Applying citizenship from abroad (US on green card)

[sajbud]

Anyone here who had experience applying canadian citizenship then moved to US. I have question regarding crossing the US/Canada border:

What if I already did my first entry to the United States with an immigrant visa on my Philippine passport on a border between US/Canada and I go back to Canada let's say 1 month after entering US to take my oath to be a canadian citizen but what if I’m still waiting for the green card that time. Technically, when I take the oath to be a canadian citizen my Philippine passport will be revoked because I will lose my Philippine citizenship (but I could reacquire back dual philippine citizenship through a process that could take 1 month). When I enter back to the US via border with the new canadian passport will there be a problem because the temporary I-551 immigrant visa is on the revoked Philippine passport and I don’t have the physical green card yet?

*short back story: I lived in canada for more than 5 years as a Permanent resident that made me eligible to apply for canadian citizenship so I applied for personal reasons and because why not. Then I got a good paying job in the US that sponsored me for eb3 )

Hope you can share your insights on this scenario.

 

[21Goose]

When you say that your Philippines passport will be "technically revoked", do you mean that the Philippines requires you to surrender citizenship?

 

[sajbud]

When you say that your Philippines passport will be "technically revoked", do you mean that the Philippines requires you to surrender citizenship?

Actually no. I don't think Canada will inform the philippines that I became a canadian citizen for the philippines to actually revoke the passport.

 

[21Goose]

Ok, so I looked it up and yes, technically speaking you cease to be a Filipino citizen as soon as you become a citizen of another country. But of course the Philippines doesn't know you have become a citizen till they find out.

Honestly, in this case I would simply arrive at the US border with my shiny new Canadian passport and be waved through. Why would they check your US green card status - as a Canadian citizen you have visa-free entry to the US.

Secondly, if they ask to see the Philippines passport with the immigrant visa, you show them that. The visa is still valid (US visas are typically valid even if the passport expires - this is probably the same way). In fact, the passport is still valid, even though it is technically revoked. You are not attempting to enter on the Immigrant Visa - you are entering on your Canadian passport, so it's not like you're trying to bypass the rules.

Once you're back in the US, you can figure out what you want to do about your nationality. Why not become a triple-citizen?

 

[21Goose]

Maybe someone with more experience can answer as well.

Can you just wait for your green card and avoid this? This can get tricky because the Canadian passport doesn't give you the right to work in the US..

 

[sajbud]

Ok, so I looked it up and yes, technically speaking you cease to be a Filipino citizen as soon as you become a citizen of another country. But of course the Philippines doesn't know you have become a citizen till they find out.

Honestly, in this case I would simply arrive at the US border with my shiny new Canadian passport and be waved through. Why would they check your US green card status - as a Canadian citizen you have visa-free entry to the US.

Secondly, if they ask to see the Philippines passport with the immigrant visa, you show them that. The visa is still valid (US visas are typically valid even if the passport expires - this is probably the same way). In fact, the passport is still valid, even though it is technically revoked. You are not attempting to enter on the Immigrant Visa - you are entering on your Canadian passport, so it's not like you're trying to bypass the rules.

Once you're back in the US, you can figure out what you want to do about your nationality. Why not become a triple-citizen?

Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate it. Hope everything will go well. I'll update this post once it all happens. Hope I can find someone in the forum who had the same scenario who's still active. I've tried contacting some but they're already offline.

 

[sajbud]

Maybe someone with more experience can answer as well.

Can you just wait for your green card and avoid this?

My thing is I don't want to reschedule the Canadian citizenship oath because I might wait for a long time again. Another consideration is the PR card which could expire before the oath is rescheduled which could be another long wait if I try to renew and you need to a valid PR card when they schedule you for the Oath taking.

 

[sajbud]

Maybe someone with more experience can answer as well.

Can you just wait for your green card and avoid this? This can get tricky because the Canadian passport doesn't give you the right to work in the US..

Regarding the right to work, I'm thinking of showing both passports then just go from there in case they have concerns. And I am technically just waiting for the physical green card that will authorize me to start working.

Hope someone who had same situation see this post and share their experience.

 

[Ocean3113]

Anyone here who had experience applying canadian citizenship then moved to US. I have question regarding crossing the US/Canada border:

What if I already did my first entry to the United States with an immigrant visa on my Philippine passport on a border between US/Canada and I go back to Canada let's say 1 month after entering US to take my oath to be a canadian citizen but what if I’m still waiting for the green card that time. Technically, when I take the oath to be a canadian citizen my Philippine passport will be revoked because I will lose my Philippine citizenship (but I could reacquire back dual philippine citizenship through a process that could take 1 month). When I enter back to the US via border with the new canadian passport will there be a problem because the temporary I-551 immigrant visa is on the revoked Philippine passport and I don’t have the physical green card yet?

*short back story: I lived in canada for more than 5 years as a Permanent resident that made me eligible to apply for canadian citizenship so I applied for personal reasons and because why not. Then I got a good paying job in the US that sponsored me for eb3 )

Hope you can share your insights on this scenario.

Hi
How much time it take from eb3 to green card? It will be helpful.

 

[itsmyid]

Hi
How much time it take from eb3 to green card? It will be helpful.

Depends on your country of birth... could be 1-5 years, or over 10 years if born in India

 

[Ocean3113]

Depends on your country of birth... could be 1-5 years, or over 10 years if born in India

For your case, how much time it takes? I am fm srilanka

 

[itsmyid]

For your case, how much time it takes? I am fm srilanka

I don’t have a case

 

[21Goose]

Check this -> https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.html

Every month a new visa bulletin is released with updated wait times.

 

[sajbud]

Hi
How much time it take from eb3 to green card? It will be helpful.

It depends on the visa bulletin. But if your asking regarding the time from port of entry to receiving the actual plastic green card I read its up to 120 days. usually 2-3 months from other posts that I saw. Others as fast as 2 weeks.