dual australian/uk passports

[manvantara]

Hi,
I am an Australian citizen, just granted a British passport this year and I have a couple of questions.

1. Can anyone confirm that I MUST leave Australia on my Australian passport? Virgin airlines must not know this because I rang them up and changed my details from my Australian passport to my British passport. From what I see on the forum, it seems that you MUST leave on your Australian passport. So looks like I will have to change it with Virgin again?

2. If I leave on an Australian passport, can I enter the USA on my British passport - on that same flight?

3. With US customs, is their data from my Australian passport linked to my British passport? Reason for asking, I had two long-ish visits last year to USA on my Australian passport and received a secondary interview.

As I never had the time to get a business visa whilst briefly back in Australia, I do not want to jeopardise my chances of being re-admitted to the USA by using the Australian passport after only three months of departing their last time.

If I get admitted, I hope to be flying through to UK after several weeks this time.

Hope that's clear, thanks for your time,
M

 

[Dave Noble]

1. Can anyone confirm that I MUST leave Australia on my Australian passport?

Yes. The visa label in your UK passport will be invalid once you become Australian and you will have issues with passport control with it

2. If I leave on an Australian passport, can I enter the USA on my British passport - on that same flight?

Yes, though given that you have to register information, you may find it less hassle to use the same one; UK passport gives no benefit over US in USA ( Unless you have a US visa in the UK passport of course )

3. With US customs, is their data from my Australian passport linked to my British passport? Reason for asking, I had two long-ish visits last year to USA on my Australian passport and received a secondary interview.

As I never had the time to get a business visa whilst briefly back in Australia, I do not want to jeopardise my chances of being re-admitted to the USA by using the Australian passport after only three months of departing their last time.

No idea

Dave

 

[huwcar]

1. Can anyone confirm that I MUST leave Australia on my Australian passport? Virgin airlines must not know this because I rang them up and changed my details from my Australian passport to my British passport. From what I see on the forum, it seems that you MUST leave on your Australian passport. So looks like I will have to change it with Virgin again?

Yes you must leave on your Aussie passport, as you will not have a visa for Australia in your British passport.

2. If I leave on an Australian passport, can I enter the USA on my British passport - on that same flight?

Yes, no problem.

3. With US customs, is their data from my Australian passport linked to my British passport?

No, or at least it wasn't in 2007, the first time I visited the states. First entry I used my Australian passport through customs in LA and I was welcomed by passport control to the States for the first time. Second entry 4 weeks later in Miami, used British passport, again welcomed to the States for the "first" time by passport control.

Also note that under the visa waiver program you shouldn't need a visa for pleasure or business travel for a stay of up to 90 days. Check out the specifics of the visa waiver program for more info.


Cheers,

huwcar

 

[QF WP]

Yes. The visa label in your UK passport will be invalid once you become Australian and you will have issues with passport control with it

Ah, Dave, didn't you get it the wrong way around? The OP stated:

I am an Australian citizen, just granted a British passport this year and I have a couple of questions.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean they had an Australian passport first, then applied for British one.

Answer to the question can be found here

You may be able to travel on a valid foreign passport if you are a dual national, but you should enter and leave Australia on your Australian Passport

with good reference material here about dual citizenship.

I'll agree with Dave on his last two answers and his reasoning.

 

[SeaWolf]

1. Can anyone confirm that I MUST leave Australia on my Australian passport?
2. If I leave on an Australian passport, can I enter the USA on my British passport - on that same flight?

I'm in the same situation you are and I do this all the time. Yeah, you need to leave Australia on your Aussie passport, but Virgin doesn't need to know about that. What you would do is show the passport at check in that you will be ARRIVING with at the far end. When you get to Australian departure Immigration you show them your Aus passport. Then you put it away and use your British passport for the rest of the trip (if that's what you want to do). When you return to Australia you would show your Aus passport to check in (again, the passport you will be ARRIVING with) and show to departure Immigration the passport that you used to enter that country with.

I'll illustrate this with an example from the last time I did this. I checked in with Air NZ heading for the USA with my British passport. When I headed airside at Adelaide I showed them my Australian passport. When I arrived in the USA I handed over my British passport. I kept using my British passport over the next few weeks as I traveled around. Last stop was Singapore. I entered Singapore with my British passport. When it came time to go home I showed Singapore Airlines my Australian passport. As I went airside at Changi airport I showed my British passport that I had entered Singapore with. When I arrived back in Australia I entered back into Australia with my Aussie passport. Easy.

Just keep in mind that you always show the airline the passport you'll be ARRIVING with at the far end and always show Australian Immigration officials your Australian passport and you'll be fine.

 

[Dave Noble]

Ah, Dave, didn't you get it the wrong way around? The OP stated:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean they had an Australian passport first, then applied for British one.

Regardless the situation is that the Australian passport needs to be used in Australia. The UK passport will not have an invalid visa , it will just have no valid visa at all and the situation will be the same

 

[manvantara]

thanks for all your emails, much appreciated. Just to confirm Dave, I am an Aussie leaving Australia for the USA and onto Britain.

I think Seawolf's response was the one I was looking for. When leaving Australia, Aussie passport at check-in, British passport at immigration departure. Does it get stamped at that point? This is a brand new passport and I do not want any problems coming through LAX if it has not been processed properly on the Australian end.
thanks again
M.

 

[manvantara]

oops! got that back to front in my last post. So when at Aussie check-in departure, it is British passport, departure immigration Australian passport.

