Can US citizens use a foreign passport to travel?

[metals95 1]

Ant (with apologies to Mawilson, your thread apprears hijacked)

I am currently trying to decide wheter to apply for the Canadian citizenship certificate. The new Canadian citizenship law of April says that Candians born abroad cannot pass on citizenship to foreign born children unless they are naturalized Canadians. There are now 2 types of Canadian Citizens, those who can pass on citizenship to their children (like me because I was born in Canada) and those who cannot, those born abroad and not naturalized. So I will probably wait and see how the law fleshes out in Canada for a few years because this new clause has been quite controversial to some people. He is at no disadvantage to not have proof of Canadian citizenship at this time since he lives in the USA.

[antda 13]

Hi Metals95

(Sorry for hijacking this thread too....I'll try not to after this post reply....)

Actually there was another post on the VJ Canada boards about this dual "Canadian/US baby" topic, which you can read more, as some VJ Canadians who are in the same/similar situation has posted about it here too:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...ship+baby+child

Also , from what I've researched before on the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship website, about the new Canadian citizenship laws made in April 2009, this is what I found:

Retaining citizenship

Some citizens born outside Canada (Your Canadian/American Baby) to a parent who was a Canadian (You) at the time of their birth are required to make an application and meet certain requirements to keep (retain) Canadian Citizenship before turning 28 years of age. This is called Retention of Canadian Citizenship.

Retention applies to Canadians born outside Canada after February 14, 1977 to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent. The Citizenship Act says that this second generation born outside Canada will lose Canadian Citizenship at age 28 unless steps are taken to retain it.

No later than April 17, 2009 the law will change to end the need to retain citizenship for many people. However, people born outside Canada who are subject to the retention rules and who turn 28 before the new law comes into effect must still take action to retain citizenship.

Find out more about the new law and who is affected.

Basically, it says that your Canadian/American baby/child can apply for Canadian citizenship, up until the age of 28, or not be able to have it at all.

You as a Canadian parent can pass on this Canadian citizenship to your baby/child, especially more so that you were born in Canada and can pass this on directly based on that, since they are a "second generation Canadian". Actually, even Canadians born not born in Canada, but were naturalized in Canada (such as in my case), can also pass Canadian citizenship to their baby/child as well.

And based on other's experiences (Wrumug), all you would have to do is apply for a Canadian citizenship certificate card for your baby/child by:

"i made an appointment with CC (Canadian consulate). It only took her about 30 mins to go through my application and to make copy of all the support documents and such as my daughter Social Security Card, my daughter's Birth Certificate, my daughter's immunization record, my citizenship card and my passport. Also you need to pay the fee too. i paid CAD75. She told me that it will take around 8 months to get the thing done."

And after they get this Canadian citizenship certificate card, they can apply for a Canadian passport afterwards too.

As for my (AntandD) situation (which I mentioned on a PM to someone else):

"As for my soon-to-be USC baby/child getting Canadian citizenship, I think I will have to wait awhile for that. I think it is better that they make an informed decision for such when they are older, and can understand for themselves the culture, history, rights/responsibilities, etc. of being a Canadian citizen. I don't want to impose a decsion for them when they are not ready for such yet. And if they choose for themselves to become a Canadian citzen, they can be proud of that choice, and I will support them in any way as a Canadian parent for them to pursue such, at any point in their lives (up until the age of 28, according to law), or not at all. Meanwhile, my family and I will make more trips and visit Canada more often (we live very close to the border), and will use these trips as a good teaching experience for our baby/child to learn more about Canada. And hopefully, they will appreciate, learn from, and enjoy such travels too."

You're right in saying that your child is "at no disadvantage to not have proof of Canadian citizenship at the thme since he lives in the USA". For travel and for other purposes, it is good enough that they have American identification and travel documents already and can use that mainly.

So it is up to you and your family to decide as to whether or not your baby/child wants Canadian citizenship or not, either now or later on or not at all. It's a personal decision, really, and there are advantages and disadvantages to this decision too. So think carefully before making such a choice....

Hope this helps. Good luck on the rest of your immigration journey too.

Ant

P.S. Feel free to PM me or to post on the Canada VJ boards if you want to talk about this issue further too.

Ant (with apologies to Mawilson, your thread apprears hijacked)

I am currently trying to decide wheter to apply for the Canadian citizenship certificate. The new Canadian citizenship law of April says that Candians born abroad cannot pass on citizenship to foreign born children unless they are naturalized Canadians. There are now 2 types of Canadian Citizens, those who can pass on citizenship to their children (like me because I was born in Canada) and those who cannot, those born abroad and not naturalized. So I will probably wait and see how the law fleshes out in Canada for a few years because this new clause has been quite controversial to some people. He is at no disadvantage to not have proof of Canadian citizenship at this time since he lives in the USA.

Edited July 5, 2009 by AntandD

[Krikit 1,164]

I just like to have all my bases covered, and show my US Passport Card and EDL/Enhanced Driver's License, along with my Canadian Passport too, especially more to so explain as to why I went to back "home" to Canada for a trip, and as to why I'm "dual American and Canadian"...(I'm not going to lie about such either)

Don't hand the CBP officers your Canadian passport with your American passport. They don't like that.

[mawilson 2,133]

How will you prove your an USC without your US passport?

I was thinking of using my Enhanced Driving License or Naturalization Certificate.

If you try to enter the US on a foreign passport and they discover you are a US citizen, you can face a steep fine at the minimum. A friend of mine's daughter made this mistake using her UK passport to enter the US and she was fined because she wasn't carrying her US passport.

Ah - so there's a fine.

Ok, that makes sense, thanks!

Hi Stella08 and Everyone,

Here is more information about what an Enhanced Driver's License is:

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_edl.html

Enhanced Driver's License – This is a driver’s license that can also be used as a cross-border travel document to enter the U.S. by land and sea. It denotes both identity and citizenship, per the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

The following states are issuing this type of WHTI-compliant document: Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington.

Yep - got myself one of those. It was only $30 more than the standard license.

[mawilson 2,133]

The last time we went over the border to Canada though, my husband decided to try an experiment....

He only showed his NYS EDL, and didn't show his US birth certificate (since US birth certificates can't be used for travel purposes for citizens over sixteen years old anyways, according to the new June 1 rules)

And needless to say, he had no problems on both sides of the border to and from the US/Canada, just showing his EDL.

So yes, in that instance, showing an EDL is sufficient enough for a US Citizen travelling by land or sea.

Ok, that's good to know.

Are EDLs accepted at sea ports, such as Bermuda/Jamaica/Turks & Caicos Islands?

[mawilson 2,133]

Travel.state.gov says:

Please Note: The WHTI-compliant documents described above are acceptable for entry or re-entry into the United States. You may be required to present additional or different travel documents when entering foreign countries, including some countries in the Western Hemisphere.

The highlighted part worries me.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

topic split and new post can be found here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/415569-us-dualcitizen-how-long-can-he-visit-overseas/

Please do not resurrect an old thread for a new discussion. It is always better to start your own new topic.

Edited February 19, 2013 by Kathryn41

[NickD 202]

Really don't feel Canada is a good example as for the last 200 years, could travel freely back and forth with no identification whatsoever. Until that idiot Bush made an executive order to change all that. As my company owned many divisions up there, would travel frequently and even spend weeks up there working with my Canadian associates. The only difference between them and me, is I received a USA paycheck, they a Canadian paycheck, and strictly for tax purposes, that money came out of the same pocket.

Seems like we hear a lot more about that 38th parallel between north and south Korea than that 49th parallel between our two countries. Too bad we were never one country, can blame our forefathers for that. Well except for Quebec, not even sure what that place is doing there. Ha, in my younger single days asked a girl to dance in French, but that was the only phase I knew, if I spoke one word of English, she would walk away.

You certainly are not required to have a US passport, no law for that. Except if you want to leave this country. Wive could have came back in after her naturalization, her US visa was still good. But would have received a I-94 with a limit. When we were dating we took that very seriously as knew we would run into problems with the USCIS if she overstayed. But its my understanding that the vast majority of I-94 overstays, undocumented persons if you may, or illegals are here, due to overstayed I-94's. Like over 30 years worth, so apparently, this is not enforced.

After I read that the USCIS was giving green cards to Cubans coming here on rafts, suggest to my wife to be, I take on boat down there, put her on a raft ten miles out, and call the Coast Guard to pick her up. Would have been a much cheaper and red tape to bring her here. Just teasing her of course, but she took it seriously. No way did she want to be stranded on a raft.

First thing that occurred to her after her oath ceremony, she couldn't visit her mom if ill, next morning, we applied for a US passport. Four months later we visited her mom, Colombia would not let her in with her place of birth in Bogota. After about an hours worth of discussion, they finally let her in, this was the only way she could renew her Colombian citizenship. While her mother had all the original papers, they wouldn't accept that, made us pay an extra thousand bucks for copies. Could have paid an extra thousand to get her passport instantly, but decided to wait. It took almost a year, come to think about it, that passport is about to expire, here we go again.

Did anyone notice the price of an airline ticket more than doubled the last couple of years? Won't even give you a half an ounce of peanuts, that is extra. I went around in circles on this issue with our DOS and got nowhere, even my senator and congressman is helpless. These are our representatives? Exactly to whom do they represent, sure in the hell, not us.

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

old thread closed.