Question about international travel planned after oath ceremony

[klems10024 19]

Hi everyone,

 

After a quicker than expected naturalization process (applied early October 2023, interview early January 2024), I just received my oath ceremony letter and it's scheduled for February 2. The problem is that I have international travel planned the week after that on February 9th, for a work trip that I cannot postpone.

 

I assume there is no way for me to get my US passport in that time frame, is that correct? I looked on the USCIS site and it seems like the only way is a "life or death" emergency, which I likely won't qualify for.

Also wanted to confirm, is there a way I could re-enter the US with my other passport (French passport), since I will be a dual citizen? All the answers I found say no. 

 

So I feel like my only option here is to ask to have my oath ceremony postponed. Has anyone ever done that, or has any advice? I know it's really not an ideal idea but not going on that trip will create enormous issues. 

Thank you for your help, those questions have probably been asked already but didn't find anything like my case upon searching.

[Crazy Cat 39,284]

Some people have gotten emergency passports due to already-scheduled travel without life or death circumstances.  Sometimes, a state Senator can help.  Once you take the oath, you are supposed to use a US passport to exit and enter the United Sates.  You won't have a Green card.   Personally, I would consider attending the oath, then immediately try to schedule an urgent passport appointment. Take proof of travel.

Edited January 16 by Crazy Cat

[klems10024 19]

Thank you very much @Crazy Cat, appreciate your response! I saw that there is a way to get a same day passport once you have an appointment at the passport center, but you're pretty much at their whim and they might decline it. Basically, I'm worried that if I try to do something like that and it doesn't work, I won't make it to my work trip and I'd much rather reschedule my oath ceremony if it comes to that.

 

I'm also considering checking for a 3rd party service that guarantees they can expedite the passport in a couple of days...

 

[Crazy Cat 39,284]

1 minute ago, klems10024 said:

Basically, I'm worried that if I try to do something like that and it doesn't work, I won't make it to my work trip and I'd much rather reschedule my oath ceremony if it comes to that.

Always a chance they deny the request.  Good luck.  Congratulations on your citizenship.  I can tell you that being free from USCIS is absolutely great!!!

[harry.st 39]

Land border, with a naturalization certificate in hand, is an option (depending where you live, it may be inconvenient. Also expensive). Reason is US citizens cannot be denied entry at the border (but they can sure as hell be denied boarding a flight to the US).

 

Rescheduling the oath ceremony seems the easiest.

Edited January 16 by harry.st

[mam521 1,725]

I naturalized at the end of April last year with required work travel booked before my ceremony was even scheduled.  Attend your ceremony, get your certificate and then when it's within 10 days of travel, call DoS and ask for an emergency appointment.  The caveat here is that you may not get an appointment where you live - you may have to travel within the US for your appointment.  Additionally, you may not get a same day passport.  It's often next day passport, so you have to be prepared to spend 2 days sitting in a passport office.  

 

When you do get your appointment, you will have to provide the passport officer your evidence of travel in addition to your passport application and naturalization certificate.  You will get the naturalization certificate back when you pick up your passport.  Make sure you CHECK the passport for correctness before you leave the building.  Mine had a typo which lead to an additional 3 hours of waiting for a reprint of the passport.  

[klems10024 19]

Thank you all! I managed to also discuss with other people, and the consensus is to basically get an appointment as soon as the window opens on the schedule so I can lock in a date (even if I'm securing the appt before the ceremony - it seems easy enough to do online). 

 

My naturalization is on (Friday) Feb 2nd, and my travel is on Feb 9th, so I essentially need to have a passport by Feb 8th. If I can secure a slot that same Friday in the afternoon or even Monday, and show a printout of my itinerary, they will be able to make it happen. Some other folks suggested other hacks that are probably not best mentioned here but that gives me hope. 

 

Also thanks @harry.st - this is a very, very useful tip. I'm thinking that if for whatever reason I can't get my passport in my short window, I can still go, change my flight back to Toronto or something and re-enter the US on land. That would be grueling but probably the ultimate backup plan. 

 

[harry.st 39]

4 hours ago, klems10024 said:

I assume there is no way for me to get my US passport in that time frame, is that correct? I looked on the USCIS site and it seems like the only way is a "life or death" emergency,

 

Depending on where you will be traveling... and for how long... you may be able to get the passport at the US Consulate there. I got mine in 8 days (Athens, Greece embassy, last Ocrober; they only made a copy of my naturalization certificate, too). The hardest part was getting an appointment (had to book a slot 1 month ahead of time). This was for a regular, full-blown passport (+ I did not ask for expedited anything. Apparently, the embassies expedite things by default. Or used to).

