How Do You Become a Dual Citizen?

US law doesn’t prohibit you being both a US citizen and a citizen of another country. There are several ways you can acquire dual citizenship:

• Naturalization as a US citizen. If you become a US citizen through naturalization, most countries allow you to maintain your original citizenship as well.
• Marriage. Are you a US citizen engaged to someone from a foreign country? Some countries will automatically grant you citizenship if you marry a citizen.
• Birth. Some dual citizens are born that way! There are a number of ways you can get dual citizenship by birth. For instance, you could be born in the United States to parents from another country. Or you could be born to US citizens in another country that also grants citizenship to anyone born on its soil. If one of your parents is not a US citizen, you may get a secondary citizenship by right of descent.
• Becoming a citizen of another country. Just as the US doesn’t make foreign-born citizens give up their first citizenship, you can become a citizen of another nation without relinquishing your US citizenship. Marriage, as we mentioned, is one possible way to get a second citizenship. You might also be able to gain citizenship by residing in another country for many years, or by right of descent if your parents or grandparents were born overseas.

No one is exactly sure how many Americans are dual citizens, because no government agency tracks that information. But if you are one of them, you may have some questions about how to manage your two passports!

Traveling With Two Passports

Can I fly carrying both passports?

Yes, you are allowed to carry both passports when you travel. If you are returning to the US, you will definitely need to carry your US passport, whether or not you are also bringing your non-US passport.

Can I choose which passport I use to enter a foreign country?

In most cases, yes. If you are traveling to your other country of citizenship, you will be expected to use that country’s passport to enter. If you are traveling to a third country (not the US or your other country of citizenship), you can choose which passport you want to use. When deciding which passport to use, you should consider whether a visa is required for your trip. Most of the world’s nations allow you to enter on a US passport without a visa. However, there are a few countries that do require visas for US citizens that allow certain other nationals to enter visa-free. For instance, if you are a dual US-UK citizen, you can travel to Brazil on your British passport with no visa required.

My US passport is expired. Can I travel just using my non-US passport?

No, not unless you don’t want to come home to the States! You are required to have a valid US passport for your return to the US.

Which passport should I use to book my flight?

If you need to provide passport details to book an international flight, you should use the same passport that you will use to enter your destination country. It’s OK for you to check in for your return flight using your non-US passport, and then pull out your US passport to clear US immigration and customs.

I only have US citizenship. Is there a way for me to get a second passport for travel?

Yes, there is! You can get a second valid US passport, and G3 can help.

Passport Questions for Dual Citizens

Do I have to turn in my non-US passport to get a US passport?

Have you just been naturalized as a US citizen? Congratulations! You’re now eligible to get your first US passport. You are not required to turn in or give up your non-US passport. While your US passport is processing, you can hold on to your other passport and keep using it as an ID. You should not travel outside the US until you have your new US passport, though.

Can I use my non-US passport to prove my identity to get a US passport?

Yes, your non-US passport can be used as a form of secondary identification when you apply for your US passport. You can even use an expired non-US passport to help establish your identity.

I am renewing my US passport, and the application asks about my most recently issued passport. Do I put in the details of my foreign passport?

No, you don’t need to make any mention of your non-US passport on your US passport application. When you renew your US passport, you will fill in the details of your most recent US passport only.

How can I renew my non-US passport?

If you need to renew your non-US passport while you are living in the USA, you can request passport renewal service through the Embassy or Consulate of your other country of citizenship. Be prepared for it to take weeks or even months for your passport to be renewed. Not all embassies produce passports on site. They may need to send your passport back to the home country to be renewed.

The post Dual Citizens: Your Passport Questions Answered appeared first on G3Passports.

Birth Certificate Showing Birth in the US

For most travelers, the easiest way to prove US citizenship is to submit a birth certificate showing birth in the US.  Want to learn more?  We wrote a whole article about birth certificate requirements and how you can obtain an official copy of your birth certificate.

Expired US Passport

Are you going through the new adult passport process because your last passport was issued more than 15 years ago?  Good news — you don’t need to dig out your birth certificate.  Your expired passport can be used as your proof of citizenship!  Make sure you are still recognizable as the person in the passport photo on your old passport, though.  If you’re now 30 years old and your last passport was issued when you were 5, that’s not going to work.

