emergency need to return to US for funeral - son's US passport not arrived yetr

[NeverSplitTheDifference]

Can anyone help? My father in law has just died in the US and for cultural reasons the funeral should take place by Sunday.
My children both have their UK passports with them but

1. Son number 1 hasn't got his US passport with him and
2. Son number 2 hasn't got a valid US passport because he applied for one and is waiting for it to arrive.

US citizens are not supposed to enter the US on non-US passports and I don't want to mess up future visits.

Are there any US citizens around with experience/pointers?

Have you checked the US Embassy website? Surely that's your first port of call?
You could also see if there's any specific guidance arpund dual passport holders.

i have....

I don't think either of them can travel.

As a US citizen I was stopped years ago when I accidentally tried to enter the US on a non US passport.
US immigration were very unimpressed.
I was just very tired when travelling and took the wrong passport out of my pocket.
There was no way they would have let me in with the other passport.

I am US born and my non US passport does list the US as my place of birth so it was obvious I was a US citizen.

Like pp we also got caught using the non-US passport. In these times I would not even remotely consider travelling without a valid US passport if you have one. It's not just future visits - getting in at all will be either very stressful or impossible.

If they're US citizens there's literally nothing they can do to stop them entering. They can ask a bunch of questions, and hassle you/them, but assuming there's some kind of evidence to verify they're US citizens - birth certificate, SSN records etc. they will be allowed to enter, end of story.

Similarly - there is no "causing trouble for future visits" for US citizens. Citizens can always enter their own country, that's kind of the point of citizenship!

Your bigger issue is going be the airline. The airlines are basically first line of immigration, because they get fined if they fly someone to the US who is actually not allowed to enter. And they don't have access to all the US govt records that would verify someone is a citizen -

I would talk to the embassy asap as I would think you can get some kind of emergency travel document.

The US embassy in London offers emergency passports. You need to book an appointment but few slots are available. Also consulate in Edinburgh. Try calling also and you may be lucky. I have done this for me and daughter successfully. https://uk.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/u-s-passports/emergency-passports/

Alternate approach is to fly on foreign passport to Canada. You can cross land border (not fly) with a US Consular Report of Birth Abroad certificate. I have also done this with no hassle. Depends where you need to be of course.

I agree with trying to get an emergency passport. While it is true that US citizens should be allowed to enter the country without a passport, I wouldn't try it under the present circumstances. The current (lunatic) occupant of the White House and his henchmen have been rapidly overturning all sorts of laws, rules, and norms. Being refused entry to the country would not be the worst thing that could happen.

Do you have family here you can leave DC with, so just you and DH go?

You need to speak to the embassy, not randomers on the internet with anecdotal stories.

Emergency passport. I had my US passport stolen abroad and even a normal, non-emergency one only took a week when they knew it was urgent and I went to the embassy and spoke with them.

Unfortunately, the embassy booking system is an absolute nightmare. You may get better and faster help calling US Citizen Services or whatever the consular help department is now called.

thank you mathananxiety, leaky and rabbit in particular.
I am going to reunite Son 1 with his US passport before we leave.
Son 2 - it's just not going to happen. have explained to DH who understands. Son 2 is in Warsaw so would have to go to the US Embassy in Warsaw (which isn't even the Embassy he's applied to for a passport).
So 2 out of 3 of us will be there.

Maybe randomers are the next best thing until the embassy reopens for routine enquiries in the morning. Don’t be so rude.

How would immigration know?

I am a dual national but travelled on my UK passport without issue.

wonder, I don't know how but they do.

fly via Dublin where they have the US immigration, that will avoid issues with airlines who may not allow them to board.

My dd once lost her US passport the night before travel. We got her an ESTA for her UK passport and off she went. Immigration in Dublin told her off but let her through. They can't deny US citizens entry.

Also, in the circumstances I think they will be kinder.

You can also contact the US embassy for an emergency passport.

they know everything about you, US immigration.

But if your sons were born in the US that is a giveaway.

Go without them.

that is a smart idea about Dublin. Much better to have any issues there than on US soil!
But we are decided that DS2 will stay in Europe. 2 out of 3 of us will be there.

having said that, books, I think things are tighter than they used to be. Until fairly recently a US citizen could enter the US on an expired US passport, for instance. But not any more.

That was allowed during covid because it was impossible to get appointments to renew kids passports.

But it is 100% true they can't deny a us citizen entry.

Things are indeed tighter. The agents are extremely eagle eyed. They would notice place of birth on a non-US passport, and eyeroll a plea for an exception to a passport requirement. They're pretty hard nosed, and give all travelers a good, sharp once over.

Sorry for your loss - I hope your funeral trip goes as smoothly as possible.

(Fwiw, if you choose to fly through Dublin, give yourselves at least three hours to get through security and customs/ immigration. Don't dawdle in the duty free area. Lines can be very long).

Thanks

I have a lot of affection for the Dublin/Air Lingus route as a lovely Air Lingus woman secured me an ESTA and got me on the plane after we realised I’d been scammed and didnt have one and the gate was closing…..

Presumably as you’d need to get some other form of visa to enter the US, and you would have to declare your citizenship on that?