BecFern008

Hi there!

I've checked all of the regulations on dual citizenship but needed a little extra advice on my situation. I'm a USC and my husband is a UKC. We're due to have a little daughter in 7 weeks time and as I want to bring her home to the US in December for a long visit, we need to process her passports and report her birth to the US Embassy in London immediately following her birth!

We will be starting the process to move back to the US in December for my husband to get his green card (I-130 petition followed by visa) so I have a few questions concerning both of these situations:

1. Is the most advisable route for our child to a) obtain a UK passport for her FIRST (since it only takes 2-3 weeks normally) in October once she's born; then book an appointment with the US Embassy in London to register her birth straight away and get her US passport- she'd then have both passports to travel. New regulations state that you are no longer allowed to enter the US without a US passport if you have claim to US citizenship!

2. Since she would then be considered a US citizen, presumably she would not need to have any visas or anything to move back home w/ us? I would hate to have to do the visa process for both my husband and her- so much time and money!!!!!

Thanks for your help
Bec

fatbrit

She needs a US passport to travel to the US.

As a USC, she can visit or live in the US whenever she pleases.

While you're at the US embassy, get her a US social security card at the same time as the registration of birth and US passport.

You can have the US and UK passport applications running simultaneously.

The immigrant visa for your husband will take 6 months or more from the first form going in.

rpjs

Why not do both applications simultaneously? If you will need more than one copy of the birth certificate you can (for a fee) get as many as you need from the registrar. Probably for the US passport you'll need the "long form" (with parents' names) which I think you have to pay extra for anyway.

Correct, no visa required.

Bob

Nothing new about it.

Don't need the UK passport, but it's worth getting as it's cheaper in the UK.

UK_US_Attorney

You have stated you want to bring your daughter to the US in December for a long visit. It sounds like you may be coming back before the eventual permanent move to the US.

As I and my kids are dual nationals, I would point out that you should obtain a UK passport so your daughter can get back in. Years back, my wife had grabbed our family's passport case (where both my passports were kept) and removed my Irish passport believing this wasn't needed in traveling to the US. While i had no problem getting into the US and departing I was nearly deported on returning to the UK and am sure that if it wasn't for the fact I flew back into a fairly quiet Bristol airport rather than one of the busy London airports -- I would certainly have been headed back to Miami.

penguinsix

Apply for both, and the social security card right away. Once she has a number and assuming she is born before the end of the year she becomes a tax dependent on your US forms for the entire year.

gatsbygirl8

Agree with everyone else. Get both passports at the same time. Our situation was exactly the same as yours. I'm USC, husband is UKC and our daughter was born in the UK. We took her to the US Embassy in London when she was 5 weeks old to report her birth abroad, applied for her SS card and her US passport. Separately, I applied for her UK passport. Both arrived within a few weeks, and she and I flew to the US with both passports in hand.

My gripe is that you have to pay the full price for a "first passport" for a child, but it's only valid for five years. Such a rip off.

strange_gravy

Sorry to butt into your thread.... but I keep seing it mentioned that if your child has a claim to citizenship then they have to enter the US wiht a US Passport. Has it always been like this? I have a 3 year old and a four year old living in the UK with me and I just haven't gotten around to getting them a US passport or registering their birth. (I'm a US Citizen) I've taken them both back to the US 4 times and no ones ever questioned the fact that they were travelling on British passports.

ian-mstm

If you meet the eligibility requirements for passing citizenship to them, they are US citizens and require a US passport to enter the US. That is the law. This has been true for a number of years now.

Ian

Bob

Yup...but as USC's, they can't be refused entry to the US, but there can be hefty fines for not using a US passport.

strange_gravy

I best get them passports before I go again then! No one at immigration has batted an eye lid before though. I was once asked why I hadn't got them passports, told the guy I just hadn't bothered yet, and he just let us in. Don't want to risk a fine next time!

BecFern008

Thank you everyone for all of your replies- very helpful! I'm now collating all of the documents so I can apply for both passports at once- She's due in 5 1/2 weeks so not long now! Thanks again!

Bec