Dual Citizen - which passport to use with TSA?

[prolixus 6]

Not sure if this has been specifically address or not, but I was wondering. I was naturalized yesterday and am now a dual Canadian/US citizen. I know I have to use the passport for the country I am entering at the border, but I've read that you have to use that countries passport with officials from that country as well, like at an exit border. Canada and the US don't have exit borders, not in airports anyway.

 

My question is this: is it okay for me to use my Canadian passport with TSA, and US passport with the Canadian TSA? 

 

Thanks!

[Dashinka 24,513]

If your names on the two passports are the same, then either will work as long as it matches the name on the ticket.  When my wife travels to Russia we get her tickets in her Russian passport name and she uses that for TSA.

 

Good Luck!

[Zoe M 20]

9 minutes ago, prolixus said:

Not sure if this has been specifically address or not, but I was wondering. I was naturalized yesterday and am now a dual Canadian/US citizen. I know I have to use the passport for the country I am entering at the border, but I've read that you have to use that countries passport with officials from that country as well, like at an exit border. Canada and the US don't have exit borders, not in airports anyway.

 

My question is this: is it okay for me to use my Canadian passport with TSA, and US passport with the Canadian TSA? 

 

Thanks!

Here read this: https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/85389/what-is-the-penalty-for-us-citizens-entering-leaving-the-us-on-a-foreign-passpor

 

“The law requiring US citizens to "bear" a US passport when leaving and entering the US is the Immigration and Naturalization Act section 215, found at 8 USC § 1185, Travel control of citizens and aliens, subsection (b)”

 

Not sure if this answers your question but I guess you have to use your US passport with the TSA too when you are exiting the country?

[prolixus 6]

My full name is the same on both passports, and that article says it doesn't matter which passport i use with TSA. Looks like they're just trying to match the name on the passport with the name on the ticket, so I should be fine. Thanks!!

[NikLR 13,227]

Normally what you will do is use your Canadian passport when you enter Canadan so at Canadian customs and your US passport when entering the USA (either in a US airport, border location, or during pre-clearance.)

 

When leaving the USA, use your US passport or drivers license at the airport going through security if you want  and vice versa but it doesnt really matter. 

Edited April 12, 2019 by NikLR

[Going through 5,671]

I use my US passport when buying the ticket and boarding the flight out of the US.  

 

I use my Canadian passport when entering Canada.   You can use the US one to enter Canada as well, but I've found it easier/less questions about my "time abroad" using the Canadian one.  If you use Canadian one to enter Canada, they may ask you how long you "visited" the US for (I just reply that I live/reside there).

 

Canada doesn't have the same requirements entering Canada as US does when entering the US (in other words, you don't HAVE to enter declaring yourself as a Canadian citizen/use a Canadian passport to enter Canada as a citizen)...but in my opinion it's easier to do so.

 

When returning to the US (whether traveling by land or air), I use my US passport.  That's really the most important thing.

 

Edited April 12, 2019 by Going through
forgot period

[Zoe M 20]

4 minutes ago, prolixus said:

My full name is the same on both passports, and that article says it doesn't matter which passport i use with TSA. Looks like they're just trying to match the name on the passport with the name on the ticket, so I should be fine. Thanks!!

Ha oops! Didn’t see the TSA comment on the article  

[prolixus 6]

Thanks for all the responses. Seems like its probably more important to show US officials a US form of identification, but in Canada its not as big of a deal. I'll still use my Canadian passport when entering Canada at the border. Thanks again!

[payxibka 10,045]

1 minute ago, prolixus said:

Thanks for all the responses. Seems like its probably more important to show US officials a US form of identification,

Not true, for ID purposes its needs to be a government issued

[prolixus 6]

@payxibka Yeah, that is what I meant. As @NikLR had said, use a US form of identification like US passport or drivers license. I will probably just show US officials my US passport to play it safe. 

[payxibka 10,045]

7 minutes ago, prolixus said:

@payxibka Yeah, that is what I meant. As @NikLR had said, use a US form of identification like US passport or drivers license. I will probably just show US officials my US passport to play it safe. 

Might have been what you meant but not what I meant.  Millions of visitors come to the USA each year that don't have a US ID.  They use an ID issued by a government other than the u.s. 

[prolixus 6]

@payxibka My apologies, I made this thread asking specifically as a dual citizen with the US. I know that foreign citizens use ID issued by their government. 

[payxibka 10,045]

10 minutes ago, prolixus said:

@payxibka My apologies, I made this thread asking specifically as a dual citizen with the US. I know that foreign citizens use ID issued by their government. 

For ID purposes, it does not matter if you are dual or single citizenship, the requirement is any valid government issued ID.  The only time it matters which passport you use is when you pass through immigration 

[Hypnos 6,576]

Interestingly, whilst federal law requires US citizens to both exit and enter the US on a US passport, there is no penalty for not doing so. The penalty was eliminated around 1979 (i think it was something like a fine of up to $5,000), so now it's a offence (a US citizen failing to enter the US on a US passport) with no corresponding punishment. 

Edited April 12, 2019 by Hypnos

[geowrian 22,337]

If you're not changing countries, then any valid government ID is fine.

If you are moving between countries, then use  the US passport for the US side of things and the Canadian passport for the Canada side of things.

Edited April 12, 2019 by geowrian