old passport after citizenship

[ketanco]

Hello,

1-If you pass the citizenship process and become a US citizen, do they take away your native country passport away from you?

2-Does United States still recognize your other country's citizenhip even after you get the citizenhip or even if it doesn't, do you need to leave your native country's citizenship in order to be a US citizen?

 

[sarrebal]

1- No
2- They don't officially recognize it, but they do allow you to keep your former citizenship. They also acknowledge the fact that you might be considered solely a citizen of your other country in the other country.
Your only legal requirement is to use a US passport when leaving/entering the US.

 

[richmondva]

Hello,

1-If you pass the citizenship process and become a US citizen, do they take away your native country passport away from you?

2-Does United States still recognize your other country's citizenhip even after you get the citizenhip or even if it doesn't, do you need to leave your native country's citizenship in order to be a US citizen?

1. No country (including US) can ever take away your other countries passport (they are not allowed to). However keep in mind that some countries do not allow dual citizenship and depending upon your original country (past citizenship) you may be required to cancel your previous passports and renounce your citizenship for that country upon acquiring US citizenship. So you should find out whether both countries (US and other) allow dual citizenship in some form or you can land up in major trouble.

2.US does not care whether you have citizenship of the other country as long as you enter and leave the US using US passport. As long as the other country also is fine you should be good.

 

[guju]

2-Does United States still recognize your other country's citizenhip even after you get the citizenhip or even if it doesn't, do you need to leave your native country's citizenship in order to be a US citizen?

It depends on if you loose the other citizenship or not based on that country's law.
For e.g., if your previous citizenship is India then the moment you take US oath, according to India laws, you loose Indian citizenship automatically. Travelling on Indian passport after that is illegal and you need to surrender your Indian passport. You can then apply for overseas citizen of India (OCI) after you get your US passport.

For Ukraine, after getting US citizenship, you do not loose Ukraine citizenship, but you are required to notify Ukrainian embassy about getting US Citizenship so that they can revoke your Ukrainian Citizenship. If you do not do that and travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport then you may get arrested at the port of entry when you get to Ukraine.

In short, check your previous country's citizenship law before you decide to use the previous country's passport.

 

[n400_applicnt]

Richmondva,

1. No country (including US) can ever take away your other countries passport (they are not allowed to). However keep in mind that some countries do not allow dual citizenship and depending upon your original country (past citizenship) you may be required to cancel your previous passports and renounce your citizenship for that country upon acquiring US citizenship. So you should find out whether both countries (US and other) allow dual citizenship in some form or you can land up in major trouble.

pardon me for asking such dumb question,
would let me know how do we renounce your native country citizenship once after becoming US citizen?


Thanks for the info.

 

[guju]

would let me know how do we renounce your native country citizenship once after becoming US citizen?

At the embassy/consulate of your native country.

 

[König]

For Ukraine, after getting US citizenship, you do not loose Ukraine citizenship, but you are required to notify Ukrainian embassy about getting US Citizenship so that they can revoke your Ukrainian Citizenship. If you do not do that and travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport then you may get arrested at the port of entry when you get to Ukraine.

Can you support your statement by providing any links to the official documents? I know that the Ukrainian Parliament indeed approved in the first reading the bill that would require to notify the government upon obtaining foreign citizenship, but it has to be approved in the second reading and then signed by the President to become an actual law. As of right now, there is no such law, as far as I know.

Also, renouncing Ukrainian citizenship is a very lengthy and cumbersome process because you are required to gather so many bureaucratic papers (some of them only from Ukraine) that you will probably give up in the initial stages. I was thinking to renounce Ukrainian citizenship to be able to obtain security clearance, but after researching into it I understood that it was not worth the time I would have to spend. Also, the Ukrainian consulate will not serve you if you show them your US passport, but you need some of their service if you want to initiate the renunciation, so it is a catch 22.

As far as travelling to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport, it is perfectly legal because you are considered a Ukrainian citizen until the President signs a decree that strips you of citizenship. The President will not issue such decree if you do not submit the renunciation form first. I know many Ukrainian people who travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passports and no one had any problems. Some of them choose to travel on US passports - which is illegal under Ukrainian law - yet they also have no problems because border guards do not want to bother with them.

 

[guju]

Dear Konig,
Thanks for your update. I heard this from my friend (she is Ukrainian). She keeps wondering how will she travel to Ukraine once she gets her US citizenship. She also mentioned that all of her friend's who got US citizenship still travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport, but she is not sure if it is legal. I will ask her if there is any place where one can go check out the part of renouncing ukrainian citizenship and also let her know that she can travel on the Ukrainian passport. So do you travel to Ukraine on the Ukrainian passport or on US passport?

