Naey

Hey folks - I wanted to share an update here so that anyone facing a similar problem knows how this worked in our specific case if facing a similar one in the future. My husband was able to leave the country on his German passport, then successfully submit a passport application using form DS-11 with his Naturalization Certificate as proof of citizenship at the US Embassy in Berlin. He'll receive his passport at the German address we're staying at in about three weeks time. As other users advise above, I'd encourage you all not to violate a federal statute, especially not if other options work for you. In our case, our Senator said "Can't help you," and there were no emergency or urgent passport appointments available anywhere in the US, even in Hawai'i before my husband and I needed to be in Germany to take care of his father. Still, if you have no other option, it is an option to leave on one passport and apply for your first full passport abroad as a naturalized citizen. For anyone curious about more detail: The embassy was not thrilled with my husband when he first arrived to his passport application appointment and the first question he was asked was, "So why did you leave the US without a passport? This is not the way to do this." Upon explaining the situation, the case worker gruffly responded that, "Well this isn't a real passport we give you, it's an emergency one-use passport." My husband asked if a real one was possible since he was going to be in Germany taking care of his father for two months and the case worker's mood immediately changed. After that, it was no problem at all and the entire appointment took about ten minutes with a much nicer tone to the conversation. My takeaway is that the case workers do not like having to issue emergency passports to non-passport holders, but are more than willing to issue first passports to citizens outside of the country if they have time to wait for a passport. The case worker quite bluntly acknowledged that the passport situation in the States was absurd. Hope this helps others in the future!

Thanks for going into more detail, that makes me optimistic about the trek. This week hasn't seen any movement from DoS or the Senator's office. To your question, because of his family situation and a couple of employers actively (in writing) saying they can't employ him as a Greencard holder as they only employ citizens, he was able to successfully apply for a Beibehaltungsbescheinigung from Germany to keep his citizenship and take on the American one. It took about 14 months and made the citizenship application complicated as we had to postpone his interview for over a year, which we only managed by letting the case "close" then reopening it.

By the DoS phone line and whoever took the call at Baldwin's office last week. We'll keep trying there and the DoS Passport call line, but I'm not optimistic anything will change. To your point on bearing a passport. I'd refer to this post: There are quite a few similar threads like it here, but they either mention an emergency limited use passport or the thread dies without an update. We have time to wait for a full passport but just wonder if they'll even issue one. Thanks again, though!

Unfortunately, that's not been our experience re: Senators being helpful. We've been told that there are no appointments available nationwide before the 15th, emergency or no. Additionally, as other posts on this forum have confirmed, there are a number of freshly minted US citizens who have left the country on another passport; the posts just end without confirming whether they got their passport abroad or came back in through land via Canada or Mexico. Again, the question is if he can apply for his first passport abroad. Thanks though!

Hey folks - After years of applications, interviews, and sometimes lengthy, sometimes quick responses to applications, my partner had his oath ceremony last week and is officially a citizen. Now the tricky part. His father is in poor health, not dying, but in need of familial assistance, and we were set to visit said father for three months in Germany to help set up caregiving services. His flight is on the 15th of July and he received his Naturalization Certificate the day of his ceremony, on the 6th. We've been calling the DoS Passport agency line for urgent travel as early as July 1st and there are 0 appointments nationwide for first time applicants traveling in 14 days. We're calling every day and each day, nothing is open. He still holds his German citizenship (through a Beibehaltungsbescheinigung for anyone interested) and we have a place to stay in Germany for the time we're there and we're confident he can leave the country on his German passport without any issue given what I've read from other posts here. My question then: Can he apply for his first passport abroad? The embassy website specifically lists a Certificate of Naturalization as one of the "proofs of citizenship" allowed for such applications. But there's a fair bit of mixed information on the "grey zone" of leaving on your other passport and older posts here aren't conclusive about the situation. We would be there long enough for him to receive the passport and can also stay in Germany longer if needed. Thanks for any insight!