My question to those who became US Citizens

N

NoJob

Registered Users (C)
My spouse becase US Citizen. CIS gave a certificate, which is 8 x 10 paper. The bond paper thickness appears to be of 40lbs.

Hence, it is not practical to carry this with you. Therefore, my question is, does CIS offer to supply you with a small wallet type laminated card?

If so, what is the procedure/form# to apply in order to receive this. I don't want to apply for the passport as yet. Because of having a dual citizenship benefit, at my discreetion, I would like to choose the option of carrying the non-US passport with something like wallet size card to prove US Citizenship for entry back into the US.
 
Nope, you need a passport. In particular, the only way back into the US (by air, and I think by sea) will be to have a passport (starting in Jan 2007 -- only a couple of months away).

There is talk of creating a card, and it is one of the items called out in the legislation that created the passport restrictions. However, the card doesn't exist yet.

Visit http://travel.state.gov.
 
NoJob said:
Because of having a dual citizenship benefit, at my discreetion, I would like to choose the option of carrying the non-US passport with something like wallet size card to prove US Citizenship for entry back into the US.
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Nope, it doesn't work like that. The US Dept of State expects you to carry and use a US passport when travelling outside the US. The only noted exception is when you are entering a country with which you are also a citizen and would therefore expect you to enter using their passport.

So... you need to get a US passport.
 
NoJob said:
If so, what is the procedure/form# to apply in order to receive this. I don't want to apply for the passport as yet. Because of having a dual citizenship benefit, at my discreetion.
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like everyone else said; passport it is. And whether you get a passport or not, The dual citizenship issue is there!
 
Flydog said:
There is talk of creating a card, and it is one of the items called out in the legislation that created the passport restrictions. However, the card doesn't exist yet.

Visit http://travel.state.gov.
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Do you have a specific link relating to the talk about issuing a new citizenship card?

thanks
 
From http://travel.state.gov/law/legal/testimony/testimony_2922.html

<quote>
As part of their joint vision, Secure Borders, Open Doors in the Information Age, Secretaries Rice and Chertoff announced in January the development of a passport card, which will be a secure, credit-card-sized citizenship and identity document that carries the rights and privileges of a standard U.S. passport, but which may only be used for travel across U.S. land borders. The passport card will be adjudicated and issued by the Department of State to the exact same standards as the traditional, book-style passport. The passport card will be produced as part of a system of Border Management travel documents called People, Access, Security, Service (PASS) and will serve as a platform for the Department of Homeland Security’s Registered Traveler Program.

This passport card will be considerably less expensive than a traditional, book-style passport. The State Department has a goal of reducing the cost as much as possible below the $97.00 cost for someone making their first application for the traditional passport book. We anticipate that the validity period will be the same as the passport book, 10 years for adults, and 5 years for minors under age 16.

State and DHS are working together to develop the technical requirements for the card. State plans to publish a request for proposals associated with this card. Both Departments are working to determine the best technology to address security requirements, privacy concerns and civil liberties issues such as data integrity and prompt redress procedures, in order to facilitate cross-border travel. Harnessing cutting edge technology as part of the WHTI solution will help us to bring the land borders into the 21st century. Finally, this card will be subject to its own rule-making process later this year under Department of State auspices. In that rulemaking, we will also propose the relevant fees for the passport card.
</quote>

Everyone originally thought they'd have figured this out before the deadline. Apparently nothing's been figured out yet. Ah, government!
 
If you are dual (let's say US-Canada), then you should enter the US on a US Passport, and enter Canada as a Canadian citizen with some proof that you are Canadian. You could use a Canadian Passport or a Canadian Citizenship Card. Not sure if Canada is going to go the way of the US and require a passport (it wouldn't surprise me).

But, yes, in general, you need to have a passport for the country(ies) in which you are a citizen
 
newbie78 said:
Greece is my country of original citizenship.

