NATURALIZATION OF NON-CITIZEN SPOUSES PUSHED Island Times. May 20th, 2014. Delegate Swenny Ongidobel has recently introduced a legislation that will allow certain non-citizen spouses to become naturalized citizens of this island nation. Currently, those married to Palauans are not eligible to become naturalized citizens of Palau. Palau has no opportunity for naturalized citizenship. The Bill states that any person whose spouse is a citizen of the Republic of Palau can be naturalized if : A) Such person immediately preceding the date of filing an application for naturalization has resided continuously in marital union with the citizen spouse in the Republic of Palau for at least five years; B) Has been physically present in the Republic of Palau for a period totaling at least half of that time; C) Is a citizen of a country allied with the Republic of Palau. The measure further states that any person who is a surviving spouse of a Republic of Palau citizen who was living in marital union with the citizen spouse at the time of his or her death, may be naturalized upon compliance with all the requirements mentioned earlier, except that no prior residence or specified physical presence with the Republic shall be required. The proposed law tasks the Minister of Justice to promulgate rules from time to time to list and define those countries allied with the Republic of Palau, and shall include Japan, US, FSM, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), among others. If it becomes a law, the measure is sure to be welcomed by the many foreign nationals married to locals. Many Palauans are married to Japanese, Americans, Filipinos, and other Pacific Islanders. The same proposed law grants certain privilege to honorary citizens like arriving and leaving Palau as they please and operate a business generally reserved for citizens of the Republic.
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 04:54:04 +0000
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