Wife had to show her US passport to leave her home country!

[NickD 202]

So she shows her home country passport to leave her country.

She is asked, where are you going, she replies to the USA.

You can't go there, I don't see a US visa in your passport book!

So she need proof she can enter the USA, thinks for a moment, than shows her US passport. Now they know she is also a citizen of the USA.

She is questioned why she left her home country, well to marry me of course. Also questioned about her life her.

But after this desseration, they finally let her leave, but stamp or exit in her US passport book instead of her home country passport book. Now her home passport book shows she entered, but never left! Can only imagine the next time she enters her home county, how can you enter when you never left?

She was detained for ten minutes, wondering if they would ever let her leave her home country. But her US passport shows her place of birth in that country. Without that, would have no problems to enter and leave.

You think by maintaining dual citizenship, and it is that regardless of how the DOS defines this, your problems would be over. Not only a huge extra expense to maintain that foreign passport, but in a sense, kind of worthless if you still need your US passport to leave. Just more complications we are forced to live with.

[BKelly 1]

So she shows her home country passport to leave her country.

She is asked, where are you going, she replies to the USA.

You can't go there, I don't see a US visa in your passport book!

So she need proof she can enter the USA, thinks for a moment, than shows her US passport. Now they know she is also a citizen of the USA.

She is questioned why she left her home country, well to marry me of course. Also questioned about her life her.

But after this desseration, they finally let her leave, but stamp or exit in her US passport book instead of her home country passport book. Now her home passport book shows she entered, but never left! Can only imagine the next time she enters her home county, how can you enter when you never left?

She was detained for ten minutes, wondering if they would ever let her leave her home country. But her US passport shows her place of birth in that country. Without that, would have no problems to enter and leave.

You think by maintaining dual citizenship, and it is that regardless of how the DOS defines this, your problems would be over. Not only a huge extra expense to maintain that foreign passport, but in a sense, kind of worthless if you still need your US passport to leave. Just more complications we are forced to live with.

If she is a duel citizen of the usa , when going through usa customs , and out of usa customs , she should always use her USA Passport. It dosnt hurt to have both on her incase they would like to see both . As far as the rules for her in the country she is living in now I have no idea. Try the regional forums for that area, maybe someone can shed some light . Your post is not very clear . From your post , it sounds like they just questioned her , not really detained. If I was a border agent of any country I would ask as well. 10 mins dosnt seem that long. The last time My Fiance entered the usa to visit they took him back and questioned him for a few mins and took fingerprints and a photo. No big deal he had all his stuff inorder and we figured this would happen.

Edited May 17, 2013 by BKelly

[NickD 202]

My point is, before you can enter the international zone of an airport, you need a passport before you can leave that country. Last time, she just showed her home country passport, they just let her leave. This time, they checked her home country passport and asked where she was going, and since she did not have a visa to enter the USA, they would not let her pass.

This is something new they just started. So now they are checking to see if you have the proper paper work for the country you are entering. I can freely enter and leave her country with my US passport, because I was born in the USA. Matter of fact, very welcomed to visit, they joke about me spending a lot of money in her home country.

It's that place of birth in your US passport that is the killer, and you are not a US citizen just like you were born here like the USCIS tells you, you are.

[newacct 688]

My point is, before you can enter the international zone of an airport, you need a passport before you can leave that country. Last time, she just showed her home country passport, they just let her leave. This time, they checked her home country passport and asked where she was going, and since she did not have a visa to enter the USA, they would not let her pass.

This is something new they just started. So now they are checking to see if you have the proper paper work for the country you are entering. I can freely enter and leave her country with my US passport, because I was born in the USA. Matter of fact, very welcomed to visit, they joke about me spending a lot of money in her home country.

It's that place of birth in your US passport that is the killer, and you are not a US citizen just like you were born here like the USCIS tells you, you are.

NickD, you have posted about this many times before. It has nothing to do with place of birth. It's just that that country has crappy exit procedures for dual citizens. You are not a citizen of that country, so you are not treated that way.

Edited May 17, 2013 by newacct

[NickD 202]

NickD, you have posted about this many times before. It has nothing to do with place of birth. It's just that that country has crappy exit procedures for dual citizens. You are not a citizen of that country, so you are not treated that way.

Maybe I am hoping someone from OUR DOS will read this and start treating naturalized citizens as US citizens.

[TBoneTX 43,247]

*** Thread moved from USC forum to General Immigration Discussion -- not a U.S. citizenship process. ***

[Darnell 8,478]

here's a point..

show a foreign passport without valid usa visa on a NON-VWP country's immigration control point? You ain't getting on the plane.

