I’ve come to learn that non-natural born US citizens can’t hold presidency. Are there other limitations for foreign born citizens?

17 comments

1. Can’t be Vice-president either. But that’s pretty much it.

   ETA: this is not theoretical exercise either. There have been foreign-born Supreme Court justices, Senators, Representatives, and high-ranking Cabinet officials.

2. No, that’s pretty much it. Besides being unable to hold the office of president or vice president, they’re treated exactly the same under law as any other citizen.

3. As far as politicians, it’s pretty much limited to President and Vice-President. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a famous example of a foreign-born individual who became an American citizen and became a politician when he was elected Governor of California.

   As far as at the federal level, Victoria Spartz, a Congresswoman from Indiana, is an example of someone who is naturalized and is now a politician.

4. Not many if you’re a US citizen. Henry Kissinger and Madeline Albright were both foreign-born and were Secretaries of State.

   Being foreign born isn’t an absolute bar to having a government security clearance, but it might make getting it more difficult depending what country you’re from.

   There’s a half-dozen or so states where you don’t even have to be a citizen to be a police officer.

   If you’re a resident alien (green card holder) you can’t vote or hold certain political offices that require citizenship.

5. They cannot be President or Vice President. That is about it. They can hold other high offices and positions, they are just skipped in the line of succession should the President be killed.

6. Not sure if this will make OP feel better, but nearly all Americans will never become the US President or Vice-President.

7. Nothing officially, but good luck getting a job with the federal government, especially if it involves clearance. Lie detector tests exist so they can disqualify you for any reason, or no reason at all.

8. Important note, American jurisprudence has traditionally defined “natural born citizen” as anybody born a US citizen.

   This means anybody born in the US, but also anybody who is born outside of the country to an American parent.

   This second part has not been settled by the Supreme Court though, so if we ever see a president elect Ted Cruz (please, God no) then we would have to have an actual ruling on this.

9. Just President and vice President are the only government jobs that require a natural born citizen to my knowledge.

10. Depends on what side you run for cause Ted Cruz was born in Calgary CA and still ran for president which the right didn’t seem to think was a big issue.

11. Honestly the only limitations are for the top-ranking positions. I believe that local offices can be held for foreign born Americans

12. That’s literally it. Well, that and the Vice-Presidency, since the explicit purpose of that office is to take over if the President dies. If they’re in a line-of-succession position(the last four Presidents have all had at least one) they just get skipped over.

13. People not born in the USA can become residents (citizens are always born here), or Green Card holders. They have the same rights and responsibilities as any U.S. citizen, except that they cannot vote or hold any public or political positions that require U.S. citizenship through naturalization.

14. Don’t you have to be at least 35 years old to be president?

15. Technically, someone like Senator Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada to an American parent, could theoretically be president, as they were American from birth (citizenship by blood), but that has not been tested yet.

16. Rafael Edward Cruz will be human president

17. No