Request for advice: renewing passport while oath pending

H

Holbytla

Registered Users (C)
Hi all,
I'm waiting for an oath date, having passed the interview and received an email saying that I've been put in the queue for scheduling my oath. But the oath hasn't been scheduled yet. In the meantime, my Indian passport will expire in just over 6 months. Many countries will not allow you to enter them with a passport valid for less than 6 months, and I need to travel for my job (and may need to do so before getting US citizenship). Does anyone have any advice on whether to renew my passport at the Indian consulate if I don't receive an oath date fairly soon? I've heard that Indian passport renewal can take several weeks, and I'm a little worried that my oath may get scheduled while my passport is out of my hands (because I would have turned it in to the Indian consulate).

Basically, it boils down to: do I need to take my Indian passport with me when I go for my oath ceremony? Or are there any other complications that could arise from renewing my Indian passport while in line for US citizenship? It would be ironic if I couldn't take the US citizenship oath because I had concurrently applied for the renewal of my Indian passport.

Thanks for any advice!
 
You don't need to take your Indian passport to the oath ceremony. You only need to take all documents ever issued to you by the USCIS (INS).

On a separate note, you will give up your Indian citizenship the moment you take the oath (from Indian point of view, USA does not care). Indian prohibits dual citizenship. So, if you think you will be scheduled for the oath soon, I would not advise renewing your Indian passport - it will be a waste of money and effort.
 
However if you think you will need to travel before getting a US passport, it is a good idea to apply for Indian passport renewal.
 
Indian passport renewal can take anywhere from 2-3 weeks, but under the tatkal scheme you could get an indian pp within 3 days..of course it costs extra...about 175
 
Most countries are part of an international agreement (sometimes referred to as the "6 month club") to recognize passports for an additional 6 months, so when they say you must have 6 months remaining on your passport it really means they only require that you travel before the printed expiration date. As a result, you don't need to renew your Indian passport if you want to travel in the last 6 months before the expiration date, unless you're traveling to a country that isn't part of the agreement.

See http://www.cilawgroup.com/news/2011...d-entry-into-u-s-six-month-club-list-updated/
and http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov...lentin_04162008.ctt/clp_bulletin_04162008.pdf
 
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