Thread: Please help me

Hi just joined this site as i am so down.Let me tell you about my problem.
I was born in New York in 1960 but left with my parents one year later to move to Ireland for 5 years then to Birmingham England where i have lived and worked ever since.
When i wanted to go and watch England play Turkey ten years ago i wanted to get my first passport and wanted it to be English to make it easy as its where i work and live.
I was told as my parents are both Irish born and my birth paper is USA i could not get a English one (maybe i would have to apply to be a citizen of the uk) So i got a Eurpoen Irish Passport.
Now i want to visit a friend in the usa in June and was going to book my ticket today but i had a reply from the us Immigration Agency To inform me as i was born in the usa i HAD to get a usa passport just to visit for two weeks.
I feel blackmailed into getting something i dont want and at my wits end.I tried to call the usa passport hotline but no answer so can anybody please advise me.
I really hope i am not forced into getting a usa passport so please help.Mant thanks if you can help in any way.Bill

Bill welcome to the Forum, there are quite a few American members who pop in from time to time i'm just hoping they have the answer you want to hear.

Good Luck.

Originally Posted by BrummieBill

...... I had a reply from the us Immigration Agency To inform me as i was born in the usa i HAD to get a usa passport just to visit for two weeks.....I feel blackmailed into getting something i dont want and at my wits end....I really hope i am not forced into getting a usa passport so please help.

I've never heard of such a thing!!!
I have to say, Bill, that you are the envy of many on this Forum, being entitled to a US Passport.
It is an advantage to be able to live and work wherever you like.

I have all 3 so it can be done. (Irish, UK, US)

The bit of your post I don't understand is this:

"was going to book my ticket today but i had a reply from the us Immigration Agency..."

Did you contact them first? If so, why? If not, why did they single you out?
I mean....why couldn't you just travel to the US on your Irish Passport?

The application fee for a US Passport is $75.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738_2.html

You could contact the US Dept of State and ask them any questions you have, down at the bottom of this page is contact information:
How to Contact Us

If I were you though, I would consult an expert, maybe an immigration attorney, because there could be issues such as tax to consider.
For example, my husband and I have both British and US Citizenship.
I am entitled to State Pensions from both Countries, and any income I get worldwide is taxable by the IRS, no matter where I live!

PS I'll be visiting my nephew in Brum in a couple of weeks. He lives in Ward End, and always takes me to his local Irish Pub for a Guinness.

Originally Posted by Florida Redhead

I've never heard of such a thing!!!
I have to say, Bill, that you are the envy of many on this Forum, being entitled to a US Passport.
It is an advantage to be able to live and work wherever you like.

I have all 3 so it can be done. (Irish, UK, US)

The bit of your post I don't understand is this:

"was going to book my ticket today but i had a reply from the us Immigration Agency..."

Did you contact them first? If so, why? If not, why did they single you out?
I mean....why couldn't you just travel to the US on your Irish Passport?

The application fee for a US Passport is $75.
Passport Home

You could contact the US Dept of State and ask them any questions you have, down at the bottom of this page is contact information:
How to Contact Us

If I were you though, I would consult an expert, maybe an immigration attorney, because there could be issues such as tax to consider.
For example, my husband and I have both British and US Citizenship.
I am entitled to State Pensions from both Countries, and any income I get worldwide is taxable by the IRS, no matter where I live!

PS I'll be visiting my nephew in Brum in a couple of weeks. He lives in Ward End, and always takes me to his local Irish Pub for a Guinness.

Hi FL many thanks for your time and Help.Yes i wrote to them because i was told by some people i had to have a visa but told by others i didnt so i wanted to clear things up so i didnt get to the usa then be turned back with out getting to see my Girlfriend.The reason i didnt want a usa passport as my first one was because both my brothers and my sister wanted to holiday in the us so all three got usa passports and all was ok going out of the uk but all three were but through the mill on the return to the uk which i didnt want.
I was sure having a European irish passport would make it easy to come and go as i please.
As i was going to go to the usa in june i dont want the hassel of been held to ransom and having to get something i dont want.Taking a day off work and paying £30+ for a train ride to London and spending hours talking to people asking for a passport i dont want dont sound like fun to me.I hope they are wrong to say i HAVE to have a us passport to visit for two weeks.Any help would be fantastic.

Originally Posted by BrummieBill

.....I hope they are wrong to say i HAVE to have a us passport to visit for two weeks.Any help would be fantastic.

Travelling on an Irish Passport to the USA you don't need a visa, unless you're staying longer than 90 days.
A good rule is to give those in authority ONLY what they ask for and no more. Don't volunteer information.
Nobody can make you give up your Irish Passport, and if anyone tries you should whack him with a shillelagh.
What I would do is, if you are taking leave from work, take with you a letter from your Boss saying he expects you back on (date).
You will have your return ticket and your Irish Passport, that's all you should need.....however, I will try to get some definite info for you.
We have a friend in the State dept.

