Passport(s) at interview question

[tminus 0]

Hello, I've searched until my head is spinning and I hope I haven't missed anything obvious.

I'm both Canadian and British. My wife is American. We're resident in the UK now and wanting to move to America this summer.

She has filed the I-130, and we just got word that we're on to the next stage (DS-230, etc).

On http://london.usembassy.gov/application_documents.html, under document checklist (for the interview), they say:

Passport: A Passport must be valid for travel to the United States and must have at least eight months validity beyond the issuance date of the visa.

My problem is that my Canadian passport expires in Feb, 2013, which is just outside the 8 month mark. I can renew, but that will tie up my original birth certificate and the current passport. My Canadian passport is the one that I use every time I enter the States, as it's slightly less onerous. Although I don't think either of my passport numbers got mentioned in any of the initial paperwork, my place of birth is listed as Canada and citizenship was specified as dual. My UK police report has my UK passport number on it.

So the big question is, can I use any valid passport at the interview, or should I get my Canadian one renewed and potentially delay the process?

Thanks in advance for your help. Apologies if I've left out any critical information.

[Penguin_ie 5,985]

Yes, you can use any valid passport.

I am Swiss and Irish, and used my Irish passport as I interviewed in that country. My visa (in my Irish passport) stated "Swiss" as nationality, probably because I was born there.

[jaycali 415]

So the big question is, can I use any valid passport at the interview, or should I get my Canadian one renewed and potentially delay the process?Thanks in advance for your help. Apologies if I've left out any critical information.

If you're currently residing in the UK and interviewing in London, I would do what Penguin did and use the British passport. That's just what I would do.

[tminus 0]

Thanks to both of you for putting my mind at ease. I will use my UK passport as the primary interview one, and renew my Canadian one a bit later.

[gad33 47]

The confirmation will show your country of birth but this does not mean you have to use that country's passport.

On the DS 230 (I think) you have to list the countries for which you have passports and in which passport you wish the visa to be placed. (As I am in Canada I completed the online version of this (not available to you) so am not 100% on this.)

When I went to the interview I took both passports, the person who checked my documents was training someone and told them they always place the visa in the Canadian passport.

So take both to the interview and give them your UK one for the visa. As you will be activating your visa on entering the US it won't make any difference which passport you use.