Tonight I'm celebrating ... we got our AOS without an interview, less than six months after Irina arrived in Portland. Thank you, USCIS! And thanks to those of you who shared your knowledge of the I-451 process, including Akdiver on this Forum.

Our marriage is going very well. Our travel plans also seem to parallel Akdiver's -- Irina got her PADI Open Water in Florida in January, and we hiked the Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Parks in May. Now that she has her two-year Conditional Permanent Residency, we're planning trips to Honduras (diving), Italy and France (culture and the da Vinci Code trail) and Russia (to visit her parents).

It's the last one I'm concerned about. When she appears at the airport to return to the US, she will not have a US Visa in her Russian passport and will have to show her Green Card as proof that she will not be turned back at the US POE. We checked the Russian Embasssy site and saw some stuff about an application and a $400 fee for Russians who wish to renounce their Russian citizenship, but she doesn't want to do that.

I would appreciate tips and advice, especially from those whose spouse has returned to Russia for a visit after going through the K-1 process. I don't want to be blind-sided.

Thanks in advance!

Sorry, Mike. No advice, but glad to see you back on the forum, and glad to hear that you and Irina are having so much fun! Good luck with your future trips!

hi neighbor! No Russia advice for you, but enjoy diving in the Bay Islands---it's great! If you're diving computers yoiu'll hardly get out of the water all day <g>--the reef is *right* there! We're headed to Yucatan for a couple weeks of getting wet ourselves.
Beats the heck out of diving up here (overcast and cool at the beach this morning) but watch out for the sand flies!

Mike

This is a non-issue. The only people in Moscow checking for a US visa will be airline security staff. Just have Irina show them her greencard and she's good to go. There's absol;utely no reason why she would need to renounce her citizenship. No one representing the Russian governement (i.e. Customs, Border Guards, etc.) will ever ask about this. Of course none of this is a guarantee, but after 12 years in Russia, the last two of which were spent with my wife on a 2yr green card, I can say that we've never had a problem leaving Russia with no US visa.

It seems like both of you should re-read the following thread posted not so long ago:
http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14934
But mostly I agree with the second poster that the Russian authorities should not give you any problems. Russian authorities the "exit" border patrol which are separate from airline employees can act completely arbitrarily and can prevent anyone from leaving for any reason if they really wanted to. If you have a different name on your green card and Russian passport you can cover yourself with the consulate amendment to the Russian passport or going through the lengthy and complicated process of changing all documents to one name. But really what happened in the thread above is rather unusual.

I had a Green Card for 7 years and visisted Russia every year with no problems. Have her Russian Passport ready and Green Card, Passport Control in Moscow checks both most of the time. Also, she needs to have a stamp in Russian Foreign Travel Passport that she is registered in Russian Consulate as a Russian Citizen with permanent resedency in US ( P M ZH). When you have your documents in order it works as dual citizenship.
It cost me $250 back in 1997 to regiuster with Russian Consulate , but now they know who I am so when I had to request my birth certificate, or extend my foreign passport after exparation it only costs me $50 and they FedExed over night. If you are not registered they make you pay a lot more money and it takes longer for them to help you, and you never know when you are going to need something.

I am a US Citizen now with full rights as a Russian Citizen in Russia as well, I can even vote through consulate:)) I hope my experience with all this helps you to look ahead and figure out what you need to do:)

Have fun with all your travel adventures.

Natalia

I always thought that Green Card is NOT a proof of citizenship, but rather allows to stay, work. etc. in the US. One does not lose Russian citizenship when one gets a Green Card; and we do not talk about dual citizenship or renouncing Russian citizenship in this situation, do we?

You are right - it is not, but it leads to you becoming one...and when you don't burn all the bridges in the beginning it helps to travel back to Russia while you are going through all the changes that's all.

Well, but Green Card is not a guarantee that Russian spouse will get American Citizenship. Renouncing Russian citizenship will make her/him a person without any citizenship

I am grateful for the replies of many of you who re-assured me that my wife will still be able to travel to Russia now that she is a permanent resident. I read the thread that Satellite mentioned. Irina's international passport is valid for another three and a half years. Since she took my last name when we married, we will have her name changed on her passport. Before we go to the Consulate to register her as a permanent resident of the United States, however, I would like to get some additional advice from Forum members on this issue of renouncing Russian citizenship.

Irina is proud of being a Russian and would not renounce her Russian citizenship for any reason. She is considering applying for American citizenship so that she can sponsor her son as an immigrant to this country, but she would not do this at the cost of renouncing her Russian citizenship. She would like to have dual citizenship like Natalia does. Natalia's post pleased her very much, but the subsequent discussion about renouncing her citizenship has frightened her.

