A legislative proposal in the United States to ban dual citizenship has raised concerns for millions of dual national U.S. citizens, including a sizeable Pakistani diaspora. If enacted, the proposed law would require individuals holding both U.S. citizenship and another nationality to choose one within a specified timeframe.
What does the bill say and how likely is its enactment?
The bill, titled S. 3283 — the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, was introduced in the U.S. Senate on December 1, 2025, by Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio. According to the U.S. Congress website, the bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. If passed by the Senate, the bill would proceed to the House of Representatives. Upon approval by both chambers, it would then be sent to the President for assent.
The proposed legislation seeks to prohibit dual or multiple citizenship, stipulating that an individual may not be a citizen or national of the United States while simultaneously holding any foreign citizenship. U.S. citizens possessing another nationality would be required to renounce either their U.S. or foreign citizenship within one year of the law’s enactment.
According to GovTrack.us, a nonpartisan U.S. congressional monitoring platform, the bill currently carries approximately a three percent probability of becoming law, based on its legislative prognosis model.
How Pakistanis may be affected if the bill is enacted?
Estimates place the Pakistani American population between 580,000 and 700,000. Data from the Pew Research Center indicate that most Pakistani immigrants have resided in the United States for over a decade, with approximately two-thirds to 70 percent having naturalized. Under current legal framework, many of these individuals are eligible to hold dual citizenship.
If S. 3283 is enacted, Pakistani Americans holding both Pakistani and U.S. citizenship would be required to renounce one nationality. Those opting to retain U.S. citizenship would have to give up their Pakistani citizenship, while others may choose the opposite.
What implications does such a law hold for Pakistani politics?
Beyond economic ties, Pakistani Americans have remained politically engaged with Pakistan through voting, fundraising, advocacy, and online campaigning. Multiple Pakistani political parties have previously been reported to hold fund-raising events in the United States.
Pakistani Americans who may renounce their Pakistani citizenship as a consequence of changes in U.S. law would automatically lose their electoral rights in Pakistan, along with other forms of political participation tied to citizenship. Currently, Pakistanis holding dual nationalities are eligible to vote but ineligible to contest in any elections. They are also eligible to make financial contributions or donations to any party or election campaign.
