Not Over Yet? Nope!

[Bugs 455]

So the Oath Ceremony is done and you have your certificate in hand, long immigration journey finally complete and over!  Yay!

 

Or is it?

 

Well let's see...

 

After you have your certificate in hand, you likely will need to apply for a US passport, requiring an application, photos, photocopies, fees, and a several week wait.

 

Then after that (at least 10 days after the Oath Ceremony due to the SSA needing to verify through USCIS), you must go to the Social Security Administration to notify them of your new status.  This must be done in person, requires a form, the original naturalization certificate or US passport, and a likely long wait in the SSA waiting room.

 

Then after that (at least 24 hours after notifying the SSA due to the DMV needing to verify through the SSA), you must go to the state DMV to notify them of your new status.  More forms to fill out, more original documents to bring, and an all morning or all afternoon wait in their waiting room.

 

And that's not even counting the dual citizenship process...

 

[lucybelle 453]

I was just thinking about this! I was thinking "we will be all done in a few months"

 

Then I remembered- passport, social security, DMV.

 

I still believe we can be fine by the end of the year. And then... TEQUILA!

[Going through 5,671]

24 minutes ago, Bugs said:

And that's not even counting the dual citizenship process...

Wait..what process is this??

I was under the impression that if the country of origin allows dual, then there's nothing that needs to be formally done?

[Bugs 455]

1 hour ago, Going through said:

Wait..what process is this??

I was under the impression that if the country of origin allows dual, then there's nothing that needs to be formally done?

Depends on the country.  

 

Some countries you do nothing and are automatically a dual citizen, as is the case with Canada.  Some countries, you lose your citizenship of that country upon receiving US citizenship and must go through an application process to re-obtain citizenship of that country and become a dual citizen, as is the case with the Philippines.  Some countries, you lose your citizenship of that country and cannot be a dual citizen, such as China or Japan.

 

The US itself, of course, allows dual citizenship, or we wouldn't be having this conversation, but it wasn't always that way.  This was due to evolving interpretation of the oath to that you take to "renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen" that you take when becoming a US citizen.  This used to be interpreted as a renunciation of foreign citizenship, but has since then been interpreted in court as meaning that, while the US is your primary allegiance, you can still be a citizen in another country (that allows it).

 

 

Edited July 18, 2017 by Bugs

[Going through 5,671]

Thanks for explaining that!  I know many countries allow auto-dual, but I didn't know that for the countries that don't allow this at least have an option available for someone to apply to have their citizenship recognized as dual---that's a good thing.

 

I feel for those people who have another set of forms/processes in their home countries after obtain USC.

 

What's amusing to me, is that in Canada they won't legally recognize that I would have become a USC at all.  Going through the process to have my US-born daughter receive her proof of Canadian citizenship, I was told by two separate officials that the word "dual" really means nothing in Canada.  According to them, we're both "just Canadians".  Reassuring, in a way.  At the same time a bit globally conceited lol

Edited July 18, 2017 by Going through

[Bugs 455]

1 minute ago, Going through said:

Thanks for explaining that!  I know many countries allow auto-dual, but I didn't know that for the countries that don't allow this at least have an option available for someone to apply to have their citizenship recognized as dual---that's a good thing.

 

I feel for those people who have another set of forms/processes in their home countries after obtain USC.

I'm one of those (Philippines) but thank goodness it's not as long, cumbersome, and expensive as the process is to obtain a US citizenship.  It just requires a trip to the Philippine consulate with an application, $50 fee, a few original documents, and an oath, and, boom, done.

[Going through 5,671]

2 minutes ago, Bugs said:

I'm one of those (Philippines) but thank goodness it's not as long, cumbersome, and expensive as the process is to obtain a US citizenship.  It just requires a trip to the Philippine consulate with an application, $50 fee, a few original documents, and an oath, and, boom, done.

Good!

[Going through 5,671]

Once a person becomes dual...how is that handled when border crossing?  You know when the officer asks "how long have you been in____? What was the purpose of your visit?" questions.

 

I mean for those who plan on now spending months at a time outside of the US...let's say 6 months or more but maintaining residence in the US still...I've always wondered how those questions are answered.  

 

Crossing back into America with a Canadian passport I'm always asked "what's the purpose of your visit to the US" to which I answer "I live here, and then produce my greencard".  (And then the opposite questions when crossing into Canada from the US of how long I've been in the States)

 

But without a GC once becoming a USC, and a holder of both passports with the ability to reside in both countries and no travel limit...what am I supposed to say then?  That I live in both countries, and show both passports?

