Rete

It is their business. USC cannot visit Cuba for vacation. If you are making frequent trips to some middle eastern countries, the government will also want to know for security purposes.

Jerseygirl

I remember a couple of years ago someone posted on here that a US immigration officer gave him a really hard time because he'd not got a stamp entering the UK in their US PP. So far I haven't had a problem...touch wood.

robin1234

I just reentered the US by road from Canada about two weeks ago. I'd flown in to Ottawa after a weeks holiday in London, and my wife picked me up at the airport.

When we got to the US frontier, the US official asked me if I'd brought anything back from England. I replied that I'd bought a few books and one litre of wine - she told us to pull over and take my bags into the post for a customs inspection. Her colleague inside put on his rubber gloves and went through my dirty laundry and everything else in my two bags very thoroughly. He looked with a suspicious eye at the books I'd bought in London - it reminded me of entering Czechoslovakia in the 1960s. The main items were a Hebrew/Yiddish/English dictionary and David Gilson's Bibliography of Jane Austen (I'd bought them in the remainder section in Foyles at a very good price.) He carefully checked the tp verso of each book, maybe to make sure they weren't published in Cuba??

Then, when he found my British passport, which was in my backpack, he studied it intently, asked me if it was new, (no - I'd had it five years..) then asked me what my status is in the US! I simply said one word - "Citizen" - and didn't volunteer any further information. After several more minutes of rummaging he courteously welcomed me to the United States, and we were on our way...

Rete

Nice !!!!!!!!!!!!

You took him down a peg or two with that one word answer. Think he would have looked at your papers before donning gloves.

Xebedee

Willkommen auf Amerika mein Herr.
Haff you any tins of spam, ze potted plants oder lampshades in zer suitcase?

Bob

No one posted to say read the pro/cons in the wiki then?

Anyone can apply at any time they want, they just won't be approved until they are eligible to apply, which depends on how they got to the US in the first place...

Janek66

When I applied for citizenship (2000) they said you had to have been in the US for 5 years before applying, and be a resident of the state (where you are applying) for at least 3 months. Is it worth it? For me I would say no.

Marmalade

Can you elaborate a little on why not?

Dan725

Thats what I was wondering.....

Janek66

Ok I guess on the plus side you can vote. Not being a 'guest' any more means I can voice my opinions. My kids have US passports so when we go home we can all go through immigration together.
But that's it. It is just convenience. So far I haven't seen any down sides, but given the choice now, knowing what it is like to go through that extremely lengthy, cumbersome process, I wouldn't do it.

Longy

You should be able to go through with your kids at immigration at either end anyway.

meauxna

That's an interesting characterization... what's cumbersome about the process?
I suppose you could call the wait lengthy, although the famous Ann Landers question comes to mind; yes it takes a year. What would you be a year from now if you didn't apply? IOW, the time is going to pass regardless.
I was just writing to someone who didn't realize he can be a dual citizen and in describing the oath ceremony I said it's a little hokey, but I still remember my mother's natz ceremony from the mid 70s, and my DH's was quite moving as well.
It might mean more to your family than you know.

englishinfl

Seems like a fair enough explanation to me.

Jerseygirl

Thought it was quite simple, straightforward myself. Took 3 months for our daughter and 6 mths for us.

Marmalade

I have to agree with you on this point Jerseygirl, I am going through the process right now, and find it very simple so far.