Van Nuys, CA asked in Immigration Law for California

Q: Can a dual-citizenship of Iran and UK with an American green card travel in/out of the country safely?

I’m a 21 year old girl born in Iran, raised in the UK from a year old and moved to California 3 years ago on a dependent visa. I just received my green card and permenant residency, and I’m wondering if it’s safe for me to travel to Canada/Mexico/ or UK (not Iran) and be allowed back in the US despite my place of birth on my British passport?

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2 Lawyer Answers
Hector E. Quiroga
PREMIUM
Answered

A: We don’t see any issue with that. You have a valid green card, and you are traveling on a UK passport. The fact that you were born in Iran should have no bearing on your ability to reenter the US.

A: Thank you for your question.

I agree with Hector, however as a practical matter you may be pulled into what is called a secondary inspection for questioning.

They may do this inspection and hold you for a period of time for this questioning. They legally have the right to do this. It is best to be prepared and acknowledge it is a possibility. Make sure all of your documents, including your British passport are current. Keep this in mind for flights where you may have a connection.

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