Naturalization Certificate

Naturalized citizens can submit the original US naturalization certificate or a certified copy.  If you’ve lost your naturalization certificate or need to get a new copy, you can apply for a replacement using USCIS Form N-565. Replacement certificates cost $345… we recommend keeping yours in a safe place!

Certificate of Citizenship

Certificates of Citizenship are issued to people who were born overseas but acquired US citizenship through their parents.  This includes people who were born to US citizen parents abroad, as well as those who were adopted internationally by US citizen parents.  If you have a Certificate of Citizenship, you can submit your original certificate as proof of citizenship with your US passport application.  Replacement certificates can also be obtained by filing Form N-565.

Consular Record of Birth Abroad

Another proof of citizenship for people who were born to US citizen parents in a foreign country is the Consular Record of Birth Abroad.  The Consular Record of Birth Abroad is also known as the CRBA or Form FS-240. Your parents would have needed to register your birth at the US Embassy or Consulate in the location where you were born.  If you still have your original Consular Record of Birth Abroad, great!  If you need a replacement document, you can order one from the State Department for $50.

Certification of Report of Birth

Form DS-1350, the Certification of Report of Birth, is another proof of citizenship document that may be held by people born overseas to US citizen parents.  The US State Department stopped issuing these certificates in 2010, but if you still have your original DS-1350, you can submit it with your passport application to prove your US citizenship.

If you have an unusual citizenship situation, call G3 to talk to a Passport Specialist about what proof of citizenship you can use to get a passport!

The post Proof of Citizenship for Your New US Passport appeared first on G3Passports.

Parental Consent for Teenager’s Passports

Until your child’s 16th birthday, getting a US passport requires the specific consent of both parents.  You can give your consent for your child’s passport by accompanying your child to the Passport Acceptance Agent.  If both parents go in person to the Passport Acceptance Facility, great!  If one of you can’t go, you’d have to sign and notarize form DS-3053, the official Statement of Consent.

For teens age 16 and 17, full parental consent is not required.  What’s needed instead is called “parental awareness.”  16- and 17- year-olds need to show that their parents know that they have applied for a passport.  There are two ways to demonstrate parental awareness for your teenager’s passport request:

• Accompany your teen to the Passport Acceptance Agent.
• Write a letter addressed to “US Department of State, Passport Agency” stating that you wish for your child to be issued a passport.  This letter should be signed in ink.  Submit a copy of your passport or driver’s license along with the letter.

Under State Department regulations, teens age 16 or 17 only need to show parental awareness from one parent, but in our experience, it’s better to have it from both parents.  Some Passport Acceptance Agents are over-cautious and unwilling to execute passport applications from teens unless than have confirmation from both parents.

Identification Requirements for Teen Passport Applicants

When your teen goes to the Passport Acceptance Facility, they will need to show official identification. The following documents can all be used as proof of identity:

• State issued driver’s license
• State issued learner’s permit
• State issued non-driver ID
• Passport book (even if recently expired)
• Passport card (even if expired)

If your teen doesn’t have any of those official IDs, they will need to submit a combination of secondary forms of identification, such as a school ID card, Social Security Card, work ID card, health insurance card, or club membership card.

Passport Renewals for Teens

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a passport renewal for a teenager.  Even if your teen has a passport that was issued before he or she turned 16, it can’t be renewed.  Instead, the new adult passport process must be used.  Only passports that were issued after the applicant turned 16 can be renewed.

The good news is that you’ll only need to go through this once. By the time your teenager’s passport expires, he’ll be well over age 18 and able to get a new passport via the much simpler passport renewal process!

The post Teenager’s Passports: How to Get a New Passport for Teens Age 16-17 appeared first on G3Passports.

