How do passports work with dual citizenship

[madj22 7]

Hello!

 

 

 

I received my naturalization certificate yesterday! I am now a dual Canadian/American citizen!!!

 

 

 

I feel like I keep reading and hearing some conflicting information on passport etiquette.

 

Since I am residing in the USA- do I leave and enter the states (when I am going to visit Canada) on my USA passport? Could I use my Canadian one? I feel like they would wonder why I am living in the USA and using my Canadian passport with no greencard?

 

 

My other question is that I really want to be able to go home for Christmas. I’ve heard that if you have travel within 14 days you can get an emergency passport appointment and sometimes get a same day passport… But how do I book my flight when I don’t have an American passport yet?

 

 

I’ve heard that you must leave with the same passport you enter with?

 

 

I’ve heard I cannot leave the country until I have my new passport even though I have my Canadian one?

 

 

When I am flying do I need to bring both passports?

 

[JeanneAdil 6,494]

"   i  have heard"    from  where?

 

 

you can travel on your canadian passport and reenter 

take copy of the naturalization paper 

 

BTW my husband uses both when going back home

he enters Moroc on that passport and back to the US on US passport

 

buying a round trip airline ticket ,  u would only enter one passport # (by the site itself)

but what u present to the ticket agent when signing in at ticket counter is your choice

Edited November 3, 2022 by JeanneAdil

[OldUser 6,636]

It's just best to:

Leave and enter the US on US passport

Leave and enter Canada on Canadian passport

 

This way you will have a smooth ride.

 

You can enter Canada on US passport as a dual citizen.

 

But I'm not sure how easy it would be to enter the US on Canadian passport. It's not advisable. You probably can enter the US with certificate of naturalization by land. Not sure about flying. 

 

 

[OldUser 6,636]

38 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

BTW my husband uses both when going back home

he enters Moroc on that passport and back to the US on US passport

Right, most countries require to leave and enter using their passport if traveller is their citizen.

[CMJuilland 485]

Nothing too conflicting at all: 

U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport to travel to or from a country other than the United States is not inconsistent with U.S. law.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/Advice-about-Possible-Loss-of-US-Nationality-Dual-Nationality/Dual-Nationality.html#:~:text=U.S. nationals%2C including dual nationals,enter and leave that country.

 

From what I remember from last year when I got naturalized, passports didn’t take that long; I think I got mine within about a month (exact dates should still be in my signature). We, too, had gotten plane tickets to travel for Christmas, and I just edited my info after I got my passport. From what I remember, it wasn’t a big deal at all. 

I don’t know anything about Canada’s border policies, so I can’t speak to that. I entered Switzerland on my U.S. passport and said I wanted to be treated like an American (I also wanted a stamp in my newly-issued passport), which, in Switzerland’s case, is not a problem at all. 

I would just apply for a passport asap, and there is even a passport tracking subthread where you can follow other people’s timelines. Good luck with everything; you’ll have your passport way before Christmas if you apply now. 

[Mike E 11,739]

When I check in for a flight from USA to Canada, I present my U.S. passport to the airline. When I land I present my Canadian passport to CBSA. 
 

Note that  for part of the pandemic, Canada’s ports of entry were closed to foreigners. In that situation I also presented my Canadian passport to the airline to board.  
 

When I check in for a flight from Canada to USA, I present my U.S. passport to the airline. When I arrive at the port of entry (usually a 100 feet away) I present my U.S. passport to CBP.  
 

Sometimes I travel to a third country from Canada.  Sometimes I present my U.S. passport to the airline and sometimes my Canadian passport.  It depends which passport has the visa I need to enter the destination country.  
 

Generally though I prefer the protection of a U.S. passport over a Canadian passport, and so will use my U.S. passport to enter third countries.
 

 While  you are waiting for your U.S. passport and passport card to arrive, you can enter Canada / Mexico  by land using your Canadian passport and return to the U.S. by land using a photocopy of your naturalization certificate.  From there, travel to a fourth country at will. 

Edited November 3, 2022 by Mike E

[OldUser 6,636]

11 minutes ago, Mike E said:

When I check in for a flight from USA to Canada, I present my U.S. passport to the airline. When I land I present my Canadian passport to CBSA. 