[Bugs 455]

1 hour ago, CookieCat said:

To add to your list of things to be done post-oath:

- Those of us who have global entry from our green cards will now have to visit an airport in person to transfer our global entry perks to the U.S. passport. My nearest airport is Milwaukee but their timings are horrible so I have to go to Chicago O' Hare just for that. 

- Register to vote (No feature for people like me to register right outside the oath place because my city/county is different from oath's city/county)

- I'm still debating if I should let French consulate know of my dual citizenship even though I know France allows dual. I need to research on that.

 

Never heard of the global entry program, so I looked it up.  Is it worth it? Did it take a lengthy process to gain this perk?

[KULtoATL 1,551]

4 hours ago, CookieCat said:

To add to your list of things to be done post-oath:

- Those of us who have global entry from our green cards will now have to visit an airport in person to transfer our global entry perks to the U.S. passport. My nearest airport is Milwaukee but their timings are horrible so I have to go to Chicago O' Hare just for that. 

- Register to vote (No feature for people like me to register right outside the oath place because my city/county is different from oath's city/county)

- I'm still debating if I should let French consulate know of my dual citizenship even though I know France allows dual. I need to research on that.

 

Curious, can I apply for the Global Entry with a conditional green card that was resulted by a K-1 entry?

[KULtoATL 1,551]

Just now, CookieCat said:

Absolutely! I had a conditional green card when I first got global entry. As long as your background is clean, you can definitely apply!

Thank you for the info. Would so totally look into applying for this. Did you apply for TSA Precheck as well? 

[BahamaIslander242 244]

Cool stuff 

[Bugs 455]

1 hour ago, CookieCat said:

I highly recommend it to anyone who travels frequently enough, who doesn't mind coughing up $100 and who has a clean background. The application is somewhat exhaustive but for people like us who have been through adjustment of status, the application is far easier. I don't remember the details but I believe it asks addresses for the last few years and employment. Once you submit the application online, you are "pre-approved" if everything in the application checks out. Then you're asked to select a date and time to appear at any airport that has global entry enrollment centers. Then on the day you chose, you're interviewed. The wait can be really long. I had to wait one hour because of the queue but that's also because I was at O'Hare. However the interview part was the easiest interview in my life with very basic questions asked and lasted 5 minutes. Just as we left O'Hare, I got an e-mail to check my status (similar to USCIS e-mails and texts). When I logged into my account, there was an approval letter. The global entry card arrived in the mail in about 7 days.

 

I got it in December 2014 and I am really glad I did. Since then, I have never have had to wait in the long lines when going and coming back during international trips. When leaving, some of the TSA agents treat you better (like flight attendants in business or first class) and get done with you quickly. When coming back, you slide your green card (or U.S. passport once you become a U.S. citizen) under the scanner in any number of global entry kiosks. The kiosk takes a picture of you then spits out a receipt that you hand over to customs on your way out. I was done in a minute. No border patrol agent to question me how long I was gone, why I was gone, why am I coming back yada yada. No human interaction at all. From the time I got off the plane to the time I go to baggage claim is about 7 minutes. I literally timed myself one time to see how quick it was.

 

As for the handful of domestic trips I've done, same thing; TSA agents are nicer and quicker. There is also a separate line for global entry where you need not take your shoes or take your computer out of the bag. However at one of domestic trips, TSA agents wanted everybody to take their shoes off regardless of having global entry or not so TSA and CBP have full discretion and you could get unlucky on a trip. But that was once for me among 7 international + 5 domestic trips and I wouldn't hesitate to renew again every 5 years. 

Awesome, thanks for the thorough information. I might consider it!  How much is it to renew & do you have to renew in person or is it by mail?

[JoannaV 174]

6 hours ago, CookieCat said:

- Register to vote (No feature for people like me to register right outside the oath place because my city/county is different from oath's city/county)

 

So if my oath is in the neighboring county will I not be able to register to vote? My original impression/assumption was that registering to vote at the oath was kind of like volunteers helping you to fill out a form to apply via mail sort of thing. Similar to how people register voters at, like, the vegetarian fair. (I HAVE NO IDEA LOL.)

Now, at my interview, the officer told me that to register to vote I needed to go to the DMV, update my citizenship status, and register to vote that way.

[nooha 16]

i didnt know "if approved of course" we should go to DMV. why DMV?