So if my Aussie passport is stamped at departure immigration, what are US customs going to say when I present them with a British passport on arrival - with absolutely no stamps in it to say where I have come from?
M.

 

[SeaWolf]

So if my Aussie passport is stamped at departure immigration, what are US customs going to say when I present them with a British passport on arrival - with absolutely no stamps in it to say where I have come from?
M.

Nothing, or at least they didn't for me. I presented a totally clean British passport to them and they didn't say a thing about it. If they had I would have simply said that I left Australia on my Aussie passport but was travelling as a British citizen, it's perfectly legal in Australia, the US and UK/EU to do this. Also, Aussie immigration don't stamp Aussie passports anymore.

 

[clifford]

Nothing, or at least they didn't for me. I presented a totally clean British passport to them and they didn't say a thing about it. If they had I would have simply said that I left Australia on my Aussie passport but was travelling as a British citizen, it's perfectly legal in Australia, the US and UK/EU to do this. Also, Aussie immigration don't stamp Aussie passports anymore.

100% correct.

I've had several discussions with US Immigration officials, and basically, they don't care. And they are quite aware of the situation.

But you do need to have (of course) ESTA on that passport.

 

[manvantara]

thanks again folks, so I fill out ESTA under the British passport, correct?

And I guess that I do not have to call Virgin again to change my previous change from my online booking. In other words, I changed by Aussie passport details to my British so that is the correct info that they need to have and will match what I show them at check in.
M.

 

[ANstar]

Also dont forget that when you are being checked in they need to see you have owt to as place that you have the right to remain.

So if you have a SYD-LAX-SYD trip planned and check in with a UK passport - they "should" ask for proof of your re entry into Australia - and therefore may insist on you using your AU passport to depart.

But as per above it looks like you are continuing onto the UK, so you would be able to check in with the UK passport.

 

[manvantara]

not sure what you mean by "see you have owt to as place that you have the right to remain."? That I have an Australian address?

I am on a one way ticket from OZ to USA and another one way from USA to UK. I plan to be traveling indefinitely so they should not insist on me using the Australian passport would they?

Also dont forget that when you are being checked in they need to see you have owt to as place that you have the right to remain.

So if you have a SYD-LAX-SYD trip planned and check in with a UK passport - they "should" ask for proof of your re entry into Australia - and therefore may insist on you using your AU passport to depart.

But as per above it looks like you are continuing onto the UK, so you would be able to check in with the UK passport.

 

[ANstar]

You need outward travel to a country that you have the right to remain. In this case you have a UK passport and your final destination is the UK so the check in agent will need to see your itenary for USA-UK.

If you showed the check in agent your Aussie passport, they would want to see proof with that passport for your right to remain in the UK. If you didnt have that, then they would likely ask for you to show return travel back to Australia.

 

[manvantara]

OK, all the more reason then to check in with my British passport? I do not intend to return to OZ in the near future...

You need outward travel to a country that you have the right to remain. In this case you have a UK passport and your final destination is the UK so the check in agent will need to see your itenary for USA-UK.

If you showed the check in agent your Aussie passport, they would want to see proof with that passport for your right to remain in the UK. If you didnt have that, then they would likely ask for you to show return travel back to Australia.

 

[davidj-bell]

1. Can anyone confirm that I MUST leave Australia on my Australian passport? Virgin airlines must not know this because I rang them up and changed my details from my Australian passport to my British passport. From what I see on the forum, it seems that you MUST leave on your Australian passport. So looks like I will have to change it with Virgin again?

2. If I leave on an Australian passport, can I enter the USA on my British passport - on that same flight?

When you go through australian immigration, use your australian passport (otherwise they'll ask how you entered the country/where's your visa etc).

You can use your british passport with the airlines for the purposes of the VWP etc into the US. I haven't flown from AU to US for some time (4 years), but I have left before on the AU and entered the US on my british passport.

3. With US customs, is their data from my Australian passport linked to my British passport? Reason for asking, I had two long-ish visits last year to USA on my Australian passport and received a secondary interview.

I don't know. Certainly, I've entered the US several times, using the AU and UK passports alternately, and they don't seem to notice.

They may be able to match you up with your finger prints though, but I don't know how "real time" this is.

 

[davidj-bell]

You need outward travel to a country that you have the right to remain. In this case you have a UK passport and your final destination is the UK so the check in agent will need to see your itenary for USA-UK.

If you showed the check in agent your Aussie passport, they would want to see proof with that passport for your right to remain in the UK. If you didnt have that, then they would likely ask for you to show return travel back to Australia.

I'm not sure this is correct. The check in agents in australia will just check that you can enter the US, surely they won't care what happens beyond that. Given that AU and UK passports can use the VWP, then there is nothing to check for. The US authorities might want proof of return or onward, but I have flown into the US on a one-way ticket with no problems

 

[ANstar]

I'm not sure this is correct. The check in agents in australia will just check that you can enter the US, surely they won't care what happens beyond that.

They will care as if they let you travel to a country where you dont have the right to remain or have owt they will be whacked a fine usually around $5k

 

[manvantara]

thanks for the confirmation of other posts relating to one passport for check in, the other for departure immigration.
M.

 

[davidj-bell]

They will care as if they let you travel to a country where you dont have the right to remain or have owt they will be whacked a fine usually around $5k

Yes, but iwhat f you arrive on a UK or AU passport to the US?