UK and USA passport holders must carry BOTH into America?

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

Not necessarily as US citizenship does not automatically pass down to children.

Geeta, Really? Now I'm confused again...

I thought if someone was born in the USA, it was... So, they had to get their kids a USA passport...

Is nothing easy, or cut and dry? LOL!

Not necessarily as US citizenship does not automatically pass down to children.

Isn't it? I thought it was Law of the Soil and Law of the Blood (that's what they taught us in 10th grade civics. ) If you're born there or if you have an American parent, I thought you were automatically a US citizen?

Isn't it? I thought it was Law of the Soil and Law of the Blood (that's what they taught us in 10th grade civics. ) If you're born there or if you have an American parent, I thought you were automatically a US citizen?

This is usually the case, but I believe that the US citizen must have lived in the US for a certain number of years in order to be able to pass down their citizenship to non-US born children.

In Boris Johnson's case, he was born in New York City, but then his parents returned to the UK shortly afterwards and his sister was born in the UK a year later... so he has never actually lived in the US for a significant length of time.

Also, I believe he renounced his US citizenship a few years ago anyway, so it's kind of a moot point now .

Exactly, as ksand said.  It's not automatic if you aren't living/haven't lived in the US for a certain amount of time.

Interesting! Never knew that. Thanks for sharing.

Exactly, as ksand said.  It's not automatic if you aren't living/haven't lived in the US for a certain amount of time.

 In case anyone is interested in the specifics, to pass on US citizenship you have to have resided in the US for 10 years before the birth of the child and 5 of those have to have been after the age of 14.

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD

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.

I can't apply for them both at the same time, he already has a UK passport, you see, that was easy, post off his birth certificate and application form and it came in the post two weeks later.  For his US passport we have to go to London Monday-Friday and attend in person, seeing as we live nowhere near London, this isn't easy, especially with a young baby.

I can appreciate it isn't easy, but it is important, so I would find a way to plan and make it happen so that you aren't caught out needing the passport and not having it.  An emergency passport would be much more hassle and expense, of course.

Boris was born in NYC

I didn't know this! Interesting!

OH! Geeta and Ksand24, you are right! (As usual!  )

That was the whole 'Obama is not a citizen' thing - because he lived in Africa as a child... That was the argument. Or, well, one of them anyway...

I had forgotten all about that.

Thank you!

I love knowing such smart people that teach me all sorts of awesome stuff - you two ROCK!!!!!

I didn't know this! Interesting!

Well, actually, as per the discussion above, his kids probably aren't American... because in order for Boris to pass his US citizenship to his kids, he would have had to have lived in the US for 10 years, 5 years of which needed to be after the age of 14... but his family moved back to the UK when he was a baby.

http://www.boris-johnson.com/2006/08/29/american-passport/

Well, actually, as per the discussion above, his kids probably aren't American... because in order for Boris to pass his US citizenship to his kids, he would have had to have lived in the US for 10 years, 5 years of which needed to be after the age of 14... but his family moved back to the UK when he was a baby.

Right. The part I found interesting was that Boris was born in the US (not really interested in his kids. )

http://www.boris-johnson.com/2006/08/29/american-passport/

Did he really use the term "wetback" in that article?!