Travel while waiting for new passport as a new US citizen

My wife has her citizenship interview in late August. We are missionaries overseas and she needs to return overseas as soon as possible.

Would it be possible to do the interview, take the oath, apply for the US passport and then leave the country on her original passport? When her US passport arrives it can be brought to us with friends travelling two months later. Our next trip to the US she would have both passports to travel.

Is this possible? I am trying to book travel and not liking two one way tickets due to waiting it out.

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Best Answer

First, you probably don't know when the oath is, so you can't really buy tickets ahead of time for "right after the oath".

To answer your question, yes, nothing would prevent her from going to another country using her existing passport, and she will be able to come back to the US fine once she has her US passport.

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Travel while waiting for new passport as a new US citizen - Crop unrecognizable person demonstrating British passport

Can I leave the US while waiting for my passport?

Answer: As an American citizen, you are now required to leave and return to the United States with a valid U.S. passport. You cannot travel while your U.S. passport application is still in pending or in process. The only way you can get a passport issued sooner is by applying in person at a regional agency.

Does the 6 month passport rule apply to U.S. citizens?

Visitors traveling to the United States are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the United States. Citizens of the countries listed below are exempt the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay.

What is the waiting period for a U.S. passport?

Processing TimesRoutine8 to 11 weeksExpedited5 to 7 weeksExpedited at AgencyMust have international travel within 3 business days

Can I travel to USA with less than 6 months on passport?

As a general rule, passports must be valid for six months beyond the date the traveler will exit the United States. However, the United States has signed agreements with a number of countries to waive this requirement.

My Passport FINALLY ARRIVED! How Long did it Take to Arrive? - Personal Experience

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