Entering the US as a Canadian, leaving as a Brit
Oct 23, 2007, 11:32 am
#1
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Entering the US as a Canadian, leaving as a Brit
I a flight out of the US to Delhi. I wanted to cross into the US (via Windsor) with my Canadian citizenship, but when flying to Delhi I wanted to fly on my UK passport, as I already have a valid Indian Visa in it.
I can't check for my flight in as a Canadian as they would see I don't have a Indian Visa, but I can't check in as a Brit as they would see I never entered the US. (I imagine upon boarding they would notice I do not have a I94 either)
What are my options?
I can't check for my flight in as a Canadian as they would see I don't have a Indian Visa, but I can't check in as a Brit as they would see I never entered the US. (I imagine upon boarding they would notice I do not have a I94 either)
What are my options?
Oct 23, 2007, 11:48 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,560
How about checking in as.... both?
Dual citizenship isn't exactly uncommon. It's something airline staff deal with all the time. You don't need to hide your dual citizenship from airline staff. Give them the UK passport when you check in. If they query the absence of an I94 tell them you entered the country on your Canadian passport (and produce it if they ask). They're airline staff, all they're interested in is that your paperwork is valid for where you are going.
Dual citizenship isn't exactly uncommon. It's something airline staff deal with all the time. You don't need to hide your dual citizenship from airline staff. Give them the UK passport when you check in. If they query the absence of an I94 tell them you entered the country on your Canadian passport (and produce it if they ask). They're airline staff, all they're interested in is that your paperwork is valid for where you are going.
Oct 23, 2007, 11:54 am
#3
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Canadians don't get a I94 when entering the US by car/train/air/etc. There won't be any questioning.
JP
JP
How about checking in as.... both?
Dual citizenship isn't exactly uncommon. It's something airline staff deal with all the time. You don't need to hide your dual citizenship from airline staff. Give them the UK passport when you check in. If they query the absence of an I94 tell them you entered the country on your Canadian passport (and produce it if they ask). They're airline staff, all they're interested in is that your paperwork is valid for where you are going.
Dual citizenship isn't exactly uncommon. It's something airline staff deal with all the time. You don't need to hide your dual citizenship from airline staff. Give them the UK passport when you check in. If they query the absence of an I94 tell them you entered the country on your Canadian passport (and produce it if they ask). They're airline staff, all they're interested in is that your paperwork is valid for where you are going.
Oct 23, 2007, 6:14 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,560
As I understand it, the point the OP was making is that he will be asked to surrender his I94 if he checks in for his flight to India using his UK passport... and he was concerned about having some explaining to do as he won't have an I94 to surrender, having entered the USA on a Canadian passport.
Oct 23, 2007, 6:19 pm
#5
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Use your U.K. passport to checkin. If asked for your I-94W/I-94, show your Canadian passport.
At the gate (or final doc check before you get to the gate), show your Canadian passport. If asked for your Indian visa, show your U.K. passport.
At the gate (or final doc check before you get to the gate), show your Canadian passport. If asked for your Indian visa, show your U.K. passport.
Oct 23, 2007, 6:35 pm
#6
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I would have liked to have left my Canadian passport with my father who would be driving me to the airport, as after India I am going to Lebanon and Syria, and I do not want to be travelling around with two valid passports through those border controls.
Better if I bring it anyways as re-entering the US as a Canadian is always easier.
Better if I bring it anyways as re-entering the US as a Canadian is always easier.
Oct 23, 2007, 8:34 pm
#7
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Airline staff generally don't really care, though. I would agree with that.
Oct 23, 2007, 9:02 pm
#8
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US immigration have a real problems if they find out you have more than one passport. Airline staff only care if you have the relevant paperwork.
If you use your UK passport to leave the US, the trouble is that a diligent airport staff will question where your I-94 is. This is because the airline has to retrieve the I-94 stubb and return it to US immigration. Most of the time they do forget to do this unless it is obvious.
