Changing Passports

By Debbie McGoldrick

“I am originally from Northern Ireland, now living in New Jersey. Originally I had an H-1B visa when I first moved here but since I married a U.S. citizen five years ago I am now a legal permanent resident with a green card. I have a question in regard to my passport. As citizen of Northern Ireland I was entitled to hold either a British passport or an Irish one; 10 years ago I opted for the British passport as I needed to travel to the U.S. at very short notice on behalf of my previous employer back in Northern Ireland. (There wasn’t sufficient time to get the Irish passport and necessary visa back then.)

“My British passport is now due to expire in November and I would prefer to replace it with an Irish passport if that is possible. Because all my records throughout my dealings with U.S. immigration have always been related to the British passport, is it possible to obtain an Irish passport without any adverse effect on my legal status here?”

We checked with two U.S. government sources, one at the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department, and the other at USCIS (formerly INS) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Both had the same answer — you’re not going to have any problem at all in your dealings with U.S. immigration if you decide to use an Irish passport in the future.

“It’s not something that would really come up — the most important issue is that the person’s legal status here is in order,” explained Bill Strausberger, spokesperson for USCIS.

It would always be a good idea to keep your old British passport handy in the unlikely event you were ever questioned, but the matter is really a non-issue as you are legally entitled to travel as an Irish citizen.

As you are likely aware, you can contact the Irish consular office nearest to where you live to apply for an Irish passport. Full details are available on the Irish Embassy’s website at www.irishemb.org.

By the way, have you considered pursuing American citizenship? If you’ve been a permanent resident for three years — and from the information you’ve provided, it seems that you are — you can immediately apply for U.S. citizenship?

The advantages are many. You won’t have to worry about any kind of dealings with U.S. immigration at all; the green card you have will eventually expire and have to be renewed.

Citizens can also remain abroad for an indefinite amount of time without jeopardizing their legal status here; permanent residents cannot.

Your Irish and British citizenship would not suffer as a result of becoming a naturalized American citizen, a common myth that strangely still has traction in the Irish community.

Becoming an American citizen is a personal choice, but a wise one if you choose to take it. For more information, visit the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.