Story: My husband was in the US Navy 22 years, Intelligence Corps.
He had Top Secret security clearance.
When it came to his retirement from his last duty station - London - they told him he would have to return to the States for his retirement formalities.
He said no, I want to do it here as I intend to stay.
They told him the British Gov't wouldn't allow that.
So he wrote to the Home Office and got a letter saying he was a UK Citizen and could live and work in the UK as long as he likes.
His CO was speechless!

Originally Posted by Florida Redhead

Travelling on an Irish Passport to the USA you don't need a visa, unless you're staying longer than 90 days.
A good rule is to give those in authority ONLY what they ask for and no more. Don't volunteer information.
Nobody can make you give up your Irish Passport, and if anyone tries you should whack him with a shillelagh.
What I would do is, if you are taking leave from work, take with you a letter from your Boss saying he expects you back on (date).
You will have your return ticket and your Irish Passport, that's all you should need.....however, I will try to get some definite info for you.
We have a friend in the State dept.

Story: My husband was in the US Navy 22 years, Intelligence Corps.
He had Top Secret security clearance.
When it came to his retirement from his last duty station - London - they told him he would have to return to the States for his retirement formalities.
He said no, I want to do it here as I intend to stay.
They told him the British Gov't wouldn't allow that.
So he wrote to the Home Office and got a letter saying he was a UK Citizen and could live and work in the UK as long as he likes.
His CO was speechless!

Thanks again FR what happens if i just book my ticket and go with the European/Irish passport and the look inside and see place of birth New York do you think i will be told to get on the next plane back ?
Thank you for your great helpBill

Fill in the I-94 and use the visa waiver program just as any other Irish citizen can. Just because you were born in NY butdon't have a US passport doesn't mean you'll be refused entry if your Irish passport is valid.
Of course, any border guard or immigration officer at a US point of entry does have the right to refuse anyone (except a US citizen) the right of entry to the US, but it's pretty unlikely that it would happen just for your Irish passport having NY as the birth place inside it especially when you'll be on a VWP and visiting for 2 weeks.
Just answer their questions honestly if they ask you anything, and don't worry. You're an Irish citizen, it says so in your passport. :yes: You don't have an american passport, end of story.

Enjoy your trip.

Originally Posted by purple

Fill in the I-94 and use the visa waiver program just as any other Irish citizen can. Just because you were born in NY butdon't have a US passport doesn't mean you'll be refused entry if your Irish passport is valid.
Of course, any border guard or immigration officer at a US point of entry does have the right to refuse anyone (except a US citizen) the right of entry to the US, but it's pretty unlikely that it would happen just for your Irish passport having NY as the birth place inside it especially when you'll be on a VWP and visiting for 2 weeks.
Just answer their questions honestly if they ask you anything, and don't worry. You're an Irish citizen, it says so in your passport. :yes: You don't have an american passport, end of story.

Enjoy your trip.

Purple's right and even if you have a visa or green card they can refuse you entry, but it's very unlikely unless you really are an idiot when answering questions or you're rude to them. Your only guaranteed entry is a US passport but if you really are that dead set against getting a US passport then surely taking the lesser gamble on being turned away is worth it?

Bill, I just heard back from our friend who works for the State Dept, he does a lot of work with immigration.
He says a foreign National would only be refused entry if there was a good reason, for example a criminal record or some kind of security alert.
You would not be refused entry just because you do not have a US Passport.
However, the immigration / passport officer has the last word.

You are a "14th Amendment Baby".....which means your parents are foreign nationals who had a baby while in the USA. The baby is automatically a US Citizen.
When your parents left to return to Ireland, you could have remained, but as you were only a year old that wasn't an option!

As traveller says, just be polite when answering their questions.
I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit.

Bill -- you are, as has been pointed out -- a U.S. citizen courtesy of the XIV amendment -- unless you were born to parents here under diplomatic status.

The general rule as a dual citizen from the U.S. perspective is that you always present yourself to U.S. authorities as a U,S, citizen. This means, among other things, that you enter and leave the U.S. on a US passport.

You cannot apply for a visa -- visas are only for non-citizens to enter the country! Nor can you enter under visa waiver travel for the same reason. When the CBP officer sees your place of birth, they are likely to query your citizenship. At this stage you will face considerable delay and possibly a fine.

You basically have two choices: apply for a US passport at the U.S. consulate that covers your current residency or renounce your US citizenship in front of a consular official. Instructions for both will be found under "American Citizen Services" at their web page. If you're getting the passport, make sure you sort out your social security card and filing of past tax returns at the same time. Note that renouncing your citizenship could result in you being permanently barred from entering the U.S.

SB