? about passports, dual citizenship, and traveling...

[NCMom]

Due to a family issue, I need to go to my husband's country (one of the Leeward Islands) with him the middle of October. He travels home once every few of years or so using his home island passport to get in there and his permanent alien resident card to get in and out of here.

 

However, we haven't traveled together in years, and back then you did not need a passport to go to the Caribbean. My passport expired a loong time ago. Getting us all US passports was on my to-do list for this year, lol, since we were supposed to all go next fall.

 

So my questions...

1. I do have my passport from his country though, as I am a dual citizen. But I'm guessing that I can't get back in to the US with just that??? His happy go-lucky relatives :D are trying to convince me that this will work. I highly doubt it, lol.

 

2. Can I get a US passport before Oct 10?? Is that crazy? I'll pay the expedited fee, overnight fees, etc. But how much does that actually expedite, in your experience?

 

Uugh. I HATE last minute stuff.

 

thanks for any advice!

Georgia

[jen3kids]

You're right, you cannot get back into the US with a foreign passport. You have to prove you're allowed to live here.

 

You can 'probably' get it before Oct 10. I got ours within 3 weeks without having it expedited! That was a few years ago though.

 

Good luck.

[NCMom]

Thanks for the reply!

 

So my options are:

 

1. submit the regular way, but pay overnight both ways and pay the expedited fees. Bump the travel to the last possible dates, praying that it gets here on time...

 

2. Bump the travel date up and drive to Atlanta the end of next week and get it that day, assuming they have open appointments. The travel has to be in < two weeks to do this.

 

 

I really hate driving to Atlanta. But it would be kinda sad if we couldn't go because the passports got hung up somewhere.

 

Ideas?

 

Thanks

Georgia

Edited September 21, 2012 by Georgia in NC
typo

[Starr]

You'll feel best if you go to Atlanta. Call now.

[dbmamaz]

The kids need passports too - we went through this with expedited everything when my Canadian husband's father was dx'd with stage 3 lung cancer. I'm pretty sure we got it all together in 3 weeks? He was still in process with his green card, though, and he was taken in a room and interrogated on the way home - no fun for a guy who is a total worrier to start with AND gets really ill flying.

 

The last time we went, we drove - they asked us three questions and waved us by. too bad that's not an option for you!

[Giraffe]

Dual citizens need the passports from both countries. The US does not check passports on the way out, but definitely does on the way in. You'll need the other country's passports for ease of entry and exit from that country. Your kids also need passports for each country (or at the least a US passport and whatever identity card is used for children in the other country).

 

Also, make sure both passports are stamped, especially the US one on entry to the other country and exit. Sometimes the immigration officials in the US check for stamps and it's supposedly a red flag if they can't identify where you went. You don't have to show the foreign passport on entry to the US, though the other country may want stamps in it for similar reasons as the USA.

 

As far as getting an expedited passport - you should be able to get it within 3 weeks if you expedite and do express shipping. I haven't had a problem yet getting a passport in that time frame.

 

Good luck!

[SkateLeft]

For the expedited passport, it really depends on where you live and how slow/busy the passport agency is.

 

In California, our expedited passport still took over 8 weeks to receive. (Our non-expedited passports took almost four months!) In Minnesota, the expedited passport we ordered this year only took two weeks.

 

October 10th would be cutting it close. I'd probably drive the distance and have the same day passport done.

[elfgivas]

drive.

 

we have dual. we exit and enter the usa on the american passport. its just simpler that way.

 

we always expedite, and pay overnight. sometimes, the american passports are here in 21 days. sometimes not. about 50/50.

 

if you have money to throw at the problem, you can pay an expeditor to do it for you.

 

hth,

ann

[kolamum]

You can call & ask how fast it will happen.

Expedited times should be listed on the website. ;)

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Just wanted to confirm what is already written- It is illegal for a US Citizen to enter the US on another passport. You MUST enter the US with your US passport.

[stripe]

Really? I don't see why that would be.

