Is your foreign passport taken away at oath ceremony?

[NickD 202]

Never thought about this in this light before, reason why they don't take away your foreign passport is because it's worthless.

No, the reason is that a passport is the property of the issuing country.

Just jealous because my wife has two passports and I only have one, but that foreign passport is certainly worthless when coming back. It was so much nicer coming back with her with a US passport especially from Colombia, did a strip search on her with a foreign passport to make sure she wasn't carrying drugs. US passport does not identify your home country.

I went to Colombia with my american wife (actually it was just my american girlfriend back then). They search for drugs regardless of your citizenship, and rightfully so.

Plus, on your US passport the country of birth is identified.

You are correct, wife's country of birth is on her passport, my mistake. Wonder why they do that when she was told she is a USC just like she was born here. But that is the USCIS, not the DOS. 1,525 different federal agencies, can add a bunch of state agencies to that list as well, but only one of us. Odds are really against us to keep everything straight.

[antda 13]

Hi Lissa04,

As a Canadian, you are allowed dual citizenships of both Canada and the USA. And yes, by all means, keep your Canadian passport, especially more so if it is still valid and you can still travel with it to Canada after you get US Citizenship. And no, you will not be fined by either country, for keeping such, nor will your passport get taken away. Just go into Canada with your Canadian passport, and come back to the USA with your American passport. There are Canadians that do this (you can find more info about that on the VJ Canada forums), and have had no problems doing this, and in fact can be an advantage when travelling.

As for me, after I become a US Citizen, I'm going to keep my Canadian passport (lol..I just renewed it anyways..so it's new and I better get use out of it) to travel to Canada, and apply for a US Passport Card (and/or a NYS Enhanced Driver's License), when I travel back to Canada and come back to the USA by land (I live close to the border). Hopefully I shouldn't have any problems then with my travels, when I have such documents.

As well, from what I've read on VJ, it takes about 4-6 weeks (normal processing) or 1-2 weeks (expedited processing) to get a US Passport, so you shouldn't have any problems travelling after citizenship, if you apply for your US Passport right away. Remember though, that as a US Citizen, you would have to get a US passport or other US WHTI document to travel, and you cannot use your Green Card (they take that away during the oath) and cannot use your Citizenship/Naturalization certificate (it's not a travel compliant document) and cannot use your Canadian Passport to get back into the USA (as according to the USA, you're American, not Canadian). So make sure your get your US passport before you travel out of the USA as a US Citizen.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your immigration journey too.

Ant

Hi,

I was wondering do you have to bring your passport from your birth country with you to the interview? Also are they taken away from you or can you keep it and apply for a US passport down the line?

The reason for comment is because of the previous post and that I could possibly be fined. At the time I wrote the comment I didn't not know how long it would take to get a US passport since so many people are applying for them.

Edited October 12, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[NickD 202]

Hi Lissa04,

As a Canadian, you are allowed dual citizenships of both Canada and the USA. And yes, by all means, keep your Canadian passport, especially more so if it is still valid and you can still travel with it to Canada after you get US Citizenship. And no, you will not be fined by either country, for keeping such, nor will your passport get taken away. Just go into Canada with your Canadian passport, and come back to the USA with your American passport. There are Canadians that do this (you can find more info about that on the VJ Canada forums), and have had no problems doing this, and in fact can be an advantage when travelling.

As for me, after I become a US Citizen, I'm going to keep my Canadian passport (lol..I just renewed it anyways..so it's new and I better get use out of it) to travel to Canada, and apply for a US Passport Card (and/or a NYS Enhanced Driver's License), when I travel back to Canada and come back to the USA by land (I live close to the border). Hopefully I shouldn't have any problems then with my travels, when I have such documents.

As well, from what I've read on VJ, it takes about 4-6 weeks (normal processing) or 1-2 weeks (expedited processing) to get a US Passport, so you shouldn't have any problems travelling after citizenship, if you apply for your US Passport right away. Remember though, that as a US Citizen, you would have to get a US passport or other US WHTI document to travel, and you cannot use your Green Card (they take that away during the oath) and cannot use your Citizenship/Naturalization certificate (it's not a travel compliant document) and cannot use your Canadian Passport to get back into the USA (as according to the USA, you're American, not Canadian). So make sure your get your US passport before you travel out of the USA as a US Citizen.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your immigration journey too.

