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?

Related Topics:
2 Lawyer Answers
Hector E. Quiroga
PREMIUM
Hector E. Quiroga
Answered
  • Immigration Law Lawyer
  • Las Vegas, NV

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.

Andrew Schach
Andrew Schach
Answered
  • Immigration Law Lawyer
  • Sacramento, CA

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.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.