 

[König]

Dear Konig,
Thanks for your update. I heard this from my friend (she is Ukrainian). She keeps wondering how will she travel to Ukraine once she gets her US citizenship. She also mentioned that all of her friend's who got US citizenship still travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport, but she is not sure if it is legal.

As a matter of fact, it is the only legal way to enter Ukraine for Ukrainian citizens. Before 2004, there was a law implying the that Ukrainian citizenship could be lost automatically upon acquiring a foreign citizenship - although the President would still need to sign a decree - but now they modified the law, so it does not mention the loss of citizenship but rather the basis for the loss. It is a very complicated and unclear law that nobody seems to understand - neither usual citizens nor government officials themselves.

I will ask her if there is any place where one can go check out the part of renouncing ukrainian citizenship and also let her know that she can travel on the Ukrainian passport.

I called the Ukrainian consulate and asked them if I automatically loose my Ukrainian citizenship upon acquiring the US one, and they said "no". Then I asked them if I can have two citizenship, and once again they said "no". The consulate clerk told me that I have to renounce the Ukrainian citizenship myself, and until I do that I can travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport and that she thinks I will not have problems at the POE Basically, in terms of dual citizenship, Ukrainian law is between those of Russia (have as many citizenships as you want) and India (absolutely prohibited).

So do you travel to Ukraine on the Ukrainian passport or on US passport?

I have not had a chance of travelling to Ukraine since obtaining the US citizenship. My problem is exaggerated by the fact that I changed my name, so my name on the ticket (US name) will not match my previous name in Ukrainian passport. Ukrainian border guards always match the name in passport and on boarding pass, so they will ask me about this inconsistency for sure.

 

[ecowheelie]

Can you support your statement by providing any links to the official documents? I know that the Ukrainian Parliament indeed approved in the first reading the bill that would require to notify the government upon obtaining foreign citizenship, but it has to be approved in the second reading and then signed by the President to become an actual law. As of right now, there is no such law, as far as I know.

Also, renouncing Ukrainian citizenship is a very lengthy and cumbersome process because you are required to gather so many bureaucratic papers (some of them only from Ukraine) that you will probably give up in the initial stages. I was thinking to renounce Ukrainian citizenship to be able to obtain security clearance, but after researching into it I understood that it was not worth the time I would have to spend. Also, the Ukrainian consulate will not serve you if you show them your US passport, but you need some of their service if you want to initiate the renunciation, so it is a catch 22.

As far as travelling to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport, it is perfectly legal because you are considered a Ukrainian citizen until the President signs a decree that strips you of citizenship. The President will not issue such decree if you do not submit the renunciation form first. I know many Ukrainian people who travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passports and no one had any problems. Some of them choose to travel on US passports - which is illegal under Ukrainian law - yet they also have no problems because border guards do not want to bother with them.

So how do I start the process to renounce Ukrainian citizenship? Where do we get the form. There is no point contacting either the Embassy or the Consulate --- the message says leave a message that sends you to a full mailbox.

 

[König]

So how do I start the process to renounce Ukrainian citizenship? Where do we get the form. There is no point contacting either the Embassy or the Consulate --- the message says leave a message that sends you to a full mailbox.

First, you have to have valid Ukrainian external and internal passports. Second, you have to obtain a stamp that indicates that you are residing permanently abroad (ПМЖ штамп). The problem is that in order to obtain this stamp (typically from a passport office at a place of your registration in Ukraine), you have to collect the military form (военный билет) from military commissariat, have your parents sign a release form that you don't owe them anything (if your parents dies, present a proof of their death), get a form from the tax agency that you don't owe any taxes and get a release form from your ex-spouse that you don't owe any child support. Then, you typically have to surrender the internal passport and receive this ПМЖ stamp.

After receiving the stamp, you register with the consulate in your district as a US permanent resident (постоянный учёт) and receive another stamp indicating this. Then and only then, you can initiate the process of renouncing your Ukrainian citizenship. This last stage alone can take up to a year. To do the whole procedure from the beginning to the end, count on at least two years.

If the consulate does not answer the phone or emails, you can try to fax them or just go in person if you live close.

