Dual Citizen - which passport to use with TSA?

[Dashinka 23,342]

17 minutes ago, Hypnos said:

Interestingly, whilst federal law requires US citizens to both exit and enter the US on a US passport, there is no penalty for not doing so. The penalty was eliminated around 1979 (i think it was something like a fine of up to $5,000), so now it's a offence (a US citizen failing to enter the US on a US passport) with no corresponding punishment. 

Does it require a US passport be used to exit the country, or just that a USC "bears" that passport?  In the end it doesn't really matter at TSA, but I know when my wife checks in using her Russian passport, she also shows her US passport to the airlines so they can do whatever they do, but at TSA, you just need a government issued ID that matches the name on the boarding pass.

[spring333 44]

Since you studied for naturalization test you learned that becoming an US citizen means giving up loyalty to other countries.  USA does not recognizes dual citizenship. So if you ask me, enter and exit USA using USA passport. What passport  you want to  use somewhere else its up to you.

[mcdull 474]

TSA doesn't care. 

 

You are required to leave the country with your US passport.

[jkstark 97]

I suppose that by land it might be the toughest one... 

 

Thinking of how the system works when traveling by car, there is only one checkpoint and that data is then shared - ie. when you enter Canada from the US, the Canadian immigration side will inform the US that person XYZ departed the US and entered Canada.  Since you are required to enter and exit through immigration controls in the US using a US passport if you are a citizen, I'm not entirely sure what the procedure should be on land borders.  However, when traveling by air, when you are checking in at a US airport, you should probably use your US passport, since that is your "immigration" checkpoint at departure.  When checking in for a flight in Canada, use your Canadian passport, and then use your US one at US immigration.

 

The key is to use your US passport at all US immigration checkpoints...

[Allaboutwaiting 2,500]

If US agents, US passport; if Canadian agents, Canadian passport -whether it is exit or entry points-.

[SalishSea 16,839]

2 hours ago, spring333 said:

Since you studied for naturalization test you learned that becoming an US citizen means giving up loyalty to other countries.  USA does not recognizes dual citizenship. So if you ask me, enter and exit USA using USA passport. What passport  you want to  use somewhere else its up to you.

Not really true.  There are many, many with dual citizenship and the USA does not generally require anyone to give up their citizenship to other countries.

Edited April 12, 2019 by Jorgedig

[Hypnos 6,576]

11 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

Does it require a US passport be used to exit the country, or just that a USC "bears" that passport?  In the end it doesn't really matter at TSA, but I know when my wife checks in using her Russian passport, she also shows her US passport to the airlines so they can do whatever they do, but at TSA, you just need a government issued ID that matches the name on the boarding pass.

The law as written now does say "bear".

 

There's a really interesting article on all of this which you can read here: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/05/01/the-history-of-the-requirement-that-u-s-citizens-only-use-u-s-passports-to-enter-the-u-s/ if you are so inclined.

Edited April 13, 2019 by Hypnos

[Dashinka 23,342]

10 hours ago, Hypnos said:

The law as written now does say "bear".

 

There's a really interesting article on all of this which you can read here: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/05/01/the-history-of-the-requirement-that-u-s-citizens-only-use-u-s-passports-to-enter-the-u-s/ if you are so inclined.

It doesn’t say “bears”?

 

Good article btw, and thank you, but the law clears says “bears”, so in my mind it is clearly legal to show both passports when leaving the US.

 

(b)Citizens

Except as otherwise provided by the President and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may authorize and prescribe, it shall be unlawful for any citizen of the United Statesto depart from or enter, or attempt to depart from or enter, the United States unless he bears a valid United States passport.

 

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1185#b