Tricky issue: Passport

[Fergs 0]

Here's a complicated one.

I'm an Irish citizen born in Northern Ireland. My parents got me my first Irish passport when I was 16 and I've had one ever since. Being born in Northern Ireland, I'm allowed to have either an Irish or British Passport.

However, over the years, I have wanted to get a British Passport, it is just something I feel more identification with.

I moved to the USA in September 2011 on a Fiance visa with an Irish passport, got my 2 year green card in March 2012 and will be applying for my 10 year one within the next year.

However, I want a British passport. Do you think it would be possible to renounce my Irish Passport and get a British one before or after my 10 year green card. Or is this something the Immigration services would consider suspect and make me reapply for everything again. I don't want to rock the boat.

What are your thoughts?

[Grant PDX 183]

I don't have specific info on this, but in general the US (like most countries) isn't really that concerned about your citizenship with other countries. Your status here, once approved, has a lot more to do with your time here than with your citizenship in other countries. I don't think it would be an issue. Again, not specific info, but for the most part I don't believe they would attach that much significance to it.

[bigdog 377]

Maybe you can keep both of them, if you give one up, keep it to show your stamps etc.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Why would you renounce your Irish one? Do you have to? If you don't I wouldn't.

Immigration doesn't care about your other citizenships but if you DO renounce it i would carry proof of it for when you switch it over

[newacct 688]

Being born in Northern Ireland, I'm allowed to have either an Irish or British Passport.

Not true. You're a citizen of both Ireland and Britain. As such, you can have both passports. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland#Citizenship_and_identity

People born in Northern Ireland are, with some exceptions, deemed by UK law to be citizens of the United Kingdom. They are also, with similar exceptions, entitled to be citizens of Ireland. This entitlement was reaffirmed in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement between the British and Irish governments, which provides that:

"...it is the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose, and accordingly [the two governments] confirm that their right to hold both British and Irish citizenship is accepted by both Governments and would not be affected by any future change in the status of Northern Ireland.

The U.S. doesn't really care when a green card holder gains or loses citizenships or presents a different citizenship than when they first got it.