Travel for Dual Australian & US Citizen

[MauiBec 0]

Hi,

I just became a US citizen last December, so I'm now dual Australian/US. My question is when I travel back home to Australia and then back to the US which passport do I use when?

When I leave the US, do I show my Australian or US passport?

I know entering Australia I use my Australian passport. Do they need to stamp my US passport to prove to the US I was in Australia?

When I leave Australia I use my Australian passport. Do they need to stamp my US passport to prove to the US I left Australia?

When I return to the US, I show my US passport but if there's not a stamp to/from Australia because I entered Australia with my Australian passport, will they care? Does it cause problems/questions?

Any advice from others that have been through this situation greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[san diego 407]

There is no difference. They do not need to see stamp in your US passport. You can travel on US passport alone or both. No need in stamp in US passport.

[Barbara J 115]

Hi,

I just became a US citizen last December, so I'm now dual Australian/US. My question is when I travel back home to Australia and then back to the US which passport do I use when?

When I leave the US, do I show my Australian or US passport?

I know entering Australia I use my Australian passport. Do they need to stamp my US passport to prove to the US I was in Australia?

When I leave Australia I use my Australian passport. Do they need to stamp my US passport to prove to the US I left Australia?

When I return to the US, I show my US passport but if there's not a stamp to/from Australia because I entered Australia with my Australian passport, will they care? Does it cause problems/questions?

Any advice from others that have been through this situation greatly appreciated.

Cheers

I am not sure but I thought that was just a formality you can use either passport. Am sure someone will chime in with this experience.

[Anh map 2,098]

The US does not stamp you out. Typically you'd enter each country with that passport. Oz in Oz, US in US.

[eskie 1]

Leaving and returning to the US - you MUST use your US passport on the US side. Entering Australia use your Aussie passport. Leaving Oz (on the Oz side) - its better to use your US passport if travelling directly to the US.

[v333k 59]

You must use the US passport when entering/exiting the US. The US does not recognize other passports once you become a US citizen.

Don't know about Australia...

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

With very few exceptions, Canada being the only one I'm sure about, every country among the 251 we now have on this globe requires it citizens to identify themselves as such when on their soil. So even the United Kingdom, one of the most liberal countries and an open advocate of multiple citizenships, requires U.K. citizens to pull out their red passport when arriving and leaving.

The U.S., which does not recognize dual citizenship, requires the same under the thread of prosecution.

Thus, you need to leave the U.S. showing your U.S. passport. You will enter Kangarooland with your Aussie passport.

You will leave Aussieland showing your black passport again, and enter the U.S. with your blue one.

Outside your two countries of citizenship, you can choose what you want to be. For example, if I were to enter Iran (God forbid), I would do that with my German passport. If I were to travel to Israel, I'd choose to be an American.

[deppeler 1]

Leaving and entering the US you use your US passport. Entering and leaving Australia your Australian passport.

To put it another way ,you are a US citizen when dealing with the US and an Australian citizen when dealing with Australia.

[Rod n Christy 0]

I am a dual US/Canadian Citizen by birth and parent circumstance (the US does recognize this). The last time I flew to Canada, the immigration officer there (US officer), told me to get my Canadian passport and when traveling into Canada, use that, and when traveling back to the US, use the US one. Hope that helps (or confirms what others have said)

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

I am a dual US/Canadian Citizen by birth and parent circumstance (the US does recognize this). The last time I flew to Canada, the immigration officer there (US officer), told me to get my Canadian passport and when traveling into Canada, use that, and when traveling back to the US, use the US one. Hope that helps (or confirms what others have said)

The Us does not recognize dual citizenship. Canada does.

What does that mean?

A person who has US and Canadian citizenship thus can exclusively use their US passport when traveling between the US and Canada. No Canadian passport needed. But they are not allowed to use their passport when entering or leaving the US. That is the difference, and it's a big one.

[NickD 203]

To put it in another way, leaving the USA with a foreign passport gives you two obstacles, will either want to see your green card or to turn in your I-94 to make sure you didn't overstay your visit. Same with your reentry into the USA, would either want to see your green card, or depending on which country you are from, would also requires a US visa to enter, if you have that current visa, would be issue a I-94 and be told when to leave, can't work here if just a tourist, just spend your money.

In my girlfriends later to be my wife history, she got nice welcome with her US tourist visa, but was told when to leave. While the vast majority of illegals here, so I am told are from overstayed visas (like 50 years or so), they weren't cracking down on this back then, but they are now. Her worse returns was with her foreign passport and green card, screened for drugs. Her best returns, welcome back to the USA, etc., was with her US passport.

Used examples of coming back here with your green card and foreign passport, perhaps you may have noticed they took your green card away when you got your US certificate. Leaving only leaving and returning with that I-94 thing that you won't have because you didn't enter to get one with a US visa, but can return with one, but then given a I-94 where if you don't leave within that period, as short as a week, they will be chasing you down.

Besides as a US citizen, illegal to either leave or come back with anything else except a US passport.

Now entering and leaving your home country. There is over 200 different countries, can look up your country in the Department of State site to find their rules. For my wife in Colombia, since it says right in her US passport, she was born there, she needs a Colombian passport both to enter and to leave.

Now surely if you were an immigrant coming to and leaving this country or any other country. You already should know the rules of your country for leaving it, but you don't get very far when traveling, have to enter into a new country and follow their rules.

I don't believe you need a passport to go to the moon, but better return here. And better be government sponsored, or they will shoot you down.

[MauiBec 0]

Thanks everyone who replied to my query. Much appreciated:-)

[MauiBec 0]

Thanks Just Bob, you're awesome and have helped sooooo many people on their immigration journeys. I enjoy reading your posts :-)

With very few exceptions, Canada being the only one I'm sure about, every country among the 251 we now have on this globe requires it citizens to identify themselves as such when on their soil. So even the United Kingdom, one of the most liberal countries and an open advocate of multiple citizenships, requires U.K. citizens to pull out their red passport when arriving and leaving.

The U.S., which does not recognize dual citizenship, requires the same under the thread of prosecution.

Thus, you need to leave the U.S. showing your U.S. passport. You will enter Kangarooland with your Aussie passport.

You will leave Aussieland showing your black passport again, and enter the U.S. with your blue one.

Outside your two countries of citizenship, you can choose what you want to be. For example, if I were to enter Iran (God forbid), I would do that with my German passport. If I were to travel to Israel, I'd choose to be an American.