Valid foreign passport

[Bkj 0]

My husband is still waiting for the conditions to be removed on his 2 year green card (applied June 08), and recently (May 20th 2009) applied for naturalization under the three year rule. Our question is this: Is he required to maintain a valid (unexpired) passport to present during his naturalization interview ?

His foreign passport will expire in June, and we are hoping to obtain his naturalization soon, so it just seems like an extra pain (and extra money) to get this renewed when hopefully he'll be able to get a US passport in the next few months (or at least before he plans to travel internationally in 2010).

Thanks for any info!

[Anh map 2,098]

Two thoughts:

1 What if he needed to travel outside the US before being naturalized and his only passport is expired? Those unexpected emergencies are stressful enough without having to get to the embassy to get a new passport

2 Would it make sense for him to have his Rwandan passport / travel as a Rwandan citizen if he were to be traveling back home or elsewhere?

Seems like short money for the peace of mind.

[Bkj 0]

Two thoughts:

1 What if he needed to travel outside the US before being naturalized and his only passport is expired? Those unexpected emergencies are stressful enough without having to get to the embassy to get a new passport

2 Would it make sense for him to have his Rwandan passport / travel as a Rwandan citizen if he were to be traveling back home or elsewhere?

Seems like short money for the peace of mind.

Yes, we see your point, and he will be renewing his passport eventually (although travel to Rwanda is easy for a US citizen- with a free 6 month visa at the airport/border)......

but does it need to be right now for any USCIS-related reason? As everybody here knows, these costs just pile up and up and up! And its just more paperwork, photos, sending away his passport (I think), etc. If all goes well, he could be getting his US passport by September, and we'd rather just gather up the money, photos and energy for that!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

He does not need a valid foreign passport for any USCIS related requirements. From my understanding he will be asked to bring his foreign passport to the interview but it does not have to be valid. You may wish to renew the passport even though it is expiring in June in case he needs it to travel on before he gets his US citizenship. What happens if he has a family emergency back home in July? Besides, it is always a good idea to have a valid passport while you are living in a foreign country - just common sense.

[NickD 203]

The reason why they ask you to bring your passport is to verify the trips you have taken and specified in the N-400 application, if your passport is expired and you did leave the country, it's safe to assume you cannot come back and wouldn't even be at your interview. After coming here as a LPR, there is no law that states you have to maintain your foreign passport, but you cannot get a US passport either.

If your passport expired the day before you became a LPR, and you have taken no trips, your expired passport is proof that you didn't take any trips. Wife did have to have her passport renewed while a LPR, and was going to toss her old one. Can't do that honey, you will need that for your USC interview. And she did need it with her distrusting IO.