Pamela Anderson, Jim Carrey and More Stars Who Became U.S. Citizens

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Pamela Anderson, Jim Carrey and More Stars Who Became U.S. Citizens

They pledged allegiance to the flag! Celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, Jim Carrey and Camila Cabello relocated to the United States, where they made the life-changing decision to become U.S. citizens. Anderson — who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the U.S. — explained in 2004 that she wanted to become a citizen so that she could exercise her right to vote. The former Playboy model added that she wanted to ensure her parents could join her in the U.S. later in life. "U.S. citizenship will allow me, in the future, to petition to bring my children’s grandparents down to the United States to care for them once they become older," she said in a statement at the time. For Cabello, immigrating to the U.S. from Havana, Cuba, was also heavily influenced by her family. The "Liar" singer — who moved to Florida when she was 6 years old — admitted that she didn't understand how hard it was for her parents to uproot their family. [jwplayer VTUFsbzK-l3ahXupL] "I didn't realize it then, but, boy, does it hit me now," she wrote in a 2017 essay for PopSugar. "I realize how scary it must have been for them. " Cabello eventually became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2008. The former Fifth Harmony member said that she later recognized that parts of her Cuban culture didn't disappear in the U.S. "I was wrong about one thing," she wrote. "My mamá and papá did not leave everything behind, they brought it with them. My grandma still makes pork and rice and beans every holiday like she did, and my mom still feels the waves of the malecón in her heartbeat because she still feels the most at peace when she's by the sea. My grandma and dad still get drunk and sing Luis Miguel in the kitchen. We found our favorite Taco spot in Miami (I capitalized Taco because they are that good). And whenever we find another person from our country, we freak out. "¿De qué parte?" Because we have home in us. Because we brought it with us. Every Cuban brought it with them and so we have Miami. " Scroll down to see a list of celebrities who became U.S. citizens. [podcast_block]

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Sharna Burgess

The Dancing With the Stars pro became a U.S. citizen in October 2022, less than one year after giving birth to her first son with boyfriend Brian Austin Green.

“I had no idea that this would feel emotional for me. This has been my home for nearly 12 years now,” she captioned Instagram footage from the ceremony. “My son was born here, my life and love and career. — all here. And yet this last step of becoming a citizen and finally having the same rights as all Americans felt so important. … This very long chapter of finding belonging has finally come to a close. I Sharna Burgess, am a citizen of The United States of America, and I belong here.”

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Brad Goreski

The Canada-born stylist became a U.S. citizen in July 2021 with his husband, Gary Janetti, by his side.

"Today I became an American citizen! 🇺🇸❤️ I’ve been in this country for 20 years this month and I am so grateful for the life I have here," he wrote via Instagram following the ceremony. "So happy @garyjanetti could be with me and yes those are tears in our eyes 😭."

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Gleb Savchenko

The Dancing With the Stars pro became a U.S. citizen in July 2021 after first moving to America in 2004.

"It's a dream come true," he told E! News after the label was official. "I grew up in Russia, in Moscow, and I'd always just read [about the States]. It was like an impossible dream for me to live in America and one day become an American citizen. … I sent a picture to my dad, and he kind of got a little emotional. They're not getting younger, so I was like, ‘It’d be a great opportunity for them at some point to come live here, too.’ I cannot even describe how awesome it is. I am so, so happy."

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Ryan Reynolds

The Canada-born actor became a U.S. citizen and happily voted in the American presidential election for the first time in 2020. "This is my first time voting in America," he joked via Instagram, after filling out his mail-in ballot in October. "I’d like to thank my wife Blake [Lively] for making my first time so gentle and loving. It was super scary at first, then exciting and now I’m a little tired. But proud." 

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John Oliver

The HBO host, born in the U.K., became a citizen in 2019. “The feeling you get at the end of that process is overwhelming relief,” he told The Hollywood Reporter after completing his naturalization ceremony. “If you’re going to take swings, you’d better take ownership of the ground you’re standing on. It’s one thing being lectured to by a tourist; it’s different being lectured to by someone who lives here. So that feels meaningfully different to me. It’s your right to speak critically about the country that you have chosen.”

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Keith Urban

The New Zealand–born country singer, who also holds Australian citizenship, voted in his first U.S. presidential election in 2016. His wife, Nicole Kidman, has been a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia since birth — she was born in Hawaii to Australian parents. 

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Cobie Smulders

The How I Met Your Mother alum earned her U.S. citizenship in September 2020, just in time for Election Day. "I have been living in the U.S. for 16 years now working and paying taxes, making little humans, creating a family and making this Country my home," she wrote via Instagram. "But I have been unable to Vote. I am excited to do so in this coming election in November. It is an opportunity that I will not waste and am grateful to have my Vote count when so many people who are working and living in this country as long or longer than I have are not able to."

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Kumail Nanjiani

Born in Pakistan, the Eternals star said it took him over a decade to obtain his U.S. citizenship. "I feel like people think immigrating to the U.S. is super easy," he tweeted in 2018. "The gates are wide open. Nothing could be further from the truth. It took me 15 years to get my Green Card. Getting any kind of visa is difficult. Becoming a citizen is extremely difficult and rare."

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Yolanda Hadid

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum, born in the Netherlands, became a citizen in 2013. "As a little girl, it was always my dream to come to America," she told E! News at the time. "I am living the American dream every day. I am so thankful. We worked very hard. We worked for everything we have in our life. We worked hard to get where we are today."

