Interview notice - India travel

[SoNearCitizen]

Today I received notice to attend U.S citizenship interview on Nov 1, 2016.

I need to travel to India from Dec 8 - Jan 7. 

(a) Can I travel on my Indian passport or do I need to obtain visitor visa to India? 
(b) Are we still Indian citizens until Oath ceremony is conducted?
(c) If Oath ceremony is scheduled during my stay in India, is there a danger in requesting a postponement (e.g. cancellation of citizenship app)? 

Thanks in advance JoeF. I know you'll be the first to respond :-)

[pontevecchio]

Until you are sworn in, you remain an Indian Citizen. Usually you attend the Interview and then the Oath ceremony at a later date though some places may do it at the same time. Find out. As a general rule postponing USCIS interviews is not a good idea.

[JoeF]

Ponte was faster in responding ;)

I agree with him that postponing interview or oath ceremony is not a good thing. USCIS is known to screw things up if you postpone this.

In my case, in Los Angeles, it was 2 months between interview and oath. But as Ponte said, at some places, they do the oath right after the interview (if there is no name change.)

[SoNearCitizen]

Thanks. Taking your advises, if they schedule oath during my India trip, I'll just buy a new return ticket, cut short my trip and come back for the oath. 

If they schedule it before my trip, i'll apply for urgent passport and Indian visitor visa (to be collected upon arrival in India) so that I can enter India. 

If they schedule it after my trip, I guess I'll have no problems.

I do have a lawyer I hired to keep track of notifications and to make requests on my behalf in my absence.

Thank you both. I like your title Joe, "Got helped? Now help!". I am following it by contributing to murthy forum where I can.

[pontevecchio]

You mean "Visa On Arrival". One can of course forget to inform the Indian Embassy about getting Citizenship here and do it when you return as it slipped your mind as you were so enthralled at becoming an USC.

[SoNearCitizen]

Of course that is an option, but I am not willing to do such things. Experience has shown me that it is best to be straight and honest always.

Besides, there is a risk if they find out we changed our citizenship at POE and disallow entering based on Indian passport and GC. Also, there is a $250 fine by Indian embassy for continuing to use Indian passport after obtaining other citizenships. And if they find out our change of citizenship while we are IN INDIA!, its even bigger risk! :-)

So I think best is to either apply for emergency passoprt and Indian VISA upon arrival if oath ceremony is held before we go to India. 

Thanks though for your reply.

[pontevecchio]

I would suspect that OCI or one of its variants would suit your needs better. Moreover the Indian Government does not expect you to mail in your Indian Passport the minute you get sworn in. You are allowed a reasonable period to return the passport for cancelling Indian Citizenship and you need to send proof of American Citizenship with the letter.

[SoNearCitizen]

Don't mean to argue with a nice and experienced person as you, but the minute we take a solemn oath as a citizen of US, we are ethically and morally obligated not to travel on another country's passport which is for citizens of that country. 

Thanks again for your concern and response.

Regards,

[califant]

The US has no problems with dual citizenship and there are many people who decide to travel in their European, Canadian, Israeli or other countries' passport, for one reason or the other. India, on the other hand, does not allow that (other thank OCI, PIO ) 

[pontevecchio]

You are being very naïve. A legal obligation is different from your ideas of ethics and morality . The OATH you are so keen to uphold DOES NOT PROHIBIT you from Dual Citizenship and in fact the US allows Dual Citizenship.