For what reason would a Russian renounce his/her Russian citizenship? Would registering as a permanent resident mean that she would be required to do that?

Thanks in advance!

I'm not even sure how the whole issue of renouncing citizenship came up. A Russian citizen does not have to renounce their citizenship when they receive a green card or US citizenship. However, a year ago Vladimir Zhirinovsky proposed legislation that would strip citizenship from women who married foreigners. But apparently that never got anywhere.
http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2005/...ians_concer.php
There is really nothing to worry about. Keeping the Russian citizenship is a good thing. Since only Russians can "own" land in Russia. You also save on the visa fees and if you are at retirement age there is the wonderful $50 - $100 pension

The 'renunciation" may not be what you think it is. Please look at the pinned thread in the Citizenship forum here at vj, and take some time to read the linked Dual Citizenship FAQ by Rich Wales. It is very comprehensive and written in easy to understand language, with all the important legal bits.

Once a USC, the US will only recognize her as a USC. Russia, however, is under no such obligation, and can (& probably will) view her as a Russian forever.

"Once a USC, the US will only recognize her as a USC. Russia, however, is under no such obligation, and can (& probably will) view her as a Russian forever." - that is true. So some Naturalized Russians ( who became US Citezens prefer to renounce it , so they are viewed a US citizens when they travel to former USSR and can seek US help if/when in needed).

Personally, I agree with Irina, that is why I did the way I did my documents...I prefer to keep both citizenships for my own reasons. But it is just a matter of preference/ principle for me:)
When US government naturalizes immigrants, they do not require anyone to give up their own citizenship.

I hope it helps.

Natalia

Does it mean that you cannot keep foreign citizenship once you get the American one?


The Oath of Citizenship

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God. In acknowledgement whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

timelena:
Nope.

Please read Rich Wales' FAQ everyone---all this and more!

Great! But still I don't understand
How do you actually travel to Russia with two passports?

Do you travel with Russian passport or with American passport?

Or do you show American passport to American officers and Russian passport to Russian officers?
By the way, you should not be able to leave Russia without showing your American passport to Russian custom officers, since your Russian passport does not have valid visa and you don't have a green card, so they will not let you board your plane to USA!

How do you actually travel to Russia with two passports?
Pick up you luggage and have your airplane ticket in hand....

Do you travel with Russian passport or with American passport?
BOTH

Or do you show American passport to American officers and Russian passport to Russian officers?
When you leave US, at check in with airlines you show both...they usually ask for Russian passport or visa to make sure you can enter on the other side.

When you get off the plane in Russia and go through border potrol , they ask for Russian passport ( in my case they checked P M ZH Stamp, my nationality and picture:))

On teh way back you show Russian passport, once again - they check for eiter a visa to US or a P M ZH stamp. They may or may not ask to show a Green Card or a US Passport to make sure you have the grounds to have that stamp in your passport.

When you get to US, you show your US passport.

Pretty easy:)
I travel every year:)

Thank you, Eva, for your explanation!

One more question: Do you buy your ticket with your Russian passport?

Eva Malahova ...

Irina has read all your posts and is much reassured to know that she can acquire American citizenship and still remain a Russian. Since I am going to Russia with her, I am relieved too.

Grateful thanks to you from both of us!

Timelena...

your question about ticketing at airports was already answered, in great detail, in the thread that Meauxna recommended ('Rich Wales FAQ').

timelena

I buy my tickets online expedia.com and such and use my drive's liscence.
The difference I have in a name :
Russian Passport has full middle name
American Passport has a middle initial

IrinaNMike,

I am glad my experience could help:)

Best wishes to all

I am evaluating the options Need first-hand experience.

Actually, our situation is quite complicated.
My husband is a new citizen of the United States, who has been a citizen of Uzbekistan before. He did not renounce Uzbek citizenship, but Uzbekistan does not recognize dual citizenship

However, we are not going to Uzbekistan, we are going to Russia. Currently, Uzbek citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Russia. So, we save around $100 per trip if he travels to Russia with Uzbek passport.

Based on what I've read (Rich Wales FAQ), the risk of doing that is too high, however. Or am I too cowardly???

If I were you I would look into it. Talk to some former USSR countries citizens, see how they travel. Russian Customs like to give trouble for no aperant reason at all sometimes.Maybe it's worth to spend extra $100 to feel safe. Once you cross that border with any other passport than American they will not consider you a US Citizen even when pulling you over for speeding
Have no idea what to tell ya! But you got my 100 % support