If I become a citizen but have not yet received my passport, can I travel overseas with my foreign passport?

[LightDisplay 6]

@Zaidba - I agree.  Airlines submit every passengers details entering and exiting the US. What the Govt does with that info and how it is used is not visible to the public. Could be that's how they monitor if a criminal is trying to exit to avoid facing charges.

[xyz12345 260]

On 7/3/2020 at 11:30 AM, Zaidba said:

I have quoted you USCIS that every citizen has to use US passport in and out. The airline submits your details to USCIS when you leave. Note that I-94 would register all your exits and entries from the information they get from airlines.

https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home

In theory LPRs shouldn't have their travel histories recorded in the I-94 but some do/did.  USCs don't have their travel history recorded in the I-94.

 

 

On 7/3/2020 at 12:12 PM, LightDisplay said:

@Zaidba - I agree.  Airlines submit every passengers details entering and exiting the US. What the Govt does with that info and how it is used is not visible to the public. Could be that's how they monitor if a criminal is trying to exit to avoid facing charges.

Come to think of it, imo it would have been better to have LPR and USC travel history in the I-94 since the Govt has a record of it anyway. Maybe they do that to have our data more secured? I have no idea.

[kiwibean 48]

I was stopped at the border (naturalized US citizen with US-born citizen children).  It wasn't clear what the problem was, but they chided me for using my NZ passport while I was in NZ/Australia.  I was told I had to use only my US passport while traveling.  

(they sent me to secondary screening, made us wait there for a couple of hours and then told me to only use my US passport and let me go)

Edited July 9, 2020 by kiwibean

[gregcrs2 1,778]

3 minutes ago, kiwibean said:

I was stopped at the border (naturalized US citizen with US-born citizen children).  It wasn't clear what the problem was, but they chided me for using my NZ passport while I was in NZ/Australia.  I was told I had to use only my US passport while traveling.  

(they sent me to secondary screening, made us wait there for a couple of hours and then told me to only use my US passport and let me go)

that doesn't make any sense at all.  

[kiwibean 48]

Just now, gregcrs2 said:

that doesn't make any sense at all.  

Yes.  But this is immigration we're talking about!

 

Interestingly enough, we went to NZ earlier this year.  My son had to show his NZ passport when leaving the country (he didn't have 6 months validity on his US passport. I knew that didn't matter for coming back into the US - it was valid 2 months after we returned).  But we had no problems at all when we re-entered the country.  I've always been quite careful with which passport I use after that one time we were stopped.

[aaron2020 11,651]

24 minutes ago, gregcrs2 said:

that doesn't make any sense at all.  

It makes complete sense since US citizens are required to use their US passports to enter the US. 

How is CBP suppose to know that she's a US citizen when she's using a NZ passport to enter the US?

Edited July 9, 2020 by aaron2020

[gregcrs2 1,778]

6 minutes ago, aaron2020 said:

It makes complete sense since US citizens are required to use their US passports to enter the US. 

How is CBP suppose to know that she's a US citizen when she's using a NZ passport to enter the US?

Read the bold part below again please.  

 

36 minutes ago, kiwibean said:

I was stopped at the border (naturalized US citizen with US-born citizen children).  It wasn't clear what the problem was, but they chided me for using my NZ passport while I was in NZ/Australia.  I was told I had to use only my US passport while traveling.  

(they sent me to secondary screening, made us wait there for a couple of hours and then told me to only use my US passport and let me go)

 

[aaron2020 11,651]

4 minutes ago, gregcrs2 said:

Read the bold part below again please.  

 

 

 

You should read the bold part again please.  She was stopped at the US border by CBP when she was entering the US.

 

43 minutes ago, kiwibean said:

I was stopped at the border (naturalized US citizen with US-born citizen children).  It wasn't clear what the problem was, but they chided me for using my NZ passport while I was in NZ/Australia.  I was told I had to use only my US passport while traveling.  

(they sent me to secondary screening, made us wait there for a couple of hours and then told me to only use my US passport and let me go)

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by aaron2020

[gregcrs2 1,778]

2 minutes ago, aaron2020 said:

 

You should read the bold part again please.  She was stopped at the US border by CBP when she was entering the US.

 

 

It was never stated that they used a foreign passport to try to enter the USA.  And we all get stopped at the border.

Edited July 9, 2020 by gregcrs2

[aaron2020 11,651]

1 minute ago, gregcrs2 said:

It was never stated that they used a foreign passport to try to enter the USA.

Read the bold part again.  Who do you think sent her to secondary screening?  Think logically, whey would NZ or Australia chide her for using an NZ passport at their border?  

Edited July 9, 2020 by aaron2020

[gregcrs2 1,778]

Just now, aaron2020 said:

Read the bold part again.  Who do you think sent her to secondary screening?

I'm going by what was stated.  That's why I said it makes no sense.  CBP telling them they had to only US their US passport while traveling.  

[aaron2020 11,651]

4 minutes ago, gregcrs2 said:

I'm going by what was stated.  That's why I said it makes no sense.  CBP telling them they had to only US their US passport while traveling.  

Which border do you think she was at?  Who do you think chided her for using an NZ passport?  Who do you think sent her to secondary screening? 

Think logically.  

You've been on VJ long enough to know that dual citizens can travel internationally on whichever passport they want, but must use a US passport to enter the US.  

Edited July 9, 2020 by aaron2020

[gregcrs2 1,778]

3 minutes ago, aaron2020 said:

Which border do you think she was at?  Who do you think chided her for using an NZ passport?  Who do you think sent her to secondary screening?  Think logically.  

"they chided me for using my NZ passport while I was in NZ/Australia"  

[aaron2020 11,651]

5 minutes ago, gregcrs2 said:

"they chided me for using my NZ passport while I was in NZ/Australia"  

Read the bold part.

 

1 hour ago, kiwibean said:

I was stopped at the border (naturalized US citizen with US-born citizen children).  It wasn't clear what the problem was, but they chided me for using my NZ passport while I was in NZ/Australia.  I was told I had to use only my US passport while traveling.  

(they sent me to secondary screening, made us wait there for a couple of hours and then told me to only use my US passport and let me go)

The problem wasn't clear to Kiwibean, but it was clear to CBP. 

Kiwibean thinks it was about using her/his NZ passport while in NZ/Australia.  It wasn't.  It was about using his/her NZ passport to enter the US.

You've been on VJ long enough to be aware of all of this.  US citizens are required to use US passports to enter the US. 

Edited July 9, 2020 by aaron2020

[gregcrs2 1,778]

@kiwibean, please clarify.  Did you try to enter the US on your NZ passport?