Passed interview but not yet naturalized and old country's passport is expiring

[J.J. & Diana 0]

So my wife's spanish passport expires in september and her successful interview was back in June 27. We were just going to get her a US passport once she got her citizenship papers. Is there any danger in not getting the spanish passport renewed or in getting it renewed? I could imagine possible issues with either.

[aleful 1,905]

So my wife's spanish passport expires in september and her successful interview was back in June 27. We were just going to get her a US passport once she got her citizenship papers. Is there any danger in not getting the spanish passport renewed or in getting it renewed? I could imagine possible issues with either.

unless she needs to travel before the Oath Ceremony, then no need to renew it.

[David-and-Mae 15]

I agree... she can renew it when she does dual citizenship. She still has her greencard to protect her.

[NickD 203]

No law that requires you have a passport of any country, unless you want to travel. If she did take trips greater than 24 hours out of the USA, those have to be recorded in the N-400. And she will need her Spanish passport, expired or not to verify those trips during her interview. If the IO requests that.

Wife had both an expired and renewed foreign passport, her IO wanted to see that to verify her trips. Wife said she just flipped through both passports and said okay. Don't know how she did that, were such a mess with stamps on top of stamps, skipped pages, no chronicle order. Could take hours to decipher that information to correlate the recorded trips. But as long as her IO was happy, who cares.

Now if she didn't have those passports with recorded trips, she would be in trouble. Stepdaughters passport expired shortly after she got here and her biological father refused to give her permission, so she didn't have a passport, and consequently couldn't make any trips for four out of her five years. Satisfied her IO, no passport, no trips.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

She will never need a Spanish passport again as long as she lives, unless she flies directly into Spain, as they want require her to whip it out at the airport. If she enters the EU anywhere else, she can enter as an American.

[NickD 203]

She will never need a Spanish passport again as long as she lives, unless she flies directly into Spain, as they want require her to whip it out at the airport. If she enters the EU anywhere else, she can enter as an American.

And okay if her mom or family doesn't live in Spain or she never wants to see them again.

For my wifes' family to visit us, they need an almost impossible to get, US visa. But would be no problem for them if they were filthy rich, but just hard working honest people trying to make the ends meet.

[iGalin 7]

Is there any danger in not getting the spanish passport renewed or in getting it renewed? I could imagine possible issues with either.

There is no danger in renewing and she's gonna still keep her old passport to show proof about her trips abroad if any took place.

She can always renew her passport in one of Spain embassies/consulates. Closest to you(I'd assume California based on your local office) are:

Los Angeles Consulate General

5055 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 860

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Phone: 323-938-0158, 323-938-0159

Fax: 323-938-2502

Website: http://www.maec.es/Subwebs/Consulados/LosAngeles/en/Home/Paginas/Home_LA.aspx

San Francisco Consulate General(California except southern part)

1405 Sutter St

San Fransisco, CA 94109

Phone: 415-922-2995, 415-922-2996

Fax: 415-931-9706

Website: http://www.maec.es/Subwebs/Consulados/sanfrancisco/en/Home/Paginas/Home.aspx

Edited August 3, 2011 by iGalin

[J.J. & Diana 0]

Thanks a lot for the advice everyone! I think i'll just let it expire and have her get the US passport when she can. Then if she wants to when we are in spain she can get a new spanish one for whatever reason. but... at least for now the US passport is pretty much a ticket to ride.