 

[tilamuse]

As far as travelling to Ukraine on Ukrainian passport, it is perfectly legal because you are considered a Ukrainian citizen until the President signs a decree that strips you of citizenship. The President will not issue such decree if you do not submit the renunciation form first. I know many Ukrainian people who travel to Ukraine on Ukrainian passports and no one had any problems. Some of them choose to travel on US passports - which is illegal under Ukrainian law - yet they also have no problems because border guards do not want to bother with them.

I want to use my Ukrainian passport upon arrival in Ukraine. Since I am a US citizen, which passport do I use when leaving for the US? Isn't it recorded in the system that I came with Ukrainian passport?

Thanks!

 

[König]

I want to use my Ukrainian passport upon arrival in Ukraine. Since I am a US citizen, which passport do I use when leaving for the US? Isn't it recorded in the system that I came with Ukrainian passport?

Use your US passport to check-in for your flight - this will record your departure as a US citizen as prescribed by law. You came as a Ukrainian citizen but was naturalised and now you are required to exit and enter the USA with the US passport. Show your Ukrainian passport to Ukrainian border guards when you arrive in Ukraine and when you departure Ukraine. Show your US passport when checking-in for your flight back.

It is perfectly legal to enter Ukraine on your Ukrainian passport, but border guards can give you a hard time hoping to extort a bribe - all you have to do is ask them for a particular law that prohibits multiple citizenship. It does not exist, so they will eventually have to let you go. Keep in mind that the Parliament is reviewing a bill that would make acquisition of another citizenship a criminal offence punishable by 5 years in jail. However, it not a law yet and it is not likely to be passed because current Ukrainian president is not too much pro-Ukrainian Plus, Ukrainian laws are not retroactive, so it will not concern you anyway.

 

[tilamuse]

Use your US passport to check-in for your flight - this will record your departure as a US citizen as prescribed by law. You came as a Ukrainian citizen but was naturalised and now you are required to exit and enter the USA with the US passport. Show your Ukrainian passport to Ukrainian border guards when you arrive in Ukraine and when you departure Ukraine. Show your US passport when checking-in for your flight back.

It is perfectly legal to enter Ukraine on your Ukrainian passport, but border guards can give you a hard time hoping to extort a bribe - all you have to do is ask them for a particular law that prohibits multiple citizenship. It does not exist, so they will eventually have to let you go. Keep in mind that the Parliament is reviewing a bill that would make acquisition of another citizenship a criminal offence punishable by 5 years in jail. However, it not a law yet and it is not likely to be passed because current Ukrainian president is not too much pro-Ukrainian

Thanks.

I forgot to mention that my Ukrainian passport does not have the US visa in it, so isn't it possible for them to give me grief because of that as well?

Also, I am traveling with my US family and was hoping to check out together - is it too much of a trouble for all of us to go together?

 

[König]

I forgot to mention that my Ukrainian passport does not have the US visa in it, so isn't it possible for them to give me grief because of that as well?

They may, especially upon departure. The problem is that Ukrainian border guards often check for a visa to the destination country (which should not be their business to begin with), and when they don't find it, they will ask you how you are going to enter your destination country. When you show them your US passport, they may try to give grief. In this case calmly demand them to point to an official rule that prohibits travel with Ukrainian and US passports.

Also, I am traveling with my US family and was hoping to check out together - is it too much of a trouble for all of us to go together?

I am not sure what you mean by "check out". You can join your family in the "non citizen" line at the airport if you want.

 

[tilamuse]

They may, especially upon departure. The problem is that Ukrainian border guards often check for a visa to the destination country (which should not be their business to begin with), and when they don't find it, they will ask you how you are going to enter your destination country. When you show them your US passport, they may try to give grief. In this case calmly demand them to point to an official rule that prohibits travel with Ukrainian and US passports.

Ok, sounds reasonable. Should I also show them my internal Ukrainian passport with ПМЖ stamp along with the US passport if problems arise? (Plan on starting the renunciation process during this visit.)

I am not sure what you mean by "check out". You can join your family in the "non citizen" line at the airport if you want.

I meant going through the line for citizens/non-citizens. Thanks a lot for your advice.

 

[König]

Ok, sounds reasonable. Should I also show them my internal Ukrainian passport with ПМЖ stamp along with the US passport if problems arise?

I believe it will not make a difference. If they [wrongfully] claim that you cannot be a citizen of Ukraine and the USA at the same time, then ПМЖ stamp will not help this situation.

Plan on starting the renunciation process during this visit.

I would be interested to hear about your experience. However, if you already de-registered from Ukraine and have this ПМЖ stamp, then what else do you need to do in Ukraine?