 

ALSO: there is an "emergency" service for US citizens, where the consulates will give you an "emergency-limited-duration" passport (valid for either 1 trip or 1 year - not sure. Mind you this is not only for a life-or-death emergency. A lady that was sitting next to me was there just for that. There is tons of info about it if you google). You may want to go for this option vs the Canada->US train trip one (of course, one does not preclude the other).

 

I took Amtrak NY -> Montreal late last September. Lovely trip (the foliage had started to appear). I am sure it would be very fun in the snow, too (assuming the train is still running).

Edited January 16 by harry.st

[harry.st 39]

I hope you realize that, in theory, you can be prevented from boarding the plane on the way out, too (small chance, and nothing you can do about it, either => no reason to sweat about it. If you are THAT unlucky + they do not let you board => Moynihan station + train to Canada; entering therein w/ the french passport).

 

Or you rent a private jet (both ways). Then you have nothing to worry about; in this life you can either eat well or sleep well).

Edited January 16 by harry.st

[klems10024 19]

@harry.st yeah, that's the plan. I'm fully expecting not to be able to board the plane with just the naturalization cert, and won't even try to do so. I also won't be able to do anything where I'm going to (Peru) and getting a passport there, I'm on the ground for a mere 48 hours and will have zero time for anything. So basically before I leave, if I don't have my US passport in hand, I will just exit with my French passport, and get cheap plane ticket from Lima back to Toronto and enter at Niagara Falls, or Montreal and take the train back indeed (which I've also done before!). I'm confident I'll be able to get an appointment for my passport even if I have to travel somewhere to do it, so that would really be the worst case scenario! 

 

Once again appreciate the tips here  .

Edited January 16 by klems10024

[harry.st 39]

16 minutes ago, klems10024 said:

Lima back to Toronto and enter at Niagara Falls, or Montreal and take the train back

No, I do not think you need to do that.

 

I think you can take the train AT Toronto/Montreal. I "seem to remember reading" that for immigration purposes, you get checked at the station in Toronto/Montreal before you board the train - ie not at the border (this is certainly the case at the Toronto airport, btw). This would be waaay more convenient than going, say, by bus, to the border, entering + then hopping on a train (but again, they may deny you boarding, just like an airline. And tell you "dude, go to the border + fight it out there").

 

But I am not 100% sure (I did not have this problem, so did not investigate in depth). I would call them!

Edited January 16 by harry.st

[fred16384 4]

I had no problem scheduling an appointment at my local Passport Agency for an urgent upcoming trip using their online tool. There was actually plenty of availability.

The tool is at http://passportappointment.travel.state.gov

[klems10024 19]

4 hours ago, harry.st said:

No, I do not think you need to do that.

 

I think you can take the train AT Toronto/Montreal. I "seem to remember reading" that for immigration purposes, you get checked at the station in Toronto/Montreal before you board the train - ie not at the border (this is certainly the case at the Toronto airport, btw). This would be waaay more convenient than going, say, by bus, to the border, entering + then hopping on a train (but again, they may deny you boarding, just like an airline. And tell you "dude, go to the border + fight it out there").

 

But I am not 100% sure (I did not have this problem, so did not investigate in depth). I would call them!

From doing the train ride from Montreal to NYC years ago, I remember we stopped at the border for quite some time and Border control inspected everyone's documents, we were stopped for a couple of hours. Honestly as long as I can cross a land border with the certificate, that solves my problem!

 

2 minutes ago, fred16384 said:

I had no problem scheduling an appointment at my local Passport Agency for an urgent upcoming trip using their online tool. There was actually plenty of availability.

The tool is at http://passportappointment.travel.state.gov

Yeah, I'm going to start monitoring every day to see when dates open so I can grab a slot maybe the afternoon of my ceremony or the following Monday! 

[Amunah 61]

What state are you in? Here in New York we have few offices that process passports in 24hours. I managed to get my passport in a day. Also for my then seven year old, since she had a baby picture in her passport😁

Edited January 17 by Amunah

[klems10024 19]

6 minutes ago, Amunah said:

What state are you in? Here in New York we have few offices that process passports in 24hours. I managed to get my passport in a day. Also for my then seven year old, since she had a baby picture in her passport😁

I'm in NYC! Did you go to the main office ?.