phltraveler

What are the rules on passports as a US/Canadian dual citizen on NEXUS/GE? I am technically a dual citizen by birth (born in the US to a Canadian parent who was born in Canada), but that means little unless you have proof (e.g. I need to get the application/proof notarized and get a citizenship certificate/passport from the Canadian government) . I heard you can give info on multiple passports to US CBP/CBSA for GE/NEXUS but what are the rules for traveling? I assume I'm supposed to pick the US passport when flying on United Airlines for my ticket and then present the passport for the country I'm entering when I reach customs, right? Will it matter if, say, I check in under the US passport with united for my US -> Canada flight and then present my Canadian passport at customs? (With NEXUS you generally present your NEXUS card which should be aware of both, but I don't know how it works if you have a secondary inspection).

If I get the Canadian passport and add it to my NEXUS, I just don't want there to be any headaches...

yaychemistry

I've got dual UK/US citizenship, and was approved for GE. I put both passports on my application. During my interview I handed both passports to the CBP officer and he gave the UK passport right back to me without even opening it. I have no info on NEXUS, though.

For traveling:
When I'm entering the US I use my US passport. When I'm entering the UK I use my UK passport. AFAIK, those are the only requirements. When showing my passport(s) to entities other than the US or UK governments, I just make a best guess based on the circumstances.

For instance, when I went to S. America, I put my UK passport in my flight reservation and entered on the UK passport to avoid having to pay the Argentine reciprocity fee. On the return flight, the check-in agent asked to see my passport to verify my identity and I gave him both (at first I gave him only the UK passport, but then he asked if I had a visa for the US, and I showed him my US passport). When I exited through Argentine passport control at EZE, I showed only my UK passport since it had the entry stamp. Back in the US, I showed CBP my US passport. They asked the usual questions (work/business, where did you go and for how long). He never bothered to check for entry/exit stamps from the places I claimed to go.

dandelos

Applied for GE for my wife and I earlier in the month, and after checking several times a day, managed to secure earlier appointments for us. I had mine yesterday at LAX and it was straightforward and quick. My wife's appointment is next week but her situation is slightly different. Besides her US passport/citizenship, she also has passport/citizenship from another country.

She's currently only registered in GOES with her US passport, for a couple of reasons --

1) we didn't think she would ever need to enter the US using her non-US passport; and
2) several years ago when she was still a travel noob and returning to the US from an international trip, when the immigration officer asked her for her passport she showed him both and asked which he wanted. He responded by saying something to the effect of "don't show me your non-US passport next time as we could have it taken away".

At my interview last night the officer asked me if I had citizenship from a 2nd country (I don't), so I presume my wife will get a similar question next week and will have to respond truthfully. We just want to be prepared if that will cause any issues, and I assume she should also bring her 2nd, non-US passport?

Anyone with similar experiences/insight?

flyerCO

It is illegal to enter the US using another passport if you have US citizenship. She should never try to enter or exit (ie don't have it swiped when checking in to fly out of the country) the US with anything but the US passport. She could be fined and face loss of GE if she does otherwise.

televisor

There was one report on FT of a multiple-citizen (one US, one other) being asked for their second passport. I'd recommend bringing it along, declaring it, and worst case the officer will ignore it. There are other reports of officers completely ignoring second passports. The key is: declare it during the application, and ideally bring it with you. If you have multiple citizenships but only one valid passport, best to declare those citizenships, but obviously no need to bring non-existent documents.

As others have said, enter the US on the US passport only, but having the other passport in the system would potentially be helpful in the case of passport theft or loss. (Or it might make the CBP angry. Getting a replacement at an embassy would definitely be a better choice in this case.)

FWIW at my interview I was told I can bring along any further passports/citizenships as and when I get them (I'm in the middle of naturalisation in another country), but I'm not a US citizen, so I can enter the US on both my current and future citizenships.

dandelos

Thanks for all the informative replies, guys! Definitely clears things up for us.

It doesn't look like we can add her 2nd passport's details to her application right now, so she'll just bring it with her to the interview.

GUWonder

There is no fine or other legal penalty for a US citizen entering the US using a non-US passport. And there's been no such US penalty, for decade after decade after decade after decade .... And yet the stories about fines for such still circulate despite any such fine or other penalty not being legal for several decades.

With regard to loss of GE for a US citizen entering the US while using a non-US passport, who knows. I've seen some GE members keep their GE membership even after doing so; and I've seen no such GE members lose GE membership for doing this. But who knows.

televisor

I imagine the key thing here is to not try to use GE with your non-US passport, since it probably isn't in the system, and even if it is you'd still need manual processing as they'll need to verify your US citizenship before admission as a citizen (I highly doubt the GE machines are coded to handle that case - they already can't handle some much more common and simpler visa admissions).

