Entering the US with US/UK dual citizenship

I (UK citizen) will be travelling to SFO with my wife for the first time since we got married. My wife is a UK/US dual citizen.

I had a couple of queries relating to immigration procedures:

1) I understand that the US requires all citizens to enter/depart the country using their US passports. My interpretation of this (along with the wish to get through all queues in minimal time) is that my wife should use the following passport at each stage:

LHR check in: US (so that the passport matches API details)
SFO immigration: US
SFO check in: US
LHR immigration: UK

Would be grateful for any confirmation of this approach from anyone in a similar position.

2) At SFO immigration, would it be possible for me to join my wife in the 'US Citizen' lane? I vaguely remember seeing a thread on FT where someone had successfully done this. If not, and I am supposed to go through the Foreign Citizen lane and my wife through the US one - should we both then complete separate Customs cards (as our respective immigration officers will expect to see/stamp them)?

Would be grateful for any input/thoughts from anyone who's been in similar situations.

Thanks,
Neal

as long as you are traveling as a family, you can join your wife in the US citizen lane. Just make sure on her blue immigration form it has 1 additional member of family traveling with her. why not get her to join IRIS to get back into LHR. its free to register, you just need to show that you are allowed to come and go at will, and travel relatively frequently. Someone I know registered and they only travel out of the UK once a year.

Originally posted by Juliet
as long as you are traveling as a family, you can join your wife in the US citizen lane. Just make sure on her blue immigration form it has 1 additional member of family traveling with her. why not get her to join IRIS to get back into LHR. its free to register, you just need to show that you are allowed to come and go at will, and travel relatively frequently. Someone I know registered and they only travel out of the UK once a year.

i tried to register for IRIS last year and as I wasn't travelling much at the time, they said not to bother as the details were wiped after 6 months of inactivity?

I returned from IAD Saturday with a work collegue who registered for IRIS in Feb 07, he had not travelled since then and had no problems using IRIS at LHR.

Taken from the T&C's for IRIS:

2.1.4. Subject to the above criteria being met, and to his or her iris patterns
being successfully registered, the person will be enrolled to use the
automated barriers for an indefinite period, although the Secretary of State
reserves the right to terminate such a person's permission to use the
automated barriers. See section 3 for details of the circumstances in which the
Secretary of State may terminate a person's participation in the scheme.

Originally posted by neal
I (UK citizen) will be travelling to SFO with my wife for the first time since we got married. My wife is a UK/US dual citizen.

I had a couple of queries relating to immigration procedures:

1) I understand that the US requires all citizens to enter/depart the country using their US passports. My interpretation of this (along with the wish to get through all queues in minimal time) is that my wife should use the following passport at each stage:

LHR check in: US (so that the passport matches API details)
SFO immigration: US
SFO check in: US
LHR immigration: UK

Would be grateful for any confirmation of this approach from anyone in a similar position.

2) At SFO immigration, would it be possible for me to join my wife in the 'US Citizen' lane? I vaguely remember seeing a thread on FT where someone had successfully done this. If not, and I am supposed to go through the Foreign Citizen lane and my wife through the US one - should we both then complete separate Customs cards (as our respective immigration officers will expect to see/stamp them)?

Would be grateful for any input/thoughts from anyone who's been in similar situations.

Thanks,
Neal

With regards to part 1. You are correct with all items. At checkin in SFO though your wife should also be able to show her UK passport. 1 time out of 10 they will ask for your I-94 stub, in which case a simple flash of the US passport should suffice.

With regards to part 2, it really does depend on the airport and the agent(s) on duty. They can be draconian and demand you go through the visitors lane - they'll even ship you to the back of the line at the same time if they are really pissed off with their jobs. Unlike others who have already posted, until I got my green card my wife and I would always go through separate lines.

AF

Originally posted by neal
I understand that the US requires all citizens to enter/depart the country using their US passports. My interpretation of this (along with the wish to get through all queues in minimal time) is that my wife should use the following passport at each stage:

LHR check in: US (so that the passport matches API details)
SFO immigration: US
SFO check in: US
LHR immigration: UK

I agree with all replies you have received. Unless times have changed in the last few years, the US does not recognize duel citizenship and will revoke your wife's US passport if she is found to be entering or leaving the US on a foreign passport.

[mitchja]

Re the IRIS system. Having just found the bit of paper I got when I signed up, it looks like IRIS currently only lasts for 2 years.

I signed up Oct 06 and my IRIS expiry date is Oct 08. I presume you can just go and sign up again though [:?]