Why are you showing US passport to airline? To me it would make sense to show Canadian passport to both airline and CBSA on outbound trip.

[nastra30 2,284]

The US does require you to leave and enter the US with a US passport. However, the nuisance is that the US has no exit control by CBP like other countries. So for me personally, I check in with the airline with my Ghana Passport when I'm flying to Ghana because my Ghana passport allows me to enter Ghana visa-free. If I use US Passport to check in, I'll need a visa to travel to Ghana even though I'm a dual citizen. On my return flight to the US I check in with my US passport. 

Therefore, the lack of exist control makes it difficult for US to enforce the leave and enter with your US passport rule. On the other hand they can't deny you entry because you didn't exit with your US passport.

[Mike E 11,739]

5 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Why are you showing US passport to airline?

It’s the law and I have global entry and don’t want to break this law. 
 

Since U.S. citizens have a visa exemption there is no need for me to reveal my Canadian passport  to the airline  and thus complicate things. 
 

If U.S. citizens required a visa to enter Canada, I would present both passport to the airline.  
 

Quote

To me it would make sense to show Canadian passport to both airline and CBSA on outbound trip.

Indeed.  

Edited November 3, 2022 by Mike E

[OldUser 6,636]

4 minutes ago, Mike E said:

It’s the law and I have global entry and don’t want to break this law.

I thought the reason to show the a passport to airline so they can check whether you meet the requirements of destination country, not check which passport you leave US with?

 

Then, when you go through TSA you can show them US passport?

 

With dual US/EU it's more straightforward. You show airline the passport you're entering the destination with (for example US), and show passport of your citizenship when exiting your European country to border control.

[Sukie 1,459]

Each country has different rules.  In our case, my spouse is dual US/Australia.

 

She leaves the US by showing both passports to the check-in agent.  The US passport is shown to leave the US and the Australian passport  is shown to be allowed to board the plane to Australia without a visa, or, Australia's equivalent of ESTA.

 

She arrives in Australia and goes through immigration with her Australian passport.

 

She leaves Australia by showing her US passport to the check-in agent to authorize her to board the plane, and her Australian passport to the immigration agent to leave the country.

 

She uses her US passport go through immigration when she arrives in the US.

 

If we travel to a British Commonwealth country, she uses her Australian passport both going and coming.  If we travel to another country (like Hong Kong or Japan), she uses the US passport both going and coming.

 

Me?  US passport all the way (with an Australian permanent residency visa attached.)

 

Sukie in NY

[OldUser 6,636]

8 minutes ago, Sukie said:

She leaves the US by showing both passports to the check-in agent. 

Does the agent even use any information in from the US passport? Why would they?

 

Sorry I'm just curious as to how US dual citizenship works from your family's first hand experience. Thank you

Edited November 3, 2022 by OldUser

[Sukie 1,459]

15 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Does the agent even use any information in from the US passport? Why would they?

 

Sorry I'm just curious as to how US dual citizenship works from your family's first hand experience. Thank you

When we book a flight originating in the US, it is her US passport that is connected to the ticket.  Therefore, for identity purposes, AND for leaving the US purposes, the airline check-in person needs to see the US passport.  The check-in person ALSO needs to see the Australian passport to authorize her to board the aircraft.

 

Is that helpful?

 

Sukie in NY

[JeanneAdil 6,494]

1 hour ago, OldUser said:

Why are you showing US passport to airline? To me it would make sense to show Canadian passport to both airline and CBSA on outbound trip.

we pull out both and let the ticket agent decide

Adil has traveled in and out of the country using either

 

when we took the Niagara land port to cross to see the Canadian side of the falls ,  he just used TN state issued enhanced DL for international travel

 

[da95826 387]

I am an USA/Irish citizen. On a trip to Brazil I needed a visa with a USA passport and no visa on the Irish passport so I used my Irish passport for the trip. I used the Irish passport to check into a flight to Brazil and the Irish passport to enter and exit Brazil. I used my US passport to check in for the flight home and to enter the USA.