Ant

Hi,

I was wondering do you have to bring your passport from your birth country with you to the interview? Also are they taken away from you or can you keep it and apply for a US passport down the line?

The reason for comment is because of the previous post and that I could possibly be fined. At the time I wrote the comment I didn't not know how long it would take to get a US passport since so many people are applying for them.

Suppose if you travel via car, your license plates would give you away, but wonder how they can tell the difference with either passport going either way via the airlines. Went into Canada and back hundreds of times without a passport, kind of hard to get use to these recent changes.

[Italian_in_NYC 259]

Never thought about this in this light before, reason why they don't take away your foreign passport is because it's worthless.

No, the reason is that a passport is the property of the issuing country.

Just jealous because my wife has two passports and I only have one, but that foreign passport is certainly worthless when coming back. It was so much nicer coming back with her with a US passport especially from Colombia, did a strip search on her with a foreign passport to make sure she wasn't carrying drugs. US passport does not identify your home country.

I went to Colombia with my american wife (actually it was just my american girlfriend back then). They search for drugs regardless of your citizenship, and rightfully so.

Plus, on your US passport the country of birth is identified.

You are correct, wife's country of birth is on her passport, my mistake. Wonder why they do that when she was told she is a USC just like she was born here. But that is the USCIS, not the DOS. 1,525 different federal agencies, can add a bunch of state agencies to that list as well, but only one of us. Odds are really against us to keep everything straight.

Well, place of birth is mandatory to be listed on any passport (I think it's international standard).

You might be a US citizen (and by the 14th amendment all US citizens have the same rights and duties, whether they're USC at birth or naturalized USC), but you can't change your place of birth, which is what it is.

There are many US citizens at birth that are not born in the US as well.

[antda 13]

Well, place of birth is mandatory to be listed on any passport (I think it's international standard).

Not necessarily...It depends on the country where the passport is issued in and what their rules regarding such is. For example, when I applied for my Canadian passport (I'm a Canadian citizen), I requested in writing that my birth country (it's not Canada) not be listed on my Canadian passport, as it causes extra confusion and problems there for me. They had no problems with that, and at the line where it says "place of birth", there is a "blank" on that line of my passport. They do though, give a warning that some countries might not accept your passport if there is no place of birth listed. Lol..But I don't think I'll be travelling those particular countries at all (I mainly use my Canadian passport to travel back to Canada)...so no extra problems for me there...

As for the US Passport, I wonder if they will do the same thing for me too when I apply for such...If not, oh boy, I'm going to have a lot of explaining and encounter extra problems when I travel....yikes....(lol..I've already encountered problems with my Green Card because of such being listed..but that's another story..)

Ant

Edited October 12, 2009 by Ant+D+A

[freetv 7]

Well I know it would make sense that you can't enter american on say a British passport when your a USC. But I know for a fact that people with u.s. passports and a e.u. passport can enter the e.u. on a u.s. passport. So I think it is possible to enter the u.s. with another passport, but whether or not it would be easy would depend on how lazy they are at the poe. But the worst that could happen is "why are you using this passport to enter America?"

[lucyrich 20]

Well I know it would make sense that you can't enter american on say a British passport when your a USC. But I know for a fact that people with u.s. passports and a e.u. passport can enter the e.u. on a u.s. passport. So I think it is possible to enter the u.s. with another passport, but whether or not it would be easy would depend on how lazy they are at the poe. But the worst that could happen is "why are you using this passport to enter America?"

It's illegal for a US Citizen to enter or leave the US without a US passport. You could be charged with a violation of INA 215(b). At the moment, I don't believe there's a specific penalty, but in the past it has carried a monetary fine, which could be reinstated any time the regulators wanted (it wouldn't require a change in law). Not a huge crime in the grand scheme of things, but if an inspector wanted to give you a bad day, at least he/she would be able to point to the law which you violated.

Except as otherwise provided by the President and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may authorize and prescribe, it shall be unlawful for any citizen of the United States to depart from or enter, or attempt to depart from or enter, the United States unless he bears a valid United States passport.

