Presenting your US passport to TSA when traveling internationally

[Boston17 19]

Within the USA, you should always show your US passport- its easiest and most trustworthy for TSA to see a USA passport. This way if they pull you up for additional screening for whatever reason, your USA passport will help them look you up in their internal records. Just my 2 cents!

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

3 hours ago, EternalForeigner said:

I had wondered about going through TSA because as a former international student and permanent resident my departures from the US were always recorded on the I-94 system despite there being no exit controls

That information comes from the airlines, not TSA.

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

2 hours ago, Boston17 said:

Within the USA, you should always show your US passport- its easiest and most trustworthy for TSA to see a USA passport. This way if they pull you up for additional screening for whatever reason, your USA passport will help them look you up in their internal records. Just my 2 cents!

Maybe that was the case before it took 3 months to get a new passport. I'd rather risk losing my DL while traveling than my passport because of the replacement hassle, especially if I'd potentially want the ability to travel out the country at short notice. Some have suggested getting a passport card for this reason, which kind of makes sense i guess, but it never occurred to me because i have traveled countless times inside the country on a DL and never once got an eyelid batted... not even sure what kind of things would need to happen for them to pull you for additional screening on a domestic flight?

[EternalForeigner 57]

7 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Maybe that was the case before it took 3 months to get a new passport. I'd rather risk losing my DL while traveling than my passport because of the replacement hassle, especially if I'd potentially want the ability to travel out the country at short notice. Some have suggested getting a passport card for this reason, which kind of makes sense i guess, but it never occurred to me because i have traveled countless times inside the country on a DL and never once got an eyelid batted... not even sure what kind of things would need to happen for them to pull you for additional screening on a domestic flight?

I've never tried going through TSA with my DL if my boarding pass had an international destination so I always thought (wrongly as it turns out) that I had to show a passport since it's an international destination lol. I say this knowing the difference between TSA/exit control/airlines and which documents they demand you see and for which purpose.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

35 minutes ago, EternalForeigner said:

I've never tried going through TSA with my DL if my boarding pass had an international destination so I always thought (wrongly as it turns out) that I had to show a passport since it's an international destination lol. I say this knowing the difference between TSA/exit control/airlines and which documents they demand you see and for which purpose.

the post you responded to was in the context of talking about using a passport for domestic travel, though…I just think that’s an unnecessary risk in case of document loss.
 

Even if you show a passport for an international destination it does not have to be “the passport which you are officially using to leave the US”. The point being there is no one in the US at exit who asks to see that.  

[EternalForeigner 57]

15 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

the post you responded to was in the context of talking about using a passport for domestic travel, though…I just think that’s an unnecessary risk in case of document loss.
 

Even if you show a passport for an international destination it does not have to be “the passport which you are officially using to leave the US”. The point being there is no one in the US at exit who asks to see that.  

Ah I didn’t notice that bit. And it seems very clear now. Thank you and everyone else for your thoughts and sharing your experiences. 

[top_secret 2,421]

TSA are simply security guards.  They have no connection at all with any immigration related matters.

[randy32 165]

When leaving the US, show TSA you US passport or which ever id to get you pass security.

Show the airlines the US passport with visa or foreign passport. Use same to enter the foreign country unless US passport gives you an advantage.

 

For your return, while it is sometimes easier using your US passport to exit, some countries will ask you for the "id or visa"  that gave you the right to be there.

In that case, use your foreign passport to exit the foreign country and US passport to enter the US. Also use your US passport with the airlines.

 

I would refrain from showing both passports unless I have to