What are some of the benefits of becoming a US citizen?

Question

Besides the right to vote and jury duty, what are the benefits of becoming a US citizen? What are the retirement benefits?

Answer 1

People who I know who are older and married here and are here legally (don't know if this applies to the other) say they wish they had because of many of the things that come with citizenship---when things happen-retirement-disability-SS, Circuit breaker, tax breaks, services,
Medicare-the list goes on and on. Enough people said it for me to believe it to be true.

Answer 2

Because US citizens have to pay income tax on their worldwide incomes (and their estates have to pay estate duty on worldwide assets, with certain exceptions for persons born or naturalised in Puerto Rico) US citizenship is not beneficial for wealthy persons unless they actually live in the USA.

The main benefit for others is the right to live and work (including to work in a sensitive government position) in the USA. And, these days, the rigtht not to be sent as a prisoner to Guantanamo.

Another tax benefit is the right to inherit from a spouse unconditionally without payment of estate duty (an alien spouse can only inherit tax-free via a so-called QDOT). This is comparable to UK law, where a UK-domiciled spouse dies and a non-domiciled spouse inherits and has to pay IHT. (In tax law, much of what in the US depends on nationality depends, in the UK, on domicile.)

Retirement benefits have nothing to do with nationality. There is a totalization agreement between the US and the UK that governs the relationship between FICA/SET in the USA and NICs in the UK, and the respective pension benefits.
http://www.ssa.gov/international/agreements_overview.html

There are arcane tax rules (partly governed by treaty) on income tax imposed on (or exempted on) pension contributions and benefits
http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/tax-policy/library/uktreaty.pdf
These depend more directly on residence than on nationality, although the latter could be relevant in some cases, especially where a civil-service pension is in question.

Aside from the above, treaty benefits of nationality include NAFTA and other commercial rights ("most favoured nation" privileges based on bilateral commercial treaties).

Money is a proxy for nationality in a lot of ways. And given US tax laws, a lot of people want to rid themselves of US nationality:
http://www.uniset.ca/other/cs2/TCM1992-187.html
But see:
http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Jun/1/129807.html
("Expatriation to avoid tax")

Answer 3

Free Public Education.
Civil rights guarrantee.
right to speak your Mind.
choose a religion.
You can go to a store a buy whatever you want.
Pay Federal, states and City taxes.

Answer 4

Well it depends if your uneducated and have a lot of children they pay you, put you up in housing. If you have an education and make decent mony they tax the crap out of you and let you pay for the people above.

Answer 5

RIGHT ON BOREDSTIFF!!!!
You get way more if you don't bother.
For the rest of us it's little pay,no benefits,poverty,taxed to death,and our vote don't mean JACK!