What country of birth do I put in passport application

[AbuA 1]

Here is a complicated issue I am having. I was born in Palestine- west bank.

Now I filling out a passport application but I was told that the state department doesn't allow you to put Palestine as a place of birth. My naturalization certificate says Jordan as place of birth. I was wondering if any one every had the same experience and succeeded in putting Palestine as place of birth. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

[Ian H. 207]

If your naturalization certificate says Jordan, why not put Jordan? Is your birth certificate from Jordan or Palestine?

[AbuA 1]

My Place of birth is Palestine not Jordan. HJowever, it was put as Jordan because when I had green card, USCIS refused to put Palestine although my birth certificate says Palestine.

[Darth Vader Rises 1]

I understand and sympathise with your conundrum on this issue, but just this time, I would set aside my justifiably ideological pride and indicate Jordan as a previous response suggested.

Good luck!

[Ian H. 207]

Refer to page 11, part g and onwards on the link below. The dept of state has procedures regarding the status of certain countries, territories, and other jurisdictions. You may be able to have your city of birth listed instead, but they do warn that you may have problems entering some foreign countries.

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/94675.pdf

[JimmyHou 611]

Here is a complicated issue I am having. I was born in Palestine- west bank.

Now I filling out a passport application but I was told that the state department doesn't allow you to put Palestine as a place of birth. My naturalization certificate says Jordan as place of birth. I was wondering if any one every had the same experience and succeeded in putting Palestine as place of birth. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Refer to page 11, part g and onwards on the link below. The dept of state has procedures regarding the status of certain countries, territories, and other jurisdictions. You may be able to have your city of birth listed instead, but they do warn that you may have problems entering some foreign countries.

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/94675.pdf

Please refer to the link that Ian H. provided - page 11 part c.

The State Department makes special accommodation for people born is certain disputed or unrecognized (by the US) areas. This includes people born in Palestine.

If you were born prior to 1948, you are allowed to list Palestine as your country of birth. If you were born after 1948, you cannot.

If you were born after 1948, you can either have West Bank listed as your place of birth or you can have the city in which you born, for example Jenin.

See the table on page 12 part i of the link provided above.

It'll show you that the default entry would be West Bank, but you can request to have the city of birth listed instead.

Many countries list city and not country of birth on their passports, so this won't be a problem when you're traveling.

My advice would be that, if possible, you apply at a Passport Office and not at a post office just in case there are any issues with the having a different country of birth on the Naturalization Certificate. I think you should attach a letter explaining your request as well as a copy of the two pages of the State Department document with the relevant sections highlighted. And of course, list your preference of either West Bank or city of birth on the application.

You really shouldn't have any issues, but they do make mistakes and there's a chance that they'll just out Jordan down on your passport and you'll have to speak to someone to get it changed.

I assume that you have a Jordanian-issued birth certificate and that's the issue, but State Department rules differ from USCIS rules and you are clearly allowed to have either West Bank or your city of birth listed.

Good luck! I'd love to hear how this works out.

Edited August 10, 2014 by JimmyHou

[JimmyHou 611]

I was intrigued by your question, so I did a little research online and found several cases of people born in Palestine getting something else listed on their passports regardless of what they put down in their applications. In the cases I read about, they simply mailed the passport back and demanded that the State Department comply with its own rules and in each of those cases they got new, corrected passports in a couple of weeks. One case was of a man born in 1941 who asked to have Israel changed to Palestine on his passport. The others were all born after 1948 and asked for the passport to be corrected with either Gaza, West Bank, or the City of Birth (within modern-day Israel or within Gaza or the West Bank). Just Google "US Passport Place of Birth Palestine" and you'll find a few stories. The State Department does, however, appear to be very strict about not listing Palestine for people born after 1948.

[AbuA 1]

When I initially got my green card I was given Jordan as my country of birth. So I wrote to USCIS and contested it asking them to change it to Palestine. They answered me by saying congress doesn't allow it.

I read the guidelines of the state department and it looks like I can put West Bank or city of birth. - Thank you so much for guiding me to that document.

Now, my naturalization certificate says "Jordan" though, is there going to be issues down the road if I ignored that and put West Bank on the passport? In other words, the passport will says West Bank and the certificate will says Jordan. Or what complications could arise if I keep it as Jordan and my original birth certificate will say West Bank.

