Summary
US Senator Bernie Moreno introduced a radical new bill that could force millions of Americans to choose between their US passport and their heritage or backup plan. The proposal was filed in the Senate on December 1st, 2025.
Albert Ioffe, Legal and Compliance Officer, certified CAMS specialist at Immigrant Invest, reviewed the proposal and explained what Bernie Moreno’s Exclusive Citizenship Act could mean for Americans seeking a second citizenship or residency.
Key idea of the new citizenship bill and who proposed it
US Senator for Ohio Bernie Moreno introduced a bill that proposes banning Americans from holding dual or multiple citizenship. The bill titled “Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025” was published on the Congress website on December 1st, 2025[1].
Why the bill targets dual citizenship
The main purpose of the proposed bill is to ensure that US citizens hold only US citizenship. It argues that Americans should not have legal ties of citizenship to more than one country because this can create conflicts of interest or divided loyalties.
Albert Ioffe,
Legal and Compliance Officer, certified CAMS specialist
Dual citizenship means that a person is a citizen of two countries at the same time and has the rights and responsibilities that each country gives its citizens. It also means that the person must follow the laws of both states.
US law currently permits dual citizenship, so Americans are not required to renounce their US nationality when they obtain another citizenship. However, inside the United States, they are treated only as US citizens, which is why they must enter and leave the country using a US passport.
Who is the US senator Bernie Moreno?
Bernie Moreno is a Republican US senator representing Ohio. He took office on January 3rd, 2025, after winning the 2024 Senate election and unseating Democrat Sherrod Brown.
Moreno was born in Bogotá, Colombia, moved to the United States as a child, and became a US citizen at 18. Before entering politics, he built a business career in Ohio, primarily as the owner of a large network of car dealerships, and later worked in technology and digital-assets ventures.
Bernie Moreno,
Republican US senator representing Ohio
One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so. It was an honor to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America! Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege—and if you want to be an American, it’s all or nothing. It’s time to end dual citizenship for good[4].
3 changes under the proposed bill
If enacted, the Exclusive Citizenship Act would change US nationality rules in three key ways. These changes would affect both current dual citizens and Americans considering a second passport in the future.
1. Ban on dual and multiple citizenship
The Exclusive Citizenship Act sets out a broad ban on dual or multiple citizenship for US nationals. Its starting point is that a person may not be a citizen of the United States while also holding any foreign citizenship. In effect, the bill would redefine US citizenship as an exclusive status tied to “sole and exclusive allegiance” to the United States[2].
2. Automatic loss of US citizenship and a transition period
To enforce the exclusivity of US citizenship, the bill introduces two rules:
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Automatic loss for future dual citizenship. Any US citizen who voluntarily acquires a foreign citizenship after the Act takes effect would be deemed to have relinquished US citizenship.
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One-year compliance window for existing dual citizens. Americans who already hold another citizenship at the time of enactment would have one year to regularize their status by choosing a single nationality.
3. Renunciation requirement
Americans with more than one passport would need to submit a written renunciation either of their foreign citizenship to the State Department or of their US citizenship to the Department of Homeland Security, DHS.
If Americans with dual citizenship do not take either step within the one-year deadline, they would be considered to have voluntarily relinquished US citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act[3].
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What does it take for the dual citizenship bill to come into effect?
Moreno’s citizenship act is now at the first stage of the federal law-making process. On December 1st, 2025, it was introduced in the Senate, read twice, and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. At this point, it has no legal force.
For the proposal to take effect, it must move through the full set of steps:
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The Judiciary Committee would need to review and approve it for a floor vote.
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The Senate would then have to pass it.
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The House of Representatives would need to pass the same text.
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The final bill would have to be signed by the President.
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Only after that sequence would it become law.
Within 180 days of enactment, the State Department must issue implementing regulations, set procedures for declaring and verifying exclusive citizenship, and coordinate with the Attorney General and the DHS to record anyone who loses citizenship under the Act.
The ban would take effect 180 days after enactment, and current dual citizens would then have one year to renounce either their foreign citizenship or their US citizenship under the new rules.
Albert Ioffe,
Legal and Compliance Officer, certified CAMS specialist
The probability that legislation restricting or banning dual citizenship would ultimately take effect is exceptionally low, at about 5—10%. This is due to three connected factors:
- The 14th Amendment protects citizenship, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that US citizenship cannot be taken away automatically or against a person’s will, so any law built on automatic loss would be unconstitutional.
- Millions of Americans hold dual citizenship, making the ban unlikely to attract broad political support.
- The US cannot compel other countries to revoke citizenship, so enforcing such a rule would be technically unrealistic.
As a result, even if the bill advances in Congress, it would be very likely to fail judicial review and never take effect.
How the new bill will affect Americans
The Exclusive Citizenship Act currently has no legal effect. It has only been introduced in the Senate and sent to the Judiciary Committee, so it may not progress beyond this stage or become law.
If adopted as written, the bill would force Americans who already hold dual or multiple citizenship to choose one within a year. Those who do not formally renounce either their foreign citizenship or their US citizenship by the deadline would be treated as having voluntarily lost US citizenship under existing law.
The bill would also deter future second passports: any American who voluntarily takes a foreign citizenship after the Act takes effect would automatically lose US citizenship.
Proposal makes no allowances for status or circumstances. Media coverage notes that even prominent dual citizens such as Melania and Barron Trump, who hold citizenship of both the US and Slovenia, would have to make the same choice. This makes the proposal politically delicate, as it could affect members of the First Family directly[5].
Albert Ioffe,
Legal and Compliance Officer, certified CAMS specialist
For Americans who already hold another citizenship, the key point is that nothing changes yet, and the chances of this proposal becoming enforceable law are very slim. Monitoring the bill is reasonable, but there is no need to take action based on speculation.
For Americans considering a second passport by investment, the proposal is still best viewed as a low-probability political signal rather than an imminent legal shift. Second passports remain a valid planning tool, and there is no reason to abandon such strategies based on this draft alone.
Caribbean citizenship by investment programs are still among the fastest and most practical options for Americans who are seeking an additional nationality. The whole process typically takes 6—8 months and is supported by clear, well-tested legal frameworks.
Residency by investment might be a safer first step: it provides mobility and a long-term place to live abroad without creating a citizenship conflict. If the legal landscape ever changes materially, naturalization can be pursued later with full clarity on US consequences.
If you hold dual citizenship or are considering a second passport, a clear, case-specific view of the risks and options under this proposal can be helpful.
Book an individual consultation with Immigrant Invest lawyers to discuss your situation, clarify likely scenarios and timelines, and explore practical routes such as residency programs or citizenship by investment.
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