 

My understanding is that an American citizen must enter and exit the US on the US passport. I wouldn't have phrased it as "it is illegal not to," but that is my understanding of the requirement. Whatever one does outside the US, in terms os passport usage, is not really what the US is interested in, but one should deal with the country of citizenship using that passport.

 

I have never ad a passport take months to get, but I wouldn't push it in this case since it's so close.

[chiguirre]

You have to enter the US with your American passport. Other countries often require you to use their passport too, so you'll probably need both. I've never had US ICE have a problem with a lack of stamps in the kids' US passports when reentering the US and I'm sure they would accept the stamps in the other coutry's passport as proof of travel. It's obvious that they're dual citizens because their place of birth is printed in their US passports.

 

I had really good service at the US Passport Agency in Houston. It was much less stressful than going to our local post office. I'd drive to Atlanta if I were in your situation because you know exactly when you'll get your passport and the waiting area was comfortable and the process was quick and efficient.

 

Have a good trip!

[NCMom]

Thank you all!

 

The website says expediting is currently running 2-3 weeks but, bless their hearts, I just can't count on it, lol.

 

I am going to suck it up, buttercup, ;) drive to Atlanta, and get it. It won't cost much more that regular expediting because instead of over-nighting two ways I just have to pay for gas. Fortunately SC gas is super cheap so I'll grab some on the way down and some more on the way back.

 

Then I'm just gonna go ahead and make sure all three offspring have current versions of both passports by December of THIS year so I.never.have.to.do.this.again!!! (Until they expire, anyway, lol. But I hope by that time all offspring are dealing with their own legal documentation issues.)

 

Thanks for letting me think out loud here,

Georgia

[Harriet Vane]

Thanks for the reply!

 

So my options are:

 

1. submit the regular way, but pay overnight both ways and pay the expedited fees. Bump the travel to the last possible dates, praying that it gets here on time...

 

2. Bump the travel date up and drive to Atlanta the end of next week and get it that day, assuming they have open appointments. The travel has to be in < two weeks to do this.

 

 

I really hate driving to Atlanta. But it would be kinda sad if we couldn't go because the passports got hung up somewhere.

 

Ideas?

 

Thanks

Georgia

 

Go to Atlanta and get it done in a day. You're too close to travel time to risk otherwise.

[stripe]

For what it's worth, my passport was processed in Charleston! ;)

[Deb in NZ]

If a citizen of that country can come here without applying for a visa (meaning you can get an instant visa upon arrival) you CAN get back into the country. But where the problem will come up is that you won't be able to buy a one way ticket to come back.

 

I sat next to a woman on a plane once who ran into the same problem. She wanted to come back home to the US from Germany, but her US passport expired. They were willing to let her come to the US with the German passport, but she had to buy a round trip ticket.

 

In terms of the passport I think you will need to expedite it anyway you can because that is not much time.

 

You'll run into problems if you try this. Dual citizens HAVE to enter & leave their country of citizenship on that country's passport. ie I depart NZ on my NZ passport, enter & depart the States on my American passport, & enter NZ on my NZ passport. My last trip home I got a big lecture from immigration because I filled in our departure forms with my American passport info, thinking that this would show that I did not need a VISA :tongue_smilie: What it did was mess up immigration's records as they had a record of me entering NZ twice, but never departing in between :001_huh: They were NOT happy.

 

Phone & see what the passport office recommends in your case. Usually something can be worked out.

 

JMHO,

[Melissa in Australia]

I realise that America has different rules,

I have a friend that is duel Canadian/Australian. He recently went to Canada on his Australian passport. he was told to use the same passport in both countries, not his Canadian one once he got to Canada.

 

My DH just uses his Canadian passport with his residency for Australia stamp in it.

[Laura Corin]

We are (mostly) dual nationals of the UK and the US. We have to enter each country with that country's passport.

 

Laura

[Tap]

This spring, it took only a few weeks (less than a month) for ds to get his first passport.

[TechWife]

You can go to Atlanta (and a few other places, but this is closest to you) and they will do your passport while you wait. You must bring proof that you are traveling within two weeks. All passport information is on the U.S. State Department website.

 

My son's passport took about three weeks w/out being expedited, we applied for it in June.