I would suggest you show your UK passport at check-in. Chances are they will not aske for the I-94 stub. You may need to show your Canadian passport if they ask for the stub. More likely for a UK airline to remember to ask for the stub; less so a US airline.
If you use your UK passport to leave the US, the trouble is that a diligent airport staff will question where your I-94 is. This is because the airline has to retrieve the I-94 stubb and return it to US immigration. Most of the time they do forget to do this unless it is obvious.
I would suggest you show your UK passport at check-in. Chances are they will not aske for the I-94 stub. You may need to show your Canadian passport if they ask for the stub. More likely for a UK airline to remember to ask for the stub; less so a US airline.
Oct 23, 2007, 10:04 pm
#10
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Oct 24, 2007, 6:53 am
#11
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To the extent that anything on FlyerTalk surpasses the level of credibility to make it out of the realm of the urban legend 
, I've seen several threads on here where people have posted about harassment by US border police.
I have a co-worker with Lebanese/US citizenship who was detained for several hours at JFK after he checked in for his flight back to the US with the other passport on Air France. No permanent harm, but still disturbing...
, I've seen several threads on here where people have posted about harassment by US border police.I have a co-worker with Lebanese/US citizenship who was detained for several hours at JFK after he checked in for his flight back to the US with the other passport on Air France. No permanent harm, but still disturbing...
Oct 24, 2007, 9:33 am
#12
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Did you present just your U.S. passport to U.S. authorities? That's all that's of their concern. The U.S. just doesn't recognizes your other citizenships, just your U.S. one.
Oct 24, 2007, 9:36 am
#13
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I think you'll be o.k. in those countries, as long as you don't have an Israeli stamp in your passports. Is one of your citizenships based on descent? If so, you could bring your birth certificate (long form) that shows your parent(s) was born in the the other country.
Oct 24, 2007, 11:01 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Perhaps they are stricter for those whose non-US nationality happens to use Arabic script. I have a friend born in the US, with German citizenship by descent. He has on occasion entered the US with his German passport as his proof of US Citizenship (he went to the airport twice and forgot his US Passport), based on the German passport listing the place of birth as US.
Also, every KLM or Lufthansa flight that I have been on to Europe has a fair number of US based Iranians connecting to Tehran; I know that many of them are dual nationals. They used to have problems at the Iran end if they were US citizens, causing many Iranians to (illegally) retain their green cards when they became US citizens to prove to the Iranian authorities that they had not become naturalized in the US. Iran no longer gives dual nationals grief just for being being dual nationals.
Also, every KLM or Lufthansa flight that I have been on to Europe has a fair number of US based Iranians connecting to Tehran; I know that many of them are dual nationals. They used to have problems at the Iran end if they were US citizens, causing many Iranians to (illegally) retain their green cards when they became US citizens to prove to the Iranian authorities that they had not become naturalized in the US. Iran no longer gives dual nationals grief just for being being dual nationals.
To the extent that anything on FlyerTalk surpasses the level of credibility to make it out of the realm of the urban legend , I've seen several threads on here where people have posted about harassment by US border police.
I have a co-worker with Lebanese/US citizenship who was detained for several hours at JFK after he checked in for his flight back to the US with the other passport on Air France. No permanent harm, but still disturbing...
, I've seen several threads on here where people have posted about harassment by US border police.I have a co-worker with Lebanese/US citizenship who was detained for several hours at JFK after he checked in for his flight back to the US with the other passport on Air France. No permanent harm, but still disturbing...
Oct 24, 2007, 11:41 am
#15
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I misunderstood the OP's intentions.
I'd enter the US on the Canadian passport. And check in at the airline w/ your UK passport. If they ask why you don't have an I-94, show them the Canadian passport. Should be clear at that point WHY you don't have a I-94.
JP
I'd enter the US on the Canadian passport. And check in at the airline w/ your UK passport. If they ask why you don't have an I-94, show them the Canadian passport. Should be clear at that point WHY you don't have a I-94.
JP