Passport Question

[TromboneAl]

Our daughter has dual citizenship American/Swedish. She needs to renew her passport, and noticed that the current one incorrectly lists her place of birth as Östersund, Sweden (she was born in Oakland, CA).

Should she tell them of the error and correct it, or just well enough alone??

 

[bssc]

I have been trying to get them to correct my place of birth the last two renewals but haven't had any luck.

Besides, Sweden is cooler than Oakland.

 

[Texas Proud]

You don't say which country she is trying to renew!!!

If it is the US... I would try and get if fixed. Why get into some problem in the future when someone asks how did you become a citizen and you say "I was born here stupid" and they take you to the back room and strip search you and keep you there for 24 hours...

 

[TromboneAl]

Right -- it's the Swedish one that is in error and she is renewing.

 

[Texas Proud]

Right -- it's the Swedish one that is in error and she is renewing.

Then just leave it as is.... maybe there is some 'law' or something that uses that city. Is it the capital or have some other significance?

 

[TromboneAl]

No, just a regular old little town (where DW's parents live now).

 

[bpp]

I'd get it fixed. I can imagine some circumstances where having two passports with different birthplaces could cause confusion and trouble. Like maybe she has an encounter with the police in some other country, and they decide that she appears to be travelling on forged documents or something and gets handed over to their terrorism/smuggling/immigration/whatever division.

 

[mountaintosea]

I agree, get it fixed if possible. Law enforcement is nuts here and most likely nuts in other countries also. :

 

[wstu32]

if she needs to travel 'soon' leave it. fix it when you have "time" for bureaucracy.

my opinion only, and honestly, if she was born in uzbekastan, i would advise otherwise.

 

[Texas Proud]

Remember guys... her American passport is fine... she can travel on this one only...

I would bet she only needs to use her other passport when she enters THAT country....

 

[bpp]

Remember guys... her American passport is fine... she can travel on this one only...

I would bet she only needs to use her other passport when she enters THAT country....

Probably, but... I'll admit, if I had the choice, I would not use a US passport in certain parts of the world. Plus, I have heard that, for example, if one visits both Israel and some Arab countries, it is better not to do so on the same passport, if one wants to minimize hassle.

I don't have that choice, holding only a US passport myself, but I would certainly encourage my kid (in a similar situation as TromboneAl's kid) to be careful/flexible in such matters, meaning it might be a good idea to carry both passports even if not traveling to/from/through both countries of citizenship.

Just a thought.

 

[bosco]

Remember guys... her American passport is fine... she can travel on this one only...

depends. Hope she didn't want to go to Cuba.

If she's really brave, she can go to the middle east with the US passport only.

Also, an EU passport would be handy in Europe (think Sweden is in the EU, not positive).

 

[Texas Proud]

depends. Hope she didn't want to go to Cuba.

If she's really brave, she can go to the middle east with the US passport only.

Also, an EU passport would be handy in Europe (think Sweden is in the EU, not positive).

Yes, but she 'can'....

You can go to Cuba with a US passport.. you have to go to Canada or Mexico to get there (or a few other places... I know of people from the UK that like it).... but, Cuba will not stop you from coming into thier country... it is against US law, but that does not stop you from going...

Same for Middle East... yes, it might be better, I don't know.

For Europe... IMO it would only matter which line at passport control is shorter... I know that in London the non-EU is short and the other is long... but when I was in Germany, the non-EU was the short one.. after you get past there... nobody knows anymore..

yes, traveling on another country passport might be easier, but not required..

 

[Meadbh]

Like your daughter, I am a dual citizen (of Canada and Ireland) and have passports for both. Dual citizenship is a real privilege and anyone who has it should not take it for granted.

Yes, Sweden is part of the European Union. Her Swedish citizenship entitles your daughter to live and work in Sweden or any EU country. These days, one should not assume that a US passport will be universally welcomed (thank Dubya).