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Emma Slater and Sasha Farber

In December 2020, Slater revealed that the Dancing With the Stars couple became American citizens together. “WE BECAME U.S CITIZENS TODAY! Wow. I can’t believe that I’ve been here for 8 years and it’s been the whirlwind it has. I’m so grateful, I could never have dreamt where my passion for dance has actually taken me,” the U.K. native, whose husband is a Russian-born Australia native, wrote via Instagram. “To the other side of the world from my English life which I also loved, for a wonderful show that changed my life, with a best friend who changed my life @sashafarber1.” 

Slater added, “I remember when I did some smaller dance jobs in the UK when I was 17 and my friends & I would discuss whether the credits of these shows would ever help us get a visa to the US!! But being an actual Citizen of the US? Wow!! Urgh, I guess I’ll stay 😍 ❤️ 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 .”

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Pamela Anderson

The Baywatch alum became a U.S. citizen in 2004 and maintains dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship."I felt it was important to become a U.S. citizen in order to vote in the United States," Anderson said in a statement at the time. "U.S. citizenship will allow me, in the future, to petition to bring my children’s grandparents down to the United States to care for them once they become older.”

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Jim Carrey

The Canada native became a dual citizen in 2004 more than 20 years after he first moved to Los Angeles to pursue comedy. "I have no intention of giving up my Canadian heritage, and all those who loved and supported me," Carrey said in a statement at the time. "My upbringing in Canada made me the person I am. I will always be proud to be a Canadian." He added that the U.S. helped to "define" him and made his "dreams come true."

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Emily Blunt

The Devil Wears Prada star was born in London and in 2015 became a U.S. citizen in the same swearing-in ceremony as Matthew McConaughey's wife, Camila Alves. "Do I feel half British? It’s complicated," Blunt told the Boston Globe at the time. "I felt quite conflicted about the whole thing. It’s better for tax. It’s cheaper being an American."

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Salma Hayek

The Mexico native became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2013. The actress admitted in 2010 that she briefly lived in the U.S. as an illegal immigrant after her visa expired. "It was for a small period of time but I still did it," she told V magazine.

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Tan France

The Queer Eye star — who was born in the U.K. — announced his citizenship in 2020. "A few minutes ago, I officially became a U.S citizen!!" he wrote via Instagram. "For me, this is monumental. It’s something I’ve been working towards for literally 20 years, which makes this all the more emotional."

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Camila Cabello

The "Havana" singer moved to the U.S. from Cuba at the age of 6 and became a citizen in 2008.

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Craig Ferguson

The Scotland native broadcast himself taking the U.S. citizenship test and being sworn in on an episode of The Late Late Show in 2008.

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Alanis Morissette

The "You Outta Know" singer — who hails from Canada — was sworn in with 4,500 other people at the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2005.

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Liam Neeson

The Ireland native was inspired to become a citizen in 2009 after he received condolences from American fans after the death of his wife, Natasha Richardson. "That is partly the reason why I've recently become an American citizen," the Taken star told the New York Daily News. "I'm still a proud Irishman, of course, but I've become an American citizen — I'm very proud of that."

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Charlize Theron

The South African actress became a U.S. citizen in 2007. She detailed her path to citizenship in 2008 during an interview with David Letterman. "Well, I've always wanted to be [a citizen] they just didn't want to take me. It's quite a process you have to work hard, you know, study up," she said. "Then, finally, I was approved and you have to go in and do an interview. You have to know your stuff."

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Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Terminator star is an Austrian citizen by birth and became a U.S. citizen in 1983. He commemorated the milestone in 2018. "35 years ago today, I became a citizen of the United States of America," the former California governor wrote via Twitter.  "I arrived here almost 50 years ago with empty pockets, but full of dreams. I owe it all to America. It was, without a doubt, one of the proudest days of my life."

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Mike Fisher

Carrie Underwood's husband announced his U.S. citizenship in 2019 via Instagram. "Big day, I’m officially American," the Canada native captioned a photo of himself waving an American flag.

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Mischa Barton

The O.C. alum was born in the U.K. and moved to the U.S. when she was 5 years old. Barton — who maintained her British citizenship — became a U.S. citizen in 2006.

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Sofia Vergara

The Colombia-born actress became a citizen in 2014. "The most interesting thing for me was, they give you like a hundred questions that you have to learn, and then they give you a quiz, like a test. I got all questions perfect," the Modern Family alum said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! later that year.

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Peta Murgatroyd

The Dancing With the Stars pro was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in 2019 with her husband, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, and their son, Shai, in attendance. The New Zealand native, who was raised in Australia, shared her emotional experience via Instagram at the time. "I’m getting misty eyed writing this, because I haven’t reflected on my life up until this point ... here I was sitting in an auditorium with 1000 people, with my Ukrainian/American husband and my American son ... .a girl from little Perth with a big dream of being 'someone'," she wrote. "I love the life I created, but it wouldn’t be possible without the United States giving me the chance to succeed and live in the best country in the world ... This will always be home now."

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Tristan Thompson

The Canada native was sworn in as a U.S. citizen in 2020, 11 years after he moved to the U.S. to attend the University of Texas. “I came to the U.S. on a student visa and have always had big dreams. I’m now truly living the American dream," Thompson said in a statement to USCIS at the time.