Regards

I think when IRIS rolled out they gave tentative time scales of 12/18 months if not used then they would be de-activated. There appears to be updated/ratified T&C's on the IND website as a PDF, not had a chance to read document fully though so there may be clauses![;)]

Regards Neil

Originally posted by baldbrit
I agree with all replies you have received. Unless times have changed in the last few years, the US does not recognize duel citizenship and will revoke your wife's US passport if she is found to be entering or leaving the US on a foreign passport.

This is a common misconception. The US has nothing against dual citizenship and has accepted it for many years. Only individuals seeking US citizenship through naturalisation face the requirement to rescind their current nationality(ies) (and even then there are exceptions).

As long as you receive US nationality through birth, you can hold multiple nationalities/passports. The requirement for US citizens to enter the country on their US passport is a DHS requirement based on security and has nothing to do with dual citizenship requirements. Therefore the original poster's wife has nothing to fear about having her US nationality revoked by the immigration officials, even if they are grumpy!

AF

Thanks all for the advice.

I think we'll make an attempt to enter together through the US Citizen lane. I'm hoping that a friendly immigration officer (ha!) will allow us through. Will fill out different copies of the forms for all permutations just in case I get sent back!

Had forgotten about IRIS, will get her registered on that. I haven't used it since I registered a couple of years back, so will check on my status when my wife signs up.

My wife actually acquired her US citizenship through naturalisation and hasn't revoked her UK citizenship (born in the UK). She was given different answers every time she asked - so just decided to keep schtum about it!

from what I know with the Iris system is that you're on it for 2 years at any one point and it automatically renews the two years every time you use it.

I don't think I'd chance queueing up with your wife... I'd say the odds of being sent to the back of the line are pretty strong.

They may not have the correct stamps in the booth...

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by oxmatt
They may not have the correct stamps in the booth...

They probably do, because once the US line is clear the authorities manning the line will more often than not send people over from the visitors' line if it is very busy. It has happened to me on several occasions.

With regards to IRIS I have heard of people being quized about how often they fly when they register and thus being refused. Having looked at the T+C's I believes that the questioning is just to give the people who work in the little IRIS office an easier time.

If you have proof you are married, they cannot refuse you in the US citizen line, as you are family. So bring a copy of the marriage certificate if you want to be sure you can stay together.

Originally posted by AtlanticFlyer

Originally posted by baldbrit
I agree with all replies you have received. Unless times have changed in the last few years, the US does not recognize duel citizenship and will revoke your wife's US passport if she is found to be entering or leaving the US on a foreign passport.

This is a common misconception. The US has nothing against dual citizenship and has accepted it for many years. Only individuals seeking US citizenship through naturalisation face the requirement to rescind their current nationality(ies) (and even then there are exceptions).

Further to this. Even when naturalisating in the US there is only the requirement to make a renunciatory statement and many people do not formally renounce their old citizenship. Indeed, with US/UK, it used to be the case that UK citizenship was renounced and then reclaimed. Apparantly the State Department almost never pursues such cases.

Found an interesting FAQ here.

FM

Originally posted by Juliet
If you have proof you are married, they cannot refuse you in the US citizen line, as you are family. So bring a copy of the marriage certificate if you want to be sure you can stay together.

Thanks for that Juliet. Do you know if this is an 'official' rule? Or is it something that you know from experience?

Hi Neal,

It is an official rule, that families MUST enter together, using one of the blue customs declarations forms (rather than 2 or 3, or however many members of the family are travelling)

And also from personal experience. As long as there is legitimate family (not inlaws etc) with a US citizen/passport holder, they are suggested to go through the US immigration queues together.

Thanks

Can we reverse the question? I will be flying in to the UK in August (I am a Brit residing in the USA) with my Amrican wife. The last time we flew in to Heathrow together we queued in the Non-EU line. Could I get through the EU lanes with my US wife and children?

[Scrooge]

Yes she can, no issues, what we always do is head down to the immigration hall, see which line is shortest and jump in that one, never had an issue on either side of the pond.

Why not come into the UK on your USA passport and then get the '3 month no working' stamp - then tell your boss you cant work for the next 3 months as you are only here on holiday! Thats what I told my boss ....... didnt get 3 momths off, but it was funny watching his face as he tried to work it out!

Just thought I'd give a quick update on this.

Successfully entered with my wife through the US citizen line, with no problems at all. Saved us a fair amount of time at SFO. BA priority baggage worked a treat too - we were out of the airport less than 15 minutes after getting off the aircraft!