And the less aware they are of your GE membership the better I imagine.

It would still be interesting to hear the first hand reports though - did they use the normal US citizen lines?

TWA884

Posts discussing NEXUS applications by dual citizens were moved to The NEXUS Information Thread.

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator

GUWonder

They sometimes used the "non-citizens" visitor lines; and sometimes they used the same lines as US citizens. At some airports, there are APC-kiosk-using US citizens in the same line as VWP/ESTA users with post-2008 VWP country passports and prior US visit history so there isn't always a distinction between the lines. No GE revocation for them -- at least not as far as I've been told -- even for those sent to secondary based on presentation as a US citizen without a US passport in hand to show at the US airport of entry.

I can't say that is how it always goes and will always go, but that's how it's gone for those situations where I have been present for first-hand observations. I'd be interested to come across any first-hand reports with documented evidence of GE revocation for US citizens showing up at a US airport of entry without a US passport.

bbtrvl

I would just like to point out that there is a big difference between showing a non-US passport to a CBP officer during a GE interview, and presenting a non-US passport to a CBP officer at a border entry point while trying to enter the US.

Also, if I were in that situation and unable to present a US passport, I would want to have a really good explanation for why I didn't get emergency travel documents from a US embassy or consulate.

GUWonder

...... and the point of the above "big difference" is _____? Different circumstances, different purposes, and different outcomes. Nothing all that ominous.

Good explanations: wasn't convenient enough; and/or just didn't do it.

bbtrvl

...because attempting to enter on a non-US passport is technically against the letter of the law, against the advice of various State Department and CBP websites, and against the anecdotal experience of those who got verbal advice from CBP officers? Whereas it's perfectly legal to bring to a GE interview?

You make a good point that there doesn't seem to be much enforcement, and that can be very useful to certain travelers in a pinch.

But that is no reason to be cavalier about it. They are very lax about draft registration laws in this country also. But it's still the law, and failure to comply can sometimes come back to bite later; like all the men over 26 who never registered with SSS and are now barred from federal programs and jobs.

Of course, for a GE member whose participation in the program is contingent on compliance with all immigration and customs laws, that is somewhat reliant on a CBP officer's kindness that day to not revoke GE for showing up without a US passport...I'd at least want to say that I tried to get travel documents but embassy was closed, et cetera...

GUWonder

Don't see anything ominous there either, so far.

Technically, when there is no legally applicable penalty for an activity, then the activity is technically against a legally-toothless advisory statement of sorts. Sort of like if there was a line item in a book of law that says to wash your hands before eating but provides for no current legal penalty (for whatever reason). And technically, the USG is legally required to treat US citizens in the US as nothing but US citizens. And yet the USG (State, DHS/CBP and otherwise) is so cavalier that sometimes it demonstrates its obsession about US dual-citizens' non-US citizenship status when it comes to GE participation (including at the GE interview) and otherwise (including in some employment-related matters).

Rights and privileges are substantively most valuable to the entitled when utilized in cavalier ways by one or all. The penalty for US citizens entering the US without a US passport got gutted years ago, on technical legal grounds. A product of being cavalier.

When it comes to recognized US citizens -- US dual-citizens or otherwise -- just because they arrived at a US port of entry without a US passport doesn't mean there is necessarily anything left to enforce.

They aren't very lax about SS registration at all when they want to make an issue of it, as has come up when the FBI uses the CBP as an enabler to make "informants" and targets of young US males of some sort (including some current or former GE members) coming into US ports of entry. Even the paragraph above claims a way of not being very lax about failure to comply with a law that has a currently applicable legal penalty.

Technically, that's a very different situation than that of US citizens arriving at a US port of entry without a US passport. For US dual-citizens who show up at US ports of entry without a current US passport, those with current or expired GE membership may even find things easier than for those without any GE participation history.

Some of the CBP employees interacting with dual-citizen) GE members (of the sort I mentioned above as arriving without US passports) were anything but kind. And yet no revocations amongst those persons as far as I know. Perhaps it could change at some point. Providing excuses at the US ports of entry is not really useful unless wanting to try to rely upon kindness rather than upon the rule of law as it currently stands.

TWA884

Please get back on topic which is whether Global Entry applicants who are dual citizens need to disclose that fact during the application process.

If you wish to discuss US citizens who are dual nationals entering the US on their foreign passport, please do so in the following thread:

Dual National Entering USA on Non-American Passport

Thank you,

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator