Interview Tomorrow

[WhichWay2Go]

I am Filipino and I think it's legal and allowed to have a dual citizenship.

Congratulations dude. Thanks for the detailed report of the interview. I love practicing those questions.

Dual Citizenship. If the Philippines allows it then you probably need to do nothing but it would pay to check check with the Consulate. Start here...

http://www.gov.ph/

With dual you can use either the PI passport or the US Passport to leave here. There is no connection between the Passport you used to leave with the one used on arrival. It is two different countries.

When you arrive in PI you can again use either Passport but the US one will only get you 21 days stay unless you have a valid PI Visa for a defined length of stay. In your case I would use the either Passport to leave here and enter PI with the PI one. That way you can stay as long as you like. That's the great benefit of multiple Citizenship. You are not a visitor in your country of birth.

Coming back you will have to use your US Passport in order to leave and also get back into the States. The airlines (not the PI Government) will not let you check in without a US Passport, GC or valid US visa stamp in your PI Passport.

 

[sarrebal]

Congratulations dude. Thanks for the detailed report of the interview. I love practicing those questions.

Dual Citizenship. If the Philippines allows it then you probably need to do nothing but it would pay to check check with the Consulate. Start here...

http://www.gov.ph/

With dual you can use either the PI passport or the US Passport to leave here. There is no connection between the Passport you used to leave with the one used on arrival. It is two different countries.

When you arrive in PI you can again use either Passport but the US one will only get you 21 days stay unless you have a valid PI Visa for a defined length of stay. In your case I would use the either Passport to leave here and enter PI with the PI one. That way you can stay as long as you like. That's the great benefit of multiple Citizenship. You are not a visitor in your country of birth.

Coming back you will have to use your US Passport in order to leave and also get back into the States. The airlines (not the PI Government) will not let you check in without a US Passport, GC or valid US visa stamp in your PI Passport.

Actually you are required by law to use a US passport to leave the US as well.
Nobody ever checks though as there's no immigration in exit in the US so I don't know how they enforce that. The airline employee usually (usually doesn't mean always though) asks if you have a GC when you have a return ticket to the US as they would be penalized (and liable for your flight back) in case you are denied entry in the US.

 

[wifey246]

Thanks for that useful links!
I am Filipino and I think it's legal and allowed to have a dual citizenship. But I don't know where to start.

You have to go to the Philippine Embasssy, submit an Application Citizenship Retention and Re-Acquisition Form with 2 passport size photos of you and each of your minor child/ren, attach supporting documents and pay $85. Once it is approved, you get an Order of Approval and get to recite Oath of Allegiance before a Consular Officer.

Supporting documents are your naturalization certificate, NSO-issued birth certificate, marriage certificate or divorce or annulment decree, etc.

Link to the form : http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/downloads/ReacquisitionDC.pdf

 

[WhichWay2Go]

Actually you are required by law to use a US passport to leave the US as well.

Thanks, I was not aware of that.

The last time I left the Country I used my birth country passport and they did not ask to see my GC or anything. That passport is new and does not have the Visa stamp in it so they had no idea I would be coming back. Maybe that law no longer exists.

As you say how could they check. It really makes no difference which one you use to leave so I would opt for the most-legal way and use the US one if that's the Law. Well, PROVIDING I pass that test next month.

 

[saf]

Actually you are required by law to use a US passport to leave the US as well.
Nobody ever checks though as there's no immigration in exit in the US so I don't know how they enforce that. The airline employee usually (usually doesn't mean always though) asks if you have a GC when you have a return ticket to the US as they would be penalized (and liable for your flight back) in case you are denied entry in the US.

There are no exit controls at any POE in USA. That's true. However, at the ticket counter at the airport, the airline employees sometimes scan your passport so it can be recorded into the system (possibly connects with USCIS system).