# Rumor Control - US Naturalization requires visa to return to EU



## hbkiwi (Feb 3, 2009)

Hello All,

I feel vaguely foolish posting this but can find no way to invalidate what I'm sure is nonsense. I am days away from US naturalization and was told yesterday of a case where a UK citizen was denied entry to the UK on their British passport because they were now also a US citizen. If any such rule exists I'd imagine it was an EU policy and so am posting here as I am an Irish citizen and it would logically apply to me too.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks very much ...


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

1) Where did you hear this?
2) Unless this person held both citizenships and was so entitled to a US and UK passport he tried to enter the UK using illegal id and should be glad he was just sent back.
3) You should be familiar with the Oath of Allegiance.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Lots of strange rumors flood the Internet, some concerning immigration matters. Many of them seem to start from shoddy journalism exacerbated by Chinese whispers.

As a UK/US dual, I must use my US passport to enter and leave the US. For the EU, I can choose to use my UK passport and enter and leave as a citizen or I can use my US one as long as meet the requirements for entry as a tourist.

The US perspective on dual citizenship is here.
The UK perspective is here.
No idea for Eire. Google is your friend and post back here, please.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

It may be some confusion with the US entry requirements. It's actually illegal to try to enter the US on any other passport once you have US nationality, and I know a few folks who have run into problems with that. 

But you shouldn't have any trouble going back home on your "home" passport. There should be no indication on your "other" passport that you have US nationality. (Despite what they make you swear to in the oath.) The UK has never had much trouble with dual nationality - in fact, I know of someone who had to turn in his UK passport when he took German nationality. A few months later, the Consulate sent his UK passport back to him.

What trips up dual nationals going into the US is if they try to use the "other" passport and it shows their birthplace as being in the US. That sets off the border folks and can cause long delays, and possibly big fines for using the "wrong" passport.
Cheers,
Bev


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## hbkiwi (Feb 3, 2009)

twostep said:


> 1) Where did you hear this?
> 
> Answer - An English neighbor in the US
> 
> ...


Yes - thank you.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Bevdeforges said:


> What trips up dual nationals going into the US is if they try to use the "other" passport and it shows their birthplace as being in the US. That sets off the border folks and can cause long delays, and possibly big fines for using the "wrong" passport.
> Cheers,
> Bev


Can you please "translate" this? Thank you.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

twostep said:


> Can you please "translate" this? Thank you.


If you're a USC, they're going to let you in. You'll spend time in secondary processing while they check you out. There's an administrative fine for entering without a passport but they rarely if ever charge it. Entering or leaving as a U.S. citizen without a U.S. passport is a crime under the U.S. Code. However, there is no associated penalty with it.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Now where does that leave the "birthplace"?


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

twostep said:


> Now where does that leave the "birthplace"?


If you arrive on, say, a UK passport, and the place of birth states "Phoenix, Arizona, USA" the CBP guy will be pissed with you because you're a citizen (by XIV) unless you've renounced it but you didn't arrive on a US passport..


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

This makes sense but I am stuck on Bev's comment about US birth place and entering US.
Maybe it is too cold for me today:>)


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

twostep said:


> Can you please "translate" this? Thank you.


What fatbrit said.

I've got two passports - one US and one French. If I should screw up and hand over the French one when I'm trying to enter the US, it states clearly on the main page of the passport that I was born in the US. So technically, they have me on attempting to enter the US on something other than my US passport.

I've heard of a couple cases (some time ago) where the "criminals" were fined - or at least seriously threatened with the fine. (It was an immigration lawyer telling the story, so who knows.)

And, just to add insult to injury, there are penalties for renouncing your US citizenship, which include denial of any sort of visa to ever enter the US again. Again, it's one of those laws saying that they "may" do this if they so choose. What you'd have to do to get them to invoke that particular option, I don't know. The other (probably more likely) punishment for renouncing your US citizenship is making you file US income taxes for 10 more years.

OTOH, I've also been told that you will be permitted to enter the US on an expired US passport. They'll crab at you a bit, but it's perfectly legal. (Person I know who did this had an unexpired UK passport and an expired US passport, explained this to the immigration officer and was told to present the expired US one to avoid the legal issue.
Cheers,
Bev


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

If you have a US birthplace, you are a US citizen, unless you can prove you have renounced your citizenship,. Therefore, anyone trying to enter the US on a foreign passport that says the birthplace is the US is assumed to be an American citizen entering on another passport, and that's illegal.


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