UK and USA passport holders must carry BOTH into America?

Yet another reason why the US can BITE ME, and why I have been giving serious consideration to the idea of renouncing my useless US citizenship.

http://renunciationguide.com/

LOL Tracey!!!!!

I also loved your comment a while back in the 'taxes' thread. You said something like 'the usa and the irs can piss off' or whatever (not an exact quote) and it cracked me UP!

Tracey, what are the 'benefits' of renouncing USA citizenship? Not having to have two passports in one, lol, and not having to pay tax there, right? (Pfff... not that I make enough anyway - lol!) Anything else? If someone does do that, it is then a Done Deal, right? You can't change your mind later, can you? I guess you'd save money on passport renewals - lol! I'm just curious as to the pros, cons, and legalities of it. Obviously, it would limit the amount of time one could then spend in the USA, because one would then need a USA visa, and so people would then face those limitations, right?

Anyway... I am not saying it is a big problem for me to have two passports, or that I do not like the USA or that I do not like the UK, or anything like that... And I do not have kids - I have cats. I was just interested in what happens with kids born here to Americans.

I was just thinking it was an odd rule, and I am a lazy cow who can never keep track of her important documents, so for me, less is better - lol... but now I can see why the rule exists!

I plan to get the little red passport because we plan to retire in the family home in Umbria, or buy something in Spain, if we can ever actually AFFORD to retire properly. Either way, that is a long way off. But, I will apply for it, and then carry two passports on holiday to the USA.

They don't make this stuff easy, do they?! LOL!!!

Yes, you must get the US passport before taking the child to the US, but you don't get it from the US, you get it from the US Embassy in London (I believe you need to register the child's birth with the Embassy anyway, so it's not difficult to get the passport too).

Not really sure what the big deal is, to be honest - I would feel privileged to be able to apply for a second passport .

I get it. I don't think it's that it's a "big deal." More like, why should I have to? I, too, will feel EXTREMELY priveleged when I get my shiny red passport and carry two around when I go on holiday. But, if I had a kid (knock on wood  ) I would be a bit irritated about having to get them a second passport, for a country that we never intend to live in. I just think the US is a bit ridiculous with that rule. Fair enough for me, who lived there until I was 22, but for a child born and raised in another country, it's silly. And a waste of money!

Not really sure what the big deal is, to be honest - I would feel privileged to be able to apply for a second passport .

The 'big deal', for me is that I hate the arrogance of the US government.  It is not a 'privilege' to be forced to shell out $100 (or whatever it is, I haven't checked the fee for US passport renewal lately), when I already have a perfectly valid UK passport. 
And that's only the start of the 'big deal' for me, but it's not something I intend to talk about in public here.

Tracey, I agree.

It is about making money.

Same with requiring us to pay taxes when we do not even live there anymore.

Most other governments do not require that of their citizens.

But, at least for now, there is not much that can be done, so it is what it is...

It's interesting how people view it differently.
DW wants to apply for citizenship, mainly so she can vote and also I think if anything should happen to me she would feel more secure. But she said that she would never give up her US citizenship.
She feels proud of both countries

Well, for me, it has nothing to do with 'pride' or nationalism, or a lack of 'pride' or nationalism... I'm just lazy, so I don't want to have to deal with multiple passport renewals, and I'm also cheap! It gets expensive!

 

But, those are the rules, so, whatever!

I also DO want to be able to vote here if I am living here. So, I guess I will be getting the lil red, eventually.

At the moment it costs $450 to renounce, so it's not going to save you that much money anyway. I'm willing to pay the money, but I have more reasons than passport renewal to want to renounce.

Well, anyway, I would never renounce my citizenship... If for no other reason than it would mean more paperwork and money than a passport renewal!

LOL!

But, seriously, I would not do it anyway, unless I had a good reason too.

Why? Why bother? Having it grants me certain rights, and rights are like eggs - Just because you don't plan on using them, does not mean they are not good to have lying around... Just in case.

So, I will keep my eggs, thank you!

 

Same with requiring us to pay taxes when we do not even live there anymore.

Most other governments do not require that of their citizens.

Actually, you're required to file a tax return.  You don't necessarily pay taxes.  

Right.

Well, you need to earn a certain amount in order to actually be taxed - SO I'M SAFE!

If my son has never registered himself as a US citizen, how can they say he must have a US passport to enter?  Are they able to prove he has the right to US citizenship there and then, upon entry to the USA?

We do plan on getting him one, it's just a timing thing (you have to apply in person) - what if an emergency comes up before then?

It seems to me, if you have an emergency, you will need to try and get him some sort of 'fast tracked' or 'emergency' passport, which will cost more, if it can even be done...

So, either get him that passport, or don't have any emergencies... ?

 

If my son has never registered himself as a US citizen, how can they say he must have a US passport to enter?  Are they able to prove he has the right to US citizenship there and then, upon entry to the USA?

We do plan on getting him one, it's just a timing thing (you have to apply in person) - what if an emergency comes up before then?

Your son IS a US citizen, regardless of whether his birth is registered with the Embassy. As he is a US citizen, he is meant to use a US passport to enter the US. 

Obviously as a UK citizen, he is able to enter the US on his UK passport using the visa waiver program.  However, they can give people trouble if they do find out he should be entering a US passport.  Is it likely? Probably not.  But it has been known to happen (I think Boris Johnson had this happen to him!).

As for the timing thing...well, what would happen if an emergency came up and he didn't have his UK passport yet? I would just apply for both at the same time and cross the emergency bridge when you come to it.

Boris was born in NYC, so his kids are Americans. (As well as British.)