[freetv 7]

Well I know it would make sense that you can't enter american on say a British passport when your a USC. But I know for a fact that people with u.s. passports and a e.u. passport can enter the e.u. on a u.s. passport. So I think it is possible to enter the u.s. with another passport, but whether or not it would be easy would depend on how lazy they are at the poe. But the worst that could happen is "why are you using this passport to enter America?"

It's illegal for a US Citizen to enter or leave the US without a US passport. You could be charged with a violation of INA 215(B). At the moment, I don't believe there's a specific penalty, but in the past it has carried a monetary fine, which could be reinstated any time the regulators wanted (it wouldn't require a change in law). Not a huge crime in the grand scheme of things, but if an inspector wanted to give you a bad day, at least he/she would be able to point to the law which you violated.

Except as otherwise provided by the President and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may authorize and prescribe, it shall be unlawful for any citizen of the United States to depart from or enter, or attempt to depart from or enter, the United States unless he bears a valid United States passport.

Yes, but that law was made for national security more so than the "common man". During the cold war it was common for people to have their passports taken away so they couldn't go to the USSR or Europe and leak state secrets. But I do agree that at anytime they could enforce the law on you so why risk it?

[NickD 202]

Well I know it would make sense that you can't enter american on say a British passport when your a USC. But I know for a fact that people with u.s. passports and a e.u. passport can enter the e.u. on a u.s. passport. So I think it is possible to enter the u.s. with another passport, but whether or not it would be easy would depend on how lazy they are at the poe. But the worst that could happen is "why are you using this passport to enter America?"

It's illegal for a US Citizen to enter or leave the US without a US passport. You could be charged with a violation of INA 215( B) . At the moment, I don't believe there's a specific penalty, but in the past it has carried a monetary fine, which could be reinstated any time the regulators wanted (it wouldn't require a change in law). Not a huge crime in the grand scheme of things, but if an inspector wanted to give you a bad day, at least he/she would be able to point to the law which you violated.

Except as otherwise provided by the President and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may authorize and prescribe, it shall be unlawful for any citizen of the United States to depart from or enter, or attempt to depart from or enter, the United States unless he bears a valid United States passport.

Yes, but that law was made for national security more so than the "common man". During the cold war it was common for people to have their passports taken away so they couldn't go to the USSR or Europe and leak state secrets. But I do agree that at anytime they could enforce the law on you so why risk it?

Would suspect if you were planning on leaving the USA forever, wouldn't have problems using your foreign passport for leaving. Coming back may be a problem. Wondered if my wife could have entered with her foreign passport, her USA visa is still good for another five years. But then the I-94 would have been issued. Often wondered if they keep track of the I-94's, seems like a whole bunch of people that stayed here, overstayed their I-94's. When I was dating my wife, we watched her I-94 like a hawk, had a feeling we were going to get married, and didn't want to mess things up. But the question still remains, do they actually keep track of that?

[Kathryn41 3,205]

lucyrich is correct - it is illegal for a US citizen to use the passport of another country to enter the US. It is important to remember that the US does not officially recognize dual citizenship so if you are using the passport of another country to enter the US to live, it needs to be backed up with evidence of your right to live in the US - ie a work visa, a green card, etc. If you are a US citizen, even if you have citizenship in another country, you need to use your proof that you are allowed to enter and live in the US - and the US government has decided that the document required is a passport. Passports are now required even if you are doing a land entry from a Canadian POE - something that was never required before. There was a lot of time and money spent recently advising everyone of their new requirements, stating that there would be a grace period but once that expired, a US passport was a mandatory requirement for a US citizen. The worst that can happen is not 'why are you using this [non-US] passport to enter the country?". The worst that can happen is that they can deny you entry to the US as you have no proof of citizenship nor right to be there - and if they do accept that you are a US citizen, you can be hassled and harassed and fined and possibly detained until you are able to provide proof of US citizenship. You don't play fast and easy with border guards - ever! If the law says you use your US passport to enter the US, you use your US passport. The 'common man' is just as much a part of National Security now as any security threat - and you are treated that way at the border if you do not provide the correct document.

Edited October 13, 2009 by Kathryn41