Birth Certificate Requirements for US Passports

You’ll need to make sure that the birth certificate you submit with your passport application meets all the following criteria:

• Issued by a US state, city, or territory.  You must submit a government-issued birth certificate.  Hospital-issued birth certificates or other commemorative certificates won’t work.
• Original document with a raised seal. When we say “original,” we don’t necessarily mean the very first copy that your parents got when you were a baby!  You need to submit a certificate issued by the government agency, with a raised seal.  Photocopies, scans, or photographs are not accepted.
• “Long Form” certificate showing your parents’ names.  Some states have an option for a “short form” or card-sized birth certificate.  These aren’t accepted for passport applications.  You need to have a “long form” certificate that shows your parents’ names.  (Don’t have a father listed?  That’s OK.  As long as the certificate has a space for the father’s name, it’s fine if that space has been left blank.)
• Shows birth in a US state, federal district, or territory. Yes, if you were born in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands, you can use your birth certificate to get a US passport!

When you go to the Passport Acceptance Facility, the Passport Acceptance Agent will be checking your birth certificate to ensure it meets all these requirements.

How to Get Your Birth Certificate

It’s an important document… but that doesn’t mean it won’t get lost!  Many passport applicants have trouble locating their original birth certificate.  Luckily, there are a few simple ways to get an official copy.

• Visit the Vital Statistics Office in your state of birth. If you are still in your state of birth, you can go in person to the Vital Statistics Office.  For a small fee, they will print out original copies of your birth certificate for you.  You’ll need to have proof of identity, such as your driver’s license.  While you’re at it, you might as well get two copies of your birth certificate — most places give a discount if you get two copies, and both will be completely official original documents.
• Write to the Vital Statistics Office. Most locales allow you to order your birth certificate by mail.  Processing may take a while, so this is not the best option if you’re in a hurry to apply for your new passport!  Make sure to check the ordering instructions closely.  You may need to pay via money order, or submit a photocopy of your valid ID.
• Order your birth certificate online. You can order your birth certificate right now, without even leaving your chair!  VitalChek.com is a reputable website that works with US government agencies to get you your official birth certificate quickly and easily.

What If Your Name Has Changed?

Your birth certificate was issued when you were a newborn baby.  You’re applying for your first passport as an adult.  It’s quite likely that your legal name has changed!  If your name has legally changed through marriage, divorce, or court order, you’ll need to submit an original copy of the marriage certificate, divorce degree, or court order to prove your new legal name.

The post Get Your Birth Certificate for Your New Passport appeared first on G3Passports.

You’ll need to complete your passport application online, on the State Department’s official application website. This will produce a PDF of your passport application that you can print out, with all your answers neatly typed in.  The application will also have a barcode that helps the Passport Agency process your application swiftly after G3passports.com carries it to the agency for you.  Once you start filling out the application online, you can’t stop and save a draft.  You’ll need to be prepared with all the required information!

Personal Information for the DS-11 Passport Application

You probably already know that you’ll need to fill in your full legal name and your birth date.  Here are other personal details you’ll need to submit:

• Your place of birth – city and US state, or state and country if you were born outside the US.
• Your email address and at least one phone number – you may list either a home, work, or mobile phone number. You can include several numbers if you like.
• Your Social Security Number – under a new federal law, you must include your Social Security Number or your application will automatically be rejected.
• Any former legal names, such as your maiden name or previous married name.  Do not list any nicknames, pen names, or religious names.
• Your home address – please note that although this will be listed as “mailing address” on the printed passport application, G3passports.com will be shipping your completed passport to whatever address you provide when you complete your order online.
• Your height, hair color, and eye color. We get a lot of questions about how to answer the hair and eye color questions!  The online application only gives you a small set of options on a drop-down menu for hair color and eye color, so you’ll have to choose whichever color seems the most appropriate.  Don’t worry too much about this question — we’ve never seen it cause a problem for travelers.
  • Your hair or eyes are an in-between color. Choose the color that seems the closest. For instance, if you have auburn hair, you can select either brown or red as your hair color.  The State Department will not reject your application if you say your hair is red and they think it looks more brown in the photo!
  • Your hair is currently dyed. You can list either your current dyed color or your natural color.  If your hair is an unusual color like pink or green, which isn’t offered as an option, select your natural color.
  • You’re bald. Select the hair color that matches your eyebrows or beard.
  • Your eyes are two different colors. List the color of one of your eyes.

