Is a Dual Canadian Citizen(Canada and USA) allowed to enter the US with a Canadian Passport

[gracemill]

Wanted to ask. My daughter is a Canadian and USA citizen(currently resides in Canada) but her USA passport is currently expired. We were hoping to go to USA this summer and I wanted to ask if she would be allowed to enter the USA with her Canadian passport instead since the USA one is expired. My intention is to renew her USA passport while in the USA for the summer.

I checked the USA consulate website in Canada and it would require us to appear at the embassy since she is a minor if she wants to renew her USA passport within Canada hence my objection for wanting to renew from Canada. This would require travel and a whole bunch of extra cost if done within Canada.

 

[Tubsmagee]

Wanted to ask. My daughter is a Canadian and USA citizen(currently resides in Canada) but her USA passport is currently expired. We were hoping to go to USA this summer and I wanted to ask if she would be allowed to enter the USA with her Canadian passport instead since the USA one is expired. My intention is to renew her USA passport while in the USA for the summer.

I checked the USA consulate website in Canada and it would require us to appear at the embassy since she is a minor if she wants to renew her USA passport within Canada hence my objection for wanting to renew from Canada. This would require travel and a whole bunch of extra cost if done within Canada.

Here is the state department’s position on it:

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.

My spouse and children are dual citizens and have always entered the respective country with the appropriate passport. I wouldn’t try getting around it, particularly for US.

 

[armoured]

Here is the state department’s position on it:

Here is what US CBP says about it:
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-3618?language=en_US

Note the very significant difference between boarding a plane (travelling by air) and land borders.

In short, for children under 15, arriving by land, you should be able ot get by with birth certificate (meaning US birth certificate) or certificate of naturalization or consular record of birth abroad. Check carefully what you have but by car you should be okay without the passport if you have one of the other dos. (Bring the passport too, can't hurt to show photo id even if not currently valid).

As with Canada, I believe the actual law is that once a US citizen pitches up on US soil, they cannot be denied entry (once identity and citizenship is determined). So - for example - expired US passport really SHOULD do the trick.

That said - I'm not recommending this last approach (and have no direct or indirect experience with it). The fact that the law basically requires them to admit you with expired docs (if a citizen) doesn't mean they'll be happy about it or make your experience pleasant.

(Note I do not know exactly the US law on this last point and don't care to look it up, but I see US commentary/sites make it sound like similar to Canadian law - and many other countries - that citizens can't be denied entry once at an actual border.)

Also usual caveat that you will hear some talk about what they have done and ... well, times change. Border was much more forgiving pre-9/11 and requirements have tigthened continuously since then.

 

[gracemill]

Thank you all! Would save my self the headache of taking that risk and would renew her passport here in Canada.

 

[armoured]

Thank you all! Would save my self the headache of taking that risk and would renew her passport here in Canada.

That's definitely preferable.

 

[MJSPARV]

I think there's a current program allowing US citizens with expired passports to enter the US due to covid (and difficulty traveling to embassies etc etc). I'm not sure if it's ended or not but I think it was listed on the US state department website.

 

[bluesky10]

Hi,
My spouse is a dual citizen and entered the US in September using his expired US passport at a land border crossing. He called the border crossing before travel and confirmed it was okay to cross with the expired passport. I would recommend calling the border crossing if you intend to drive.