Applications
Very interesting post John! Indeed “To be FORMwarned is to be ForeArmed.
I still remember my renunciation interview in 2014 and being asked why I was renouncing. The answer being simply that my preference was to live in Canada and no longer planned to live in the United States.
Since then I have travelled to visit relatives in the US without incident until recently. Now, during the Trump era, I hesitate to travel there as the climate has changed. It no longer feels safe or friendly. Let’s hope it gets better in the future.
I renounced in Ottawa in February 2024 after waiting for an appointment for a few years…Covid had shut things down and the waiting list in Toronto, my home, was very long.
The interview was non eventful: polite, pro forma, and no detailed questions about my reasons to leave.
But paying the fee after the brief interview was bizarre. The IRS/Embassy rules clearly stated at the time that payment had to be in cash. I gave the clerk $2350 in US currency. She frowned and asked why I brought cash. I explained those were the printed rules on the Embassy web site. As she began to count the currency, she again became disgruntled and said, “Why are all those ten dollar bills here?” I replayed that that is what the bank gave me and said that as far as I know five tens make 50. Then….and this is frankly nuts….she objected to the fact that not all the bills were face up but a mix of face up and face down. I began to lose it at that point and suggested to her that she should call the US Treasury Department and inquire if US currency has the same value represented on the front as on the back of a bill. She then rolled her eyes and continued to count the money. And after she counted once, she demanded I wait while she counted it again. I then thought we were finished, but she required me to wait while she counted the money a third time. And very slowly. Perhaps she was just having a bad day. Or off her medication. I don’t know.
Other than this nonsense it went quite smoothly and quickly. Again, the interview was superficial, polite, and good spirited. I don’t think the whole thing took 20 minutes, the majority of time being spent with the clearly rather disturbed clerk. When finished renouncing, I walked through the waiting room, looked at folks seated there, and exclaimed, “Free at last. Free at last Free at last.” I few people applauded.
@Donald Young
It can actually get worse. You describe their irritation at having to count small bills. In some cases they have been known to NOT accept U.S. cash if it is too old. In fact there are some consulates/embassies that have provided specific instructions on how hold the U.S. currency is allowed to be.
You can’t make this up!
@PatCanadian
To quote the old “Those Were The Days My Friend” song. Things have changed dramatically and not for the better. The November 1, 2024 DS-4079 ushered in a new era in U.S. citizenship relinquishment and renunciation.
Gets more Kafkaesque by the day.
“At the end of the day, nobody has a statutory right (with the possible exception of U.S. citizens) to enter the United States.”
I know border guards have asked me questions about my intention for returning to my own country when I was still an American, even asking where I was staying. These question imply that as US passport holder, I didn’t have a right to enter the country. Still I was never refused. Are there cases where someone who presents a valid US passport is refused entry? How about if they present a valid US birth certificate as proof of citizenship?
A US birth certificate (define “valid” in this context) alone would not be proof of citizenship because (1) a person could have subsequently renounced, or (2) a person’s parents could have had diplomatic status at the time of their birth.
It is my understanding that a person presenting a valid US passport or who is otherwise identifiable as a US citizen cannot be denied entry.