Family Information for Your Passport Information

You’ll need to provide the following information about your family:

• Your father’s full name, place of birth, and date of birth.  Not sure of these details?  Check your birth certificate, they should be listed there.
• Your mother’s maiden name, place of birth, and date of birth.
• Information about your spouse.  If you are currently married, fill in information about your current spouse.  If you are widowed or divorced, you’ll need to provide the information about your most recent spouse. Of course, this information isn’t needed if you’ve never been married!
  • Your spouse’s full name
  • Spouse’s date of birth
  • Spouse’s place of birth (city and state, or city and country if your spouse was born overseas)
  • Whether or not your spouse is a US citizen
  • Date of your marriage
  • Date you were widowed or divorced, if applicable

Travel Information and Emergency Contact

Since you’re applying for expedited passport service through G3passports.com, you will need to fill in the details of your upcoming trip.  You’ll need to list the date you plan to travel and the countries you will visit.  If your plans aren’t firm, that’s OK — just list the earliest date you think you may travel.

You will also need to provide the contact information for a friend or relative who is not traveling with you.  This person will be listed as your emergency contact in the State Department’s records.  You’ll need to fill in the following details for your emergency contact person:

• Full name
• Home address
• Telephone number
• Relationship to you

Having trouble gathering all the details you need, or do you have more questions?  Reach out to one of our passport specialists, or ask us in the comments!

The post What Information Do You Need for Your New Passport Application? appeared first on G3Passports.

Setting Up the App

I already knew that our return airport, Fort Lauderdale, was on the list of airports that use Mobile Passport Control.  (Not sure if your airport has Mobile Passport Control facilities?  It’s currently in use in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago,  Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Minneapolis, New York JFK, Newark, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington Dulles.  Houston will also soon have Mobile Passport Control at both Hobby and Bush Intercontinental airports.)  My next step was to download the app.  I use an Android phone, and I easily found the Mobile Passport Control app in the Google Play store. The app is free, and downloaded quickly.

When I opened the app for the first time, I was prompted to create a 4 digit PIN number for security.  I made sure to choose one that was easy for me to remember! The next step was to set up our profiles in the “Passports” tab.  The Mobile Passport Control app allows you to add one primary user — that would be me — and three additional members of the household.  That worked out perfectly, since I was traveling with my husband and two sons.  A larger family could have both parents set up the app on their phones.  To set up our profiles, I had to type in our passport details: full name as listed in the passport, date of birth, passport number, and date of expiration.

Selfie Time!

The profiles also require a photograph, which can be taken selfie-style with the front camera or with the phone’s rear camera.  This is where you can improve on the job I did.  I could have set up our profiles well in advance of our trip, but instead I waited until the morning that we were flying home.  The photos I captured of our family that morning in our hotel room were not our best looks — me with no makeup, my husband pre-coffee, our older son with an epic case of bedhead.  The baby looked cute, at least! The app allows you to go back and edit your information or take new photos.  I’m planning to take better pics before our next trip.

In taking the photos, I tried to have plain backgrounds, as this is the standard for passport photos.  My husband’s photo included a piece of furniture off to the side, but this didn’t cause any problems when we landed.

On The Plane

During our flight back to the US, the cabin crew distributed paper forms for US Customs declarations.  We didn’t bother to fill ours out.  Instead, I took a couple of minutes to log in to the app and open up the “New Trip” tab.  In no more than two minutes, I’d answered all of the questions.  Once we were back on the ground and back on the 4G network, I clicked “submit.”  Done!  Our confirmation was now available in the “Receipts” tab.

In The Airport – Immigration

Getting through US Immigration and Customs is a multi-step process.  After disembarking the plane, all the passengers filed in to a room with long lines to access Automated Passport Control kiosks.  I had my phone in hand, and was able to wave it at the security officer controlling the area. We bypassed the line and went through the first of several Mobile Passport Control express lanes into the next room.  There, we faced more lines of travelers waiting to be cleared by immigration officials, separated into multiple lanes.  My family was able to go into the designated lane for Mobile Passport Control users.  Several international flights had landed at once, and the immigration lines were long.  In the Mobile Passport Control line, there were only a few people ahead of us, and we quickly were seen by an immigration official.