Sorry for the questions- I am trying to avoid all possible complications down the road.

Thank you again.

[Ian H. 207]

It shouldn't cause complications because your naturalization cert practically becomes a frame on the wall once you have your US passport. The only time you would need it again is if you lose your passport and would use it to get a replacement.

Also they should be aware of their own policies. The USCIS is a different governmental agency so, as mentioned above, they seem to have different rules about this. You can find out with USCIS if it's possible to have a different place of birth listed on your naturalization cert.

When I initially got my green card I was given Jordan as my country of birth. So I wrote to USCIS and contested it asking them to change it to Palestine. They answered me by saying congress doesn't allow it.

I read the guidelines of the state department and it looks like I can put West Bank or city of birth. - Thank you so much for guiding me to that document.

Now, my naturalization certificate says "Jordan" though, is there going to be issues down the road if I ignored that and put West Bank on the passport? In other words, the passport will says West Bank and the certificate will says Jordan. Or what complications could arise if I keep it as Jordan and my original birth certificate will say West Bank.

Sorry for the questions- I am trying to avoid all possible complications down the road.

Thank you again.

[Big Papa Zone 93]

Alamro, just put Jordan. I mean, it's just a means to an end, right? It doesn't make you any less Palestinian at the end of the day. It's like the oath ceremony, when you have to disavow any association with any other land. I have a British friend that woun't become a U.S. citizen because he point blank refuses to speak the words necessitated in the swearing of the oath. Why?? Is it going to make him any less British?? Is it going to erase his birth and upbringing? Is it bollocks! He'll always be a Brit in his heart just like you'll always be a Palestinian - there's no "betrayal" issue here if that's what you're worried about. ;-)

[CowBoE 429]

Alamro, just put Jordan. I mean, it's just a means to an end, right? It doesn't make you any less Palestinian at the end of the day. It's like the oath ceremony, when you have to disavow any association with any other land. I have a British friend that woun't become a U.S. citizen because he point blank refuses to speak the words necessitated in the swearing of the oath. Why?? Is it going to make him any less British?? Is it going to erase his birth and upbringing? Is it bollocks! He'll always be a Brit in his heart just like you'll always be a Palestinian - there's no "betrayal" issue here if that's what you're worried about. ;-)

OP, I agree with this also. It's unfortunate, but nothing changes in your heart,

and just using Jordan seems to be the simplest solution at this time.

[dioxide45 25]

It shouldn't cause complications because your naturalization cert practically becomes a frame on the wall once you have your US passport. The only time you would need it again is if you lose your passport and would use it to get a replacement.

Also they should be aware of their own policies. The USCIS is a different governmental agency so, as mentioned above, they seem to have different rules about this. You can find out with USCIS if it's possible to have a different place of birth listed on your naturalization cert.

Though don't you send your Naturalization Certificate when you apply for the US Passport the first time. There won't be any issues for renewal of a passport, but won't the State Department question why the Naturalization Certificate indicates Jordan when the applicant indicated something else on the passport application?

[Ian H. 207]

If you refer to the link I posted earlier, the dept of state has a different policy regarding place of birth on the passport. They allow people who come from disputed or unrecognized territories to put something else as place of birth, so they would be aware of the situation when a person in that situation applies for a passport.

Though don't you send your Naturalization Certificate when you apply for the US Passport the first time. There won't be any issues for renewal of a passport, but won't the State Department question why the Naturalization Certificate indicates Jordan when the applicant indicated something else on the passport application?

[JimmyHou 611]

There's absolutely no reason for the OP to put Jordan on his application... he wasn't born there... Jordan likely didn't administer the area when he was born (I'm taking a wild guess at his age) and Jordan doesn't administer the area today. It would be like asking a Ukrainian born in 1995 to list USSR as his place of birth.

But it's not even an issue of arguing with the State Department since their rules clearly allow the OP to list West Bank or his city of birth, so that's what he should do in compliance with their guidelines.

There's no risk or hassle involved.

[AbuA 1]

It seems to make sense to just put city as a place of birth which will be in west bank according to the state department guidelines.. However, this will create conflict between the naturalization certificate which says Jordan. Question is, once a US citizen, would I ever need to show my Palestinian certificate down there road?

Thanks again.