So you are saying that if I travel to Greece on my US passport they will turn me away? I was under the impression that dual nationals of countries that do not oppose dual citizenship used multiple passports for convenience only.
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My understanding is that you should enter Greece using the Passport from Greece, and enter US using the US passport. Carry both passports with you.

At this moment you can choose to travel with the original US Nat certificate instead of US passport, but as I was told at my oath ceremoney, be prepared in that case for a LOT of security and immigration related incovenience and delays if you choose to do so.

And anyways, as Flydog mentioned, starting from Jan/2007, the US rule is changing and you will need a passport to travel in/out of US.
Also, at entry time if you need to prove you are US citizen, you will have to show US passport. So I also suggest that you should get the passport.
 
newbie78 said:
I am definitely going to get a US passport, actually I was planning to use my US passport exclusively and not renew my Greek passport. I had no clue that Greece requires a Greek passport from dual citizens... A passport is just an identification document that proves nationality. Why wouldn't I be allowed entry into Greece with a US passport?
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I dont know the visa agreements between US and greece, but here are some potential issues when you dont carry the Greek passport and enter greece with US passport -
1. Greece can require you to have a visitor visa in US passport in order to enter the country (again, I dont know this for sure, since some European countries dont require US citizens to obtain a visa).
2. You may be allowed entry only for a limited time on basis of that visitor visa.
3. Your rights may be limited in Greece to that of a visitor.
 
Theoretically you should not be endangering your US citizenship status if your Greek passport was already expired before you went for the US Natz interview.
But you should double check this from some place else too.

And you would definitely not be endagering your status if you got a new Greek passport even while your N-400 was in processing. You are not a US citizen till you take the oath, so you are wise to keep your Greek documents in order while you are a Greek citizen. Just be sure to hold on your old/expired Greek passport also for some time.

I was asked to bring my previous country's passport to my interview. And I had renewed it a year before I applied for my US Naturalization.
 
Newbie78,

You don't necessarily have to carry both passports. Say for example us-cda, a Canadian citizen carrying a US passport can enter Canada, and when they ask you at the border country of citizenship, you say American (cause you are entering with US passport), and purpose is to visit, and you are entering as a visitor. However, if you enter Canada with a Canadian passport, but because you are living in the US, you are again entering Canada as a "Visitor".

And the statement of protection, you are correct that if you enter an without a US passport, US will not protect you then.

Yesterday, I downloaded form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, and it had the following types of certificates that you can order at a price of $220 each:

1. New Certificate of Citizenship
2. New Certificate of Naturalization
3. New Certificate of Repartriation
4. New Declaration of Intention
5. Special Certificate of Naturalization to obtain recognition of US Citizenship by a foreign country.

It's No. 2 "Certificate of Naturalization" that you receive at the oath ceremoney, then what are the other 4 types?

Has anyone ordered any of the other 4 types?

Does No.1 apply to US born people? I am thinking that in my case or for most of us who want another form of ID than just the passport, that does not expire (well at least not as often as the passport); to obtain No5. Special Certificate. I think this No. 5 may be similar to what Canada has - Citizenship card. I don't know.
 
Check out the "Dual Citizenship FAQ" (http://www.richw.org/dualcit/) and the State Department site. In general, one of the problems with dual citizenship is that the other country can do what they want with you and the State Department's hands are pretty much tied. Although you are an American citizen, the State Department has no standing if the country of your other citizenship decides to arrest you, or conscript you, or whatever.

When I lived in Canada, a friend got married. His family came from Italy. He'd been born in Canada and never visited Italy. He married a Canadian-Italian girl and they decided to head back to the "old country" for their honeymoon. As a joke, his brother in law did something that caused the Italian police to notice that my friend was an Italian citizen who'd never fulfilled his "national service" requirement. He got arrested on the second day of his honeymoon. Luckily he got out of jail in time to catch his plane home.

If you are a citizen of a country, and you are in the borders of that country, you are like any other citizen (though you probably will be taxed like a visitor rather than a resident).
 
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