The process to go through immigration was simple.  We handed over all four passports to the USCIS officer.  I opened up the “Reciepts” tab of the app, which had a separate QR code for each one of us.  One at a time, I had to tap the QR code image to open up a larger version of the code, and then I held the phone steady over a scanner to have the QR code read.  This took a few moments for the machine to scan the image and flash a light to indicate we’d been cleared.

Clearing Customs

The only step of the process that the Mobile Passport Control app couldn’t speed up for us was getting our checked luggage!  We had to wait for our luggage to come around on the baggage carousel, just like everyone else.  We entered our final Mobile Passport Control express lane to clear Customs after retrieving our bag.  We zipped up to an officer and scanned the QR codes on our receipts again.  That’s it!  Welcome back to the USA.

Our Review

The Mobile Passport Control app gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up from my family.  It was easy to use and allowed us to skip several very long lines.  If we traveled overseas more frequently, we’d consider getting Global Entry, which also allows you to use designated express lanes to clear immigration and customs.  However, Global Entry has a fee to join, and the Mobile Passport Control app is totally free to download and use.  It was a perfect fit for our family’s traveling needs.

The post We Road-Test the Mobile Passport Control App appeared first on G3Passports.

Resdesigned Information Page

Next Generation passports will feature a number of high-tech upgrades to the information page. The information page is the page that displays your photo, name, and other details. On Next Generation passports, it will be covered with a strong polycarbonate coating. This clear plastic coating will protect your passport from water damage. (Water damage to the information page is one of the top causes of passport mutilation.) The polycarbonate will also protect an embedded electronic chip. This chip will contain the same basic data as your information page. If your passport is ever stolen, it will prevent thieves from modifying your passport so someone else could use it.

If the polycarbonate coating and electronic chips aren’t enough, the State Department will also use lasers to customize the Next Generation passports. Each passport will have the passport number laser-engraved on the photo page and visa pages.

Upgraded Visa Pages

The State Department has promised upgraded artwork for the visa pages on Next Generation passports. Pages will be watermarked to prevent forgery. Some images on the pages will be printed with “tactile” ink that is raised up from the page. You’ll be able to feel the image if you run your fingers across the page! Other images will include “optically variable” ink that will change colors if you look at it from different angles.

The new Next Generation passports will also return to having page numbers printed on the visa pages. This is good news, and will make it easier to keep track of how many blank pages remain in your passport.

The State Department will continue to offer passports in two sizes: the standard 27 page book and the large 52 page book. There is no additional fee for the large book, but they are issued at State Department discretion and may not always be in stock at every Passport Agency.

We’re excited to get our first look at the new Next Generation passports. Are you?

The post “Next Generation” Passports to Launch This Summer appeared first on G3Passports.

Tip 1: Keep an eye on your Child’s Passport validity.

If the whole family applied for passports at the same time, bear in mind that the kids’ passports are going to expire long before mom and dad’s! Minor passports issued to US citizens age 15 and under are valid for only 5 years, rather than the 10 years issued to adults.

Another important thing to remember is that there is no such thing as a passport renewal for kids! Only adult passports – the ten-year passports issued to travelers age 16 and older – can be renewed. Kids who are still under age 16 will need to go through the minor passport procedure again to get a new passport. If your son or daughter is now 16 or older, the new adult passport procedure will be used to issue their new passport.

Tip 2: Plan your visit to the Passport Acceptance Agent.

When a child applies for a US passport, both parents will have to demonstrate that they want the child’s passport to be issued. The easiest way to do this is to have both parents accompany the child to the Passport Acceptance Agent. (If only one parent can accompany the child, the other parent will have to complete Form DS-3503 and have it notarized.) Passport Acceptance Agents are typically located in major post offices, or at other government facilities such as Clerk of the Court offices, and most of them require appointments to be scheduled in advance. We recommend that you plan your visit to the Passport Acceptance Agent to make it convenient for the whole family. Perhaps it’s most efficient for you to go to a location near your office, or one near your child’s school so she doesn’t have to miss too many classes. Some locations also have evening hours, which are great for working parents!

Tip 3: Consider taking your young child’s passport photo yourself.

