Finding 4: Traveling with a U.S. Passport is a Strong Benefit

Naturalization can be beneficial to cross U.S. borders safely, travel without having to obtain additional visas, be able to be abroad without the limitations of the Green Card, and more—different benefits interest different people.

Having the U.S. passport was overall the most common motivation to acquire citizenship after security from anti-immigration policies. The U.S. passport brings many benefits that are seen distinctly by different eligible LPRs: Green Card holders go through separate lines from U.S. passport holders when crossing U.S. borders and can suffer more scrutiny in that moment; U.S. passport holders can visit many countries without having to get (and pay for) a visa, while nationals from certain countries are not afforded the same mobility; LPRs are required to reside in the United States and avoid long absences, or otherwise risk losing their Green Card, and when traveling need to be readmitted if they leave the country for more than 180 days, while citizens are allowed to stay outside of the United States indefinitely.

These benefits were so important that some interviewees referred to citizenship and a U.S. passport interchangeably. We identified a number of travel-motivated archetypes during our research based on the advantages offered by a passport, such as LPRs who are afraid to cross the border, parents afraid to be separated from their family while traveling, those who want to travel easily with as an American citizen, and individuals who may stay abroad for long durations.

Regardless of the varied desire to travel, a shared need among these immigrant types is the American passport. Adjustments to outreach, emphasizing the passport benefit over civic-minded benefits, and describing specifically what benefits the passport brings may be helpful in convincing immigrants to undergo the difficult process of naturalizing.

Fearful Traveler

"What if they stop me?"

This LPR traveler visits their home country frequently, but doesn't necessarily do a lot of travel outside of that. Has no children.

Motivated to naturalize by: Fear of getting Green Card scrutinized at a U.S. port of entry for a random reason.

Travel behavior: Travels back to visit family in home country frequently. Unlikely to want to visit many other countries.

Potential catalysts: U.S. port of entry conversation with CBP officer

"With the [Trump] administration doing what it was doing and realizing I could not travel or did not feel safe traveling and being able to come back easily, that helped push me towards, 'All right. Let's get this process going.' […] I wanted to travel to Israel last year. My partner and I were talking about going and we were getting very close to buying our tickets and then the travel ban was coming up like, "I don't feel safe doing this right now." […] I decided not to travel. I'm going in November [2018] instead. I have my ticket." Interviewee 4

Fearful Traveling Parent

"What if I’m separated from my family?"

The LPR parent that travels with their (U.S. citizen) family frequently worries about a scenario where they can't reunite with their children.

Motivated to naturalize by: Fear of getting separated from partner and children and deported if their Green Card gets scrutinized at a U.S. port of entry.

Travel behavior: Travels back to visit family in home country frequently with their family. Unlikely to want to visit many other countries.

Potential catalysts: Walking through a separate line from family when entering a U.S. port of entry.

"I'm very aware that if Trump decides that Mexican nationality is not longer welcome. My Green Card could be revoked when the border ban change. So I don't want to be in that situation to be in Mexico and my kids and my husband in the U.S. without me." Interviewee 26

Jetsetter

"I want to optimize my travel."

Affluent, educated, travels frequently for work or for leisure. They're originally from countries with low passport mobility, and often need to apply for visas.

Motivated to naturalize by: Avoiding long lines at a U.S. port of entry; Having to obtain visas to visit other countries with their home country passport

Travel behavior: Travels all over the world, frequently. Possibly for professional purposes.

Potential catalysts: Planning travel and realizing that getting the visas are expensive and time-consuming; Going through a U.S. port of entry and seeing U.S. citizens walk through it faster.

"Being a citizen, you have so many doors open to you. But I will say traveling was my number one. I didn't have to get … Even going back to London, I had to get visa before even with Green Card you need a visa you know? […] I just wanted to travel and I used to travel a lot those days. With American passport I can go everywhere." Interviewee 16

Frequent

"I want to spend a long time abroad."

They want be outside of the United States. for a work opportunity, to be with their family abroad, or just to live somewhere else for a while. They aim to live in the United States. again eventually.

Motivated to naturalize by: Time abroad limitations of the LPR mean that, if they stay away for too long, their Green Card will be put at risk.

Travel behavior: Desires to split time between United States and another country. If doing that while on Green Card, worries about losing LPR status. Needs a plan to naturalize.

Potential catalysts: Achieving eligibility; Family or career matters forcing them to travel for longer; a warning from a CBP officer regarding extensive travel while going through a U.S. port of entry.

"So one of the times when I left, I got really troubled with the immigration. They give me a really super hard time, to question me, 'Why you leave the country so long? You shouldn't really leave it so long,' all the questions. Ended up I have to wait for wait for the officer room for a few hours. So they warned me, 'If you continue doing this, we are going to take away your Green Card permanently.' So I have a call, right? So either I want to maintain the Green Card in the United States or I give it up. So I went back to Hong Kong, I evaluate whether I want to continue doing like this, and every time when you pass immigration you just afraid that you're going to have a problem, or I just move back here, and I think this is a good callings for me to make the decision to come back here, because deep down from my heart, I do want to stay here for good, in the future." Interviewee 10