Canadian passport question

[Candleonwater]

Is there any difference between traveling under a Canadian passport, vs a US one? DD and her roomie are dual citizens and are going on a cruise with me in November. DD always brings both passports, roomie is just planning on bringing her Canadian passport. They are flying out of Detroit (so will have already crossed the border into the US), and sailing out of Port Canaveral, if it makes any difference.

[Dancer Bob]

US passport holders returning have a priority CBP line, sometimes Canadians are allowed to use it, sometimes not.

But dual citizenship gets really tricky, you need to be sure which passport you are required to use as a returning citizen.

[lisiamc]

Roomie should double-check about using her Canadian passport to enter and leave the USA. I’ve read that dual citizens can be fined if they don’t use their US passport to enter and leave the USA. I’m not an expert on passport/citizenship matters, so she should probably check with someone who is. It would be an easy solution if she brought both passports with her, though.

[martincath]

I've also heard that US dual citizens must use their US passports to come to the US - and these days Canada is also picky for folks flying since the eTA rules came in; since Canadians and Americans are the only ones exempt from that so you must fly as a Canadian if you're a Dual Anything Else (we're Brits & Canucks, so this impacts us). That side of things I would be going to the source for - US government since they're heading into then cruising from the US, don't trust that kind of info from anyone here or on any other Joe Public Opinion site;-)

 

The only difference on the cruise part of the vacation would be in how they are treated by the countries visited on the cruise - if it's a Closed Loop RT, then US citizens definitely do not need passports to cruise to any of the ports as they're allowed to travel with just birth certificates/driving licences; since no passports are required, no visas are ever required either for US citizens. But Canadian citizens may get different treatment... if it's a one-way or a long cruise with many countries visited rather than a generic 7 day Caribbean jaunt, there's more likely to be a difference.

 

Oh, and if there ARE countries which treat US/Canadian citizens differently, and a Visa is needed for one but not the other, you'll need to make sure that the Visa-free nationality is the passport on file with the cruise line to avoid any risk of being refused boarding! Personally I always carry both passports for any travel outside US/Canada as it's a free extra insurance policy in the event of any sort of unexpected problems. We've had terrible luck over the years with the proverbial brown stuff hitting fans while we're visiting places, and having proof of 2 nationalities opens up twice the potential of government assistance, proximity of an embassy, even having an office be open to call someone thanks to different time zones.

 

Plus, it's amazing how differently you can be treated by folks abroad purely because of your citizenship - nobody hates Canucks, but a lot of folks have a beef with Brits and Yanks!!!;-)

[mom says]

You'll need to consult both the US Embassy and the Government of Canada travel department for definitive answers. Both countries are rather strict about which passport dual citizens use for entry back into the country. It would appear that they are only doing a closed loop cruise out of a US port, so it won't matter which one is used on the cruise itself. In fact, once on board, they won't need their passports at all. If they are both Canada/US dual citizens, they may want to use their US passports for entry into the US ( at both ends of the cruise), and their Canadian passport to re-enter Canada. But check with the proper authorities to be sure.

[Heidi13]

I also have dual passports (UK & Canada) and always travel with both. When visiting UK, I always use my UK passport and on returning to Canada, I always use the Canadian one.

 

Entering the US, I always use the Canadian passport, as it is cheaper.

 

When taking longer cruises, such as our previous World Cruise, I switch passports, based on which one gets me the cheapest Visa. Never had an issue with any ship or immigration inspector.

[Candleonwater]

DD's rule of thumb is, US passport entering the US, Canadian passport entering Canada. She doesn't try to hide that she's got both though. Roommate just doesn't want to have to carry both. I just want to make sure we don't have any delays getting on and off the ship.

[lisiamc]

I’ve only been on one cruise line that could cope with the idea that I have two passports. The rest of the time, I have to choose just one to use on the cruise. I nearly always travel with both, because of issues like entering and leaving the US, and needing my US passport for that.

[SRF]

She MUST use her US passport to enter the US.

 

From State Department site (bold is from THEM):

 

Dual Nationality

 

Section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) states that “the term ‘national of the United States’ means (A) a citizen of the United States, or (B) a person who, though not a citizen of the United States, owes permanent allegiance to the United States.” Therefore, U.S. citizens are also U.S. nationals. Non-citizen nationality status refers only individuals who were born either in American Samoa or on Swains Island to parents who are not citizens of the United States. The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own nationality laws based on its own policy. Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to U.S. national parents may be both a U.S. national and a national of the country of birth. Or, an individual having one nationality at birth may naturalize at a later date in another country and become a dual national.

U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another. A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to his or her U.S. citizenship. However, persons who acquire a foreign nationality after age 18 by applying for it may relinquish their U.S. nationality if they wish to do so. In order to relinquish U.S. nationality by virtue of naturalization as a citizen of a foreign state, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign nationality voluntarily and with the intention to relinquish U.S. nationality. Intent may be shown by the person’s statements and conduct.

Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries, and either country has the right to enforce its laws. It is important to note the problems attendant to dual nationality. Claims of other countries upon U.S. dual-nationals often place them in situations where their obligations to one country are in conflict with the laws of the other. In addition, their dual nationality may hamper efforts of the U.S. Government to provide consular protection to them when they are abroad, especially when they are in the country of their second nationality.

U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport to travel to or from a country other than the United States is not inconsistent with U.S. law.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/Advice-about-Possible-Loss-of-US-Nationality-Dual-Nationality/Dual-Nationality.html

[Candleonwater]

Thank you so much! I love how knowledgeable you guys are! Also happy to know that DD has been doing it the correct way!