Another potential advantage (think really long term) is that Sweden's health care system is probably the best in the world despite being significantly less costly than that in the US. ($2800 spent per person per annum in Sweden versus $4000 in the US). The health quality experts are now turning to Sweden as the benchmark country. Think of the potential for RE......

This was a clerical error. Presumably your daughter is entitled to Swedish citizenship on the basis of her mother's Swedish birth, which is not in question. Therefore it should not be too difficult to sort out. Ask your DW to get birth certificates for herself and for your daughter and to talk to someone at the Swedish embassy or consulate.

 

[donheff]

Like your daughter, I am a dual citizen (of Canada and Ireland) and have passports for both. Dual citizenship is a real privilege and anyone who has it should not take it for granted.

I qualify for Irish citizenship since all of my grandparents came over from Ireland in the diaspora. It is a bit of a hassle gathering all of the documents so I haven't gotten around to it. What do you see as the primary benefits? I have no desire to work overseas - or here, for that matter.

 

[Meadbh]

I qualify for Irish citizenship since all of my grandparents came over from Ireland in the diaspora. It is a bit of a hassle gathering all of the documents so I haven't gotten around to it. What do you see as the primary benefits? I have no desire to work overseas - or here, for that matter.

dh, here is the How. The Why is really a value judgment that you have to make. Having Irish citizenship does not confer any financial benefits on you. If you are considering retiring there, be aware that your costs of living would probably rise significantly. Twenty years ago would have been a very different matter. While there have been enormous improvements, infrastructure and services are not as consistent as in the US. If you have no particular attachment to the country, but might just want to visit from time to time, there is no particular advantage in going to the trouble of becoming a citizen. Ireland is a very US-friendly country.

If you were Generation Y with your career ahead of you, applying for citizenship would be a great idea. For example, I have some friends in that situation who have worked in Europe for a year or so prior to or during university studies, courtesy of their Irish citizenship.

 

[Texas Proud]

I would think that the Irish passport would be good in that you could use it to live in the whole of the EU (if I am not mistaken)... with a US one, I don't think you can move and live in any country (but am probably mistaken on this...)...

To me, if you can get it done I would do it...

 

[bosco]

You can go to Cuba with a US passport.. you have to go to Canada or Mexico to get there (or a few other places... I know of people from the UK that like it).... but, Cuba will not stop you from coming into thier country... it is against US law, but that does not stop you from going...

interesting take. You can do it, it's just illegal. Last time I checked, that logic applies to murder as well.

If you are a US citizen and you smoke a Cuban cigar in another country, the US maintains they can arrest you. The long arm of Yankee law....it's so good, it applies everywhere!!! Especially Yankee laws that relate to Cuba, for some strange reason. So I wouldn't want a Cuban stamp on my US passport. I'd be afraid that they'd decide that Guantanamo was good enough.

Or maybe Cuba will not stamp it upon request. Back in the 70s, Israel would give you inserts that could be torn out so, since if you had an Israeli stamp in your passport, many other countries wouldn't let you enter.

for an interesting Canadian perspective on the topic of US-Cuba relations, read

http://www.ianchadwick.com/essays/cuba.html

 

[Texas Proud]

interesting take. You can do it, it's just illegal. Last time I checked, that logic applies to murder as well.

Hmmmm... speeding is illegal, but I would not relate it to murder... both are illegal... most of us speed, very very few murder.

They do not stamp... I know of someone who went... yes, it is against the law, but nobody really does anything (or at least they didn't do anything.. .who knows with our great homland security)....

 

[Meadbh]

I have a colleague who visits Cuba annually and does community work. She tells me that there is a movement in Cuba in favour of joining the US after Castro dies. I can't imagine why a nation would want to join forces with its oppressor.

 

[Meadbh]

I would think that the Irish passport would be good in that you could use it to live in the whole of the EU (if I am not mistaken

That's true. I could move to the South of France and live beyond my means, or to Romania......and I believe Hungary has a lot going for it. When I RE I will have more time to explore!

