Anyone with 2 passports?

[niccig]

So I'll be getting an American passport and I have an Australian passport, I'm not sure which one to use when.
America requires that I leave and enter the USA on the USA passport.
Australia requires that I enter and leave Australia. on the Australian. passport.

Issues.
At check-in at LAX, they check if you have right to enter Australia - visa or passport, but I have to leave on the USA passport - so do I show them the Australian passport as well, so they know I don't need a visa? Same problem at check-in in Australia for return leg, they want to see USA passport to know I can legally enter USA, but I have to leave on Australian passport as Australian citizen.

I thought you needed to use the same passport for both ends of the trip. So, if I leave on a USA passport but enter Australia on an Australian passport, is this OK?

Just trying to work out what I'll have to do. DH says I should just offer up both and see which one they want to swipe.

[salsah]

travel with both. choose one for the stamps. so for example, if you choose to use your US passport, when you leave the US, have them stamp your US passport. when you arrive in Australia, show them your Australian passport, but ask them to stamp the US passport. so you are only using one passport (the US). treat the Australian passport as a visa.

[citymama]

Can you call the INS (or whatever they are called now) and ask them, just to be sure? And the OZ embassy? This is one area you don't want to screw up...

congrats on the dual citizenship!

[cdlamis]

I have 2 passports (dual nationality). I was told to act as if the other passport did not exist when entering the other country. So, I only show the Brazilian passport when entering Brazil and the US passprt when entering the US.

[californiagirl]

When they talk about "leaving" and "entering" they only mean dealing with the government, not with the airline. They don't care what you show the airline to make them happy. So, leaving the US, you show the airline the Australian passport, you show customs at the airport US airport the American passport, you show immigration in Australia the Australian one; leaving, you reverse the deal.

[MontrealMum]

I am also wondering this since I haven't travelled since becoming dual. I do know the US consulate here told me that basically the US does not recognize citizenship of other countries...scared the carp out of me initially, but it was explained that this only means they "privilege" or something (not really sure what the best word would be) the US citizenship over the other one. So, you're allowed to hold citizenship from, in my case Canada, but if you're going into the US you need to use the US passport.

I think for the airlines you just need the passport as a photo ID though, right? But I am curious to see others' answers too.

Are you official now? Welcome!!! :boogie:

[niccig]

I'm official as of this afternoon. 5996 people in one of the LA convention center halls that had been declared a US District Court for the ceremony. Everyone stand and say oath after judge, say pledge of allegiance and sing the national anthem. DS was really cute, anytime people clapped he would wave his flag.

I'm still not sure on how to do the 2 passports. Australia end is easy as they have separate immigration and check in. At LAX immigration is at check-in. From what I can work out, you have to use the same passport leaving and entering the same country. So USA for this end and Australia for that end...I think. We'll work it out when we're doing it.

[o_mom]

I'm official as of this afternoon. 5996 people in one of the LA convention center halls that had been declared a US District Court for the ceremony. Everyone stand and say oath after judge, say pledge of allegiance and sing the national anthem. DS was really cute, anytime people clapped he would wave his flag.

I'm still not sure on how to do the 2 passports. Australia end is easy as they have separate immigration and check in. At LAX immigration is at check-in. From what I can work out, you have to use the same passport leaving and entering the same country. So USA for this end and Australia for that end...I think. We'll work it out when we're doing it.


Congratulations!!!

[tylersmama]

Yay! Congratulations, Nicci!

[niccig]

Thanks.
Tomorrow I've off to Social Security Office to make change to my social security card and Saturday to Post Office to get a passport. Then I am done and finished. Now to get DS's Australian citizenship - I've put that off for 4 years as didn't want to deal with it, but I may as well get it done now that I'm doing all of my stuff.