Future Doubt

[Ladylethal 12]

Ok, so I've been reading about traveling to our old country (or anywhere really) after acquiring US citizenship. I'm still a year away from it but I came across a topic by chance and ended up reading a little bit about it out of curiosity (bachelor in law, always curious about these).

So, the basics is you leave and enter US on the US passport and leave and enter your country on your country's passport. That much is easy to follow and understand the reasons why.

My big question is: in practice when I'm arriving in my country and show my passport there they always check for my visa/GC to see if I had a visa to be in US in the first place; and when my husband arrives in US he always gets his US passport checked to see if he had a visa to go to Brazil in the first place.

If we're not supposed to present our foreign passport when entering US and they check the passport for a visa or stamp to that country doesn't the whole "do not show your foreign passport" motto go void? Since you'd then have to show your other passport to explain why you didn't need a visa ....

It's all kinda confusing to me as far as traveling goes, and as far as stamps go.

Edited February 27, 2009 by Luis&Laura

[Otto 83]

There's a difference between presenting yourself as something other than a US Citizen (i.e., showing only a non-US passport) and CBP looking at your 'foreign' passport.

[Ladylethal 12]

So basically everyone presents both?

[Otto 83]

So basically everyone presents both?

When entering the US, a Dual-National (US/Another Country) should present their US passport - as you've discovered, you should be prepared to show your foreign passport as well, if asked - but I'd refrain from flopping down both.

[motu 5]

It also depends on how other countries treat your citizenship. When applying for Indian citizenship (after becoming US citizens and giving up Indian citizenship earlier) - they just stamp your US passport with a Permanent stamp - no its not a visa stamp its a citizenship stamp (a little strange as I see it) but its possible to also get another Indian passport issued (but my sister hasn't tried that yet - she is the dual national). In any case, if asked - you can show the other passport (or the stamp in my sister's case) to show you were legally in another country. My wife is always asked to show her cedula when she leaves Colombia (they don't care to see the greencard or passport it seems).

[raymaga 25]

I believe you are supposed to use the passport of the country in which you are a "resident". So, if you are residing in the U.S., you would use your U.S. passport. That way, if you encounter any emergencies and need assistance, you would go to the U.S. Embassy for help.

[lucyrich 20]

I believe you are supposed to use the passport of the country in which you are a "resident". So, if you are residing in the U.S., you would use your U.S. passport. That way, if you encounter any emergencies and need assistance, you would go to the U.S. Embassy for help.

That depends. You should comply with the laws of the country which has jurisdiction. And the laws vary.

US law says that a US citizen must present a US passport when dealing with US government officials at border crossings, regardless of where that US Citizen resides, or what other citizenship(s) or passport(s) that US citizen may hold.

US law is silent about what passport may be presented to officials of other governments. The other governments get to decide.

Some countries may allow their citizens to present any passport they validly hold. So some dual citizens can go visit their home country using nothing but a US passport for the entire trip. Others may require anyone holding citizenship in country X to present a passport issued by country X when entering or leaving country X, similar to the requirement that the US has for its citizens at US borders.

Furthermore, whether the US embassy can help you isn't really a matter of which passport you present. According to the Hague convention, the US embassy can't interfere with any matters between a sovereign government and one of its own citizens, regardless of whether that individual may also hold US citizenship, and regardless of what passport may have been used at the border. The US embassy may offer assistance to US citizens when those US Citizens are in a country that has no claim of citizenship toward them.

The dual citizenship FAQ has lots of interesting reading on various scenarios

http://www.richw.org/dualcit/

[NickD 202]

That depends. You should comply with the laws of the country which has jurisdiction. And the laws vary.

It's for that reason, the phrase, "dual citizenship" is not part of our vocabulary.

[Ladylethal 12]

So if I arrive at the airport and present my US passport and they ask for a visa I can present my brazilian one to show I don't require a visa and the fact I still have a valid brazilian passport is not their problem?

And on the same page as Brazil also requires that a brazilian passport be presented when traveling I can also show my US passport to show I don't require a visa to return the US and that's also not their problem?

I guess the real question is really the fact of not recognizing and not accepting. Brazil also doesn't recognize meaning I remain brazilian unless I say otherwise but says nothing about being forbidden to have a second passport.

I think I get it now, I present my US one first and explain showing second if necessary. Phew! I see this same question presented all over the citizenship forums. hahhaha

[amnonbabs 0]

I had the same doubt and I found out in some countries it is ilegal for you to represent yourself as an American citizen if you are trying to enter the country you were originally from. So, what I found online is this: let's say you are a mexican-american citizen. So you are flying to mexico from the US and this is what you do: Leaving the US you show the airline your american passport because you are american. When you get there you go through customs as a Mexican citizen because it is ilegal for you to represent yourself as an American. And on the way back you show the airline your mexican passport and when they ask for proof that you can enter the US you show them your american passport and when you arrive to the US you obviously show your american passport because you are american. That way both passports get stamped and everybody is happy.

But don't take my word. The best thing to do is to call your embassy and consult them, some countries like the US don't allow double nationality but they don't care if you carry a passport from another country, so, the question is, if entering the US they see your passport and see the stamp, are they going to give you a hard time? not likely, the US doesn't care what passport you use in other countries as long as you represent yourself as an American when you enter or leave the country. Same goes for the country you were originally from.

[NickD 202]

For us leaving at Milwaukee, wife showed her US passport, we arrived in Caracas at 1:00AM, their IM was yawning, wife showed her Venezuelan passport, it was stamped, we left the airport, oh, was bothersome trying to get through the zillions of cab drivers. Coming back, wife showed her US passport at Caracas, then again in Toronto at US customs and immigration, don't ask me why the US is in Canada, but we boarded a flight into Milwaukee, grabbed our luggage and left, nobody stopped us there.

[Otto 83]

So if I arrive at the airport and present my US passport and they ask for a visa I can present my brazilian one to show I don't require a visa and the fact I still have a valid brazilian passport is not their problem? Essentialy yes.

And on the same page as Brazil also requires that a brazilian passport be presented when traveling I can also show my US passport to show I don't require a visa to return the US and that's also not their problem? Correct

I guess the real question is really the fact of not recognizing and not accepting. Brazil also doesn't recognize meaning I remain brazilian unless I say otherwise but says nothing about being forbidden to have a second passport.

I think I get it now, I present my US one first and explain showing second if necessary. Phew! I see this same question presented all over the citizenship forums. hahhaha

The question might come up more often if it were not for those countries (i.e., VWP countries) where it's just as simple to travel with just your US passport.

[hassan_debbie 4]

Do American citizens need a visa to visit Brazil?

Deb

[lucyrich 20]

Do American citizens need a visa to visit Brazil?

Yes. Unless they happen to be citizens of another country, too.

Brazil has a reciprocity principle. If a country makes Brazilians get a visa to visit that country, then Brazil will make that country's citizens get a visa to visit Brazil. The fee for the visa is equivalent to the fee a Brazilian pays to visit the other country. Since the US charges Brazilians around $130 to get a tourist visa to visit Brazil, US Citizens have to pay around $130.00 or so and go to a consulate to get a visa for Brazil.

If, for example, you were a dual US/Venezuelan citizen, and you wanted to visit Brazil, you might find it in your interest to show your Venezuelan passport to the Brazilian authorities.

http://www.brazilsf.org/visa_eng.htm

[Otto 83]

Do American citizens need a visa to visit Brazil?

Deb

Yes - mainly because we require their citizens to have one.