 

[REWahoo]

I have a colleague who visits Cuba annually and does community work. She tells me that there is a movement in Cuba in favour of joining the US after Castro dies. I can't imagine why a nation would want to join forces with its oppressor.

Perhaps after living for half a century in the warm embrace of the Glorious Revolution of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro, the citizens of Cuba have a different view of what defines "oppression".

 

[bosco]

Hmmmm... speeding is illegal, but I would not relate it to murder... both are illegal... most of us speed, very very few murder.

Of course, I agree that there are more and less serious crimes. But if someone in Cuba were going to stamp my US passport, it would make me nervous. If you are a US citizen and have another passport, say, Canadian an have that one stamped, it is still a crime in the US for you to go to Cuba, even if you never set foot in the states before or after in your life (America is so powerful it feels the need to legislate people that aren't even on American soil). However, a US passport is the property of the US government. Having indisputable proof placed in my US passport that I had violated an American law, especially a law as irrational and obviously right-wing politically motivated as that one, is just not something I would do....

to each his own.

 

[Texas Proud]

Of course, I agree that there are more and less serious crimes. But if someone in Cuba were going to stamp my US passport, it would make me nervous. If you are a US citizen and have another passport, say, Canadian an have that one stamped, it is still a crime in the US for you to go to Cuba, even if you never set foot in the states before or after in your life (America is so powerful it feels the need to legislate people that aren't even on American soil). However, a US passport is the property of the US government. Having indisputable proof placed in my US passport that I had violated an American law, especially a law as irrational and obviously right-wing politically motivated as that one, is just not something I would do....

to each his own.

A political rant about the great right wing conspiracy....

Let's see... was it not a Democratic president that had a fail invasion of Cuba And wasn't the embargo started under HIS administration (gee, YES)... and nobody since has changed it, including a number of Democratic presidents.... yes, it is obviously a right wing politically motivated embargo...

NOW, are the repubs continuing it to get political points... yes... that might have been enough to get Bush Florida on the first election.. the CUBA people in the US don't want it lifted..

I do agree about the newer laws that prohibit anyone from doing business etc etc, but now that there is a Democratic congress, I will be waiting for that legislation any day now...

 

[bosco]

A political rant about the great right wing conspiracy....

Let's see... was it not a Democratic president that had a fail invasion of Cuba And wasn't the embargo started under HIS administration (gee, YES)... and nobody since has changed it, including a number of Democratic presidents.... yes, it is obviously a right wing politically motivated embargo...

NOW, are the repubs continuing it to get political points... yes... that might have been enough to get Bush Florida on the first election.. the CUBA people in the US don't want it lifted..

I do agree about the newer laws that prohibit anyone from doing business etc etc, but now that there is a Democratic congress, I will be waiting for that legislation any day now...

well, I hadn't really brought up Democrats vs Repubs, not sure it's relevant here. Both parties have kept the Cuba bs dialed up, or at least tolerated it. It's not a right-wing conspiracy. It's a more broad-based incarnation of idiocy. For the sake of a small special interest group's longing for the days 50 years ago when you could make "real money" running a casino, an entire foreign policy is established and maintained, essentially based on an electoral computation. Be honest--doesn't that embarrass you just a little bit??

C'mon....Cuba isn't worse than at least a dozen other countries that the US gleefully trades with. Give them credit--despite their lower standard of living, they have a high literacy rate and health care. How were things under Batista? What about free trade, construtive engagement, all those conservative buzzwords that seem to apply here? If Castro is so bad, why punish his people? Besides....the cigars really are good!

nobody likes Castro, but enough is enough with the Cuba embargo already. It really looks silly at this point. Maybe if the dems take the white house they will finally get it together to end the nonsense. Personally, I'm not betting on it. If I were a betting man, I'd lay money on the wimp-out option. They seem to be good at it.