A school age child can be trusted to sit patiently on a photographer’s stool to have a passport photo taken, but what if you have a wiggly toddler, or a tiny baby who can’t sit up yet? If you have a digital camera, or even a smartphone with a good camera, you can take your child’s passport photo yourself. You can format the photo to State Department specifications by uploading it into their photo cropping tool online or by using a website like PassportPhoto4You. You can then print your photo yourself if you have a good color printer and photo paper, or you can have it printed at a drug store or office supply store that offers photo printing services.

Here are our tips to get a good passport photo of your child:

• Take the photo in a well-lit area, against a plain white wall or blanket. There should not be anything in the background of the photo, or any shadows across your child’s face. For young babies, we recommend having the baby lie on a white sheet or blanket on the floor, while you snap the photo from above.
• Your child’s head should be bare – no hats or headbands.
• There should be no other items in the photo with your child – no chairs, toys, pacifiers, bottles, or parent’s hands!
• Your child should look straight at the camera and have a relatively neutral expression. Both eyes should be open, but the State Department is often lenient about this requirement for newborn babies.
• Take a lot of photos and choose a cute one!

The post Minor Passports: Our Top Three Tips appeared first on G3Passports.

The facial recognition software was successfully tested last year at Washington Dulles International Airport as the “1-to-1 Facial Comparison Project.” It utilizes the information stored on the RFID chip in the traveler’s passport to compare the stored digital image against a photo of the traveler snapped at the checkpoint.

The system relies on biometric passports to work. Biometric passports are the ones marked on the cover with a small gold icon of a rectangle with a circle inside it. That icon indicates that the passport contains a computer chip (RFID chip) that can be read by specialized radio frequency devices. The chip stores the basic passport information, such as the passport number and the traveler’s name and date of birth, as well as a digitized version of the passport photo. It is this digitized photo which is used for comparison purposes by the facial recognition software at the airport. Biometric passports have become the international standard. The United States has been issuing biometric passports since 2006, which means that the last few non-biometric US passports will expire this year.

The Department of Homeland Security has instituted the facial recognition technology as part of their “Apex Air Entry and Exit Re-Engineering Project.” The goal of this project is to improve the country’s ability to screen incoming travelers in the interest of national security.

The post New Facial Recognition Scanners at US Airports appeared first on G3Passports.

On December 4, 2015, the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” bill was signed into law. Slipped into this bill were a few updates to tax law, including a new provision that allows the State Department to deny or revoke passports for US citizens who are seriously delinquent on their tax bills.

This is not the first time that debt has been used as a reason for the State Department to refuse to issue or renew passports. For many years, passports have been denied to noncustodial parents who owe more than $2,500 in unpaid child support. Each state will send the State Department lists of people who owe back child support, and the State Department will not issue a passport until the debt has been paid. Although the State Department will not renew the passport of a parent who owed child support, they do not cancel valid passports due to child support debt.

Under the new law, the Internal Revenue Service will inform the U.S. State Department of “seriously delinquent tax debt,” and the State Department is required to deny the issuance or renewal of a passport to any U.S. citizen who owes $50,000 or more in cumulative back taxes, interest, and penalties. The State Department is also authorized to revoke the valid passport of anyone on the IRS list. This provision applies to federal taxes only, and not to state or local taxes.

Exceptions will be made for debtors who are attempting to reconcile their tax debt with an installment agreement or Offer-in-Compromise, as well as those who have requested a collection due process hearing or innocent spouse relief.

The U.S. Government hopes that this new law will help them collect billions in unpaid taxes. This is based on a 2011 study by the General Accounting Office, which revealed that of the 16 million U.S. passports issued in 2008, almost a quarter of a million were issued to individuals with significant federal tax debt. Those passport applicants owed a cumulative total of more than $5.8 billion! It’s worth noting that this study only addressed the tax debt owed by people who applied for passports in 2008, and not those who already held valid passports. The General Accounting Office states that the amount of tax debt owed by travelers who currently hold passports is likely many times higher than the $5.8 billion they identified. After all, $5.8 billion only sounds like a lot of money until you consider that the federal government is owed more than $330 billion in unpaid taxes!

The post Owe Back Taxes? You Could Lose Your Passport! appeared first on G3Passports.