IMO, she did the wrong thing, altogether.

[milimelo 4,230]

here's a point..

show a foreign passport without valid usa visa on a NON-VWP country's immigration control point? You ain't getting on the plane.

IMO, she did the wrong thing, altogether.

I agree - US requires either a visa or VWP country status. Her home country passport doesn't have either so US passport is the only choice to show to get out of the country.

I only travel on my US passports - haven't used my Bosnian one since I got my US citizenship - it even expired couple of years ago.

[NickD 202]

here's a point..

show a foreign passport without valid usa visa on a NON-VWP country's immigration control point? You ain't getting on the plane.

IMO, she did the wrong thing, altogether.

Without proof she couldn't legally enter the USA, would have never left her country, could be your opinion, but what other choice did she have? As far as they were concerned, she was only a citizen of that country, period.

This immigration stuff is fairly new to me, but one thing I am learning quick is that the countries least able to take care of their people are the ones that really try to lock you in from leaving. Really went through hell trying to get a minor child out of that hole.

Also dumb enough to believe after receiving US citizenship trying to maintain that foreign passport would be history. Guess again due to agreements made with our DOS and these foreign countries. With only three such consulates in the entire USA and have to show up in person, really a chore.

And did anyone of us really have a say where we were born? Something you have no choice on seems to be the major emphasis on these crazy governmental agencies.

[Ivy. 113]

I wonder what the "correct" thing to do would be. I would have also shown passport A when leaving country A. Even if I had passport B in my pocket.

[Darnell 8,478]

NickD - I'm terribly sorry your wife experienced this,

and extremely happy for you that she had a USA Passport to show.

However, what you've described is normal and regular at the immigrant check point.

I can understand the need to vent, but if one is reactionary instead of pro-active - the only one to blame is you.

I don't play the blame game, often, here at VJ. Fore-warned is fore-armed, and she (your wife) chose to do something else that day - and was extremely lucky to have the USA passport in hand to show.

that's it. that's all. <EOM>

[NickD 202]

Actually the type of person that looks for parallel solutions to a problem, namely my wife wanting to see her son. I couldn't petition for him because he was barely over 21. Perhaps bad advice on her not petitioning for him when she became a LPR, was strongly advised to wait until she became a US citizen as the wait would have been shorter. This wait is going on for five years now. Ever try dealing with the NVC? Wow, what a bunch of extremely rude people.

While my senator and congressman have been very helpful in dealing with problems with the USCIS, when it comes to dealing with problems with the NVC or DOS, they tell me these two governmental agencies are completely untouchable to them, handled strictly by the executive branch. Ha, try and contact that branch of government. Since my stepson is stuck in an impoverished country, can't even find a decent job, so therefore can't even get a visa to come visit us.

If we could just get him out of there, wife could renounce that country and for us will be history. We make a point of following the laws of this country, yes, she had to renew her citizenship in that country, and you will not get a passport to any country unless you are a citizen of that country. Would be nice to read this in the DOS site, but they can't even be honest on this subject.

Now is this venting or telling it the way it is? One thing for sure with these agencies, that word "family" is not part of their vocabulary. And how do you think a person feels, when they witness illegals having a baby here that is treated as a US citizen with all the welfare benefits granted to such? It's just incredible they put so much emphasis on that place of birth, something no one has control over.

[NikLR 13,220]

Your wife is a US citizen and must enter and exit the USA using her US passport by law. I've never had my passport stamped upon exit before so perhaps this is unique to her country of birth or more likely i havent travelled enough. I'm not sure when she goes through CBP in the airport (upon landing or before boarding?) either. But I highly doubt there will be much problem with her having and entrance stamp in one passport and an exit stamp in another. Does she need to use her Columbian passport to enter Columbia without problems or could she just enter on her US passport?

I'm just not sure where the discrimination is that you're claiming?

Edited May 19, 2013 by NikiR

[Nimaan 27]

That is actually the right procedure to leave a country that requires a US Visa.

When you enter your home country you show your home country's passport and when you leave, you show the US passport.

This altogether saves you hassle and money for the visa both ways.

If she entered her home country with her US passport, then she probably would have had to pay for a visa to enter her country. To save her the money & hassle for the visa, she showed her home country's passport.

When she left, she showed her US passport in leu of having a US visa.

Hope it makes sense!

[newacct 688]

If we could just get him out of there, wife could renounce that country and for us will be history.

I though you said in other posts before that your wife couldn't renounce the citizenship of that country.

Also, what does getting your stepson out of there have to do with your wife's citizenships?