Dual Citizenship, working and school?

I've been looking to move to the States to finish off Highschool and work there. I have a dual citizenship. I was born in Canada and my dad was American. I plan to get my own apartment. I have a lot of family there so I won't be alone. There is a few MAJOR problems. I plan on taking a plane there and I figured I'd stick my computer in bubble wrap and stick in the middle of my clothes. If I pay for extra baggage, would that be fine? Would they let me through?

Another problem is, I don't know if I'd have to register for a Visa or not. I visited the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Consulate General Toronto Canada. The security guard there basically told me that I can stay in the states for 6 months with a Canadian passport since I have a dual citizenship. Here comes the problem. I read this off one of the websites:

Studying in the U.S.

Canadian students are no longer allowed to begin study in the United States without a valid Certificate of Eligibility (From I-20). This document is issued by the U.S. school and sent directly to the applicant. Students must have their Form I-20 in their possession each time they enter the United States for presentation to Customs and Border Protection Officers. They should also have documentary evidence of sufficient funds to cover travel, tuition and living expenses in the United States for at least the first year of schooling, such as a notarized bank statement or letter from a parent/guardian attesting to the funds.

I'm going to stay with my brother for a few days upon moving there. Would I be able to clear all the above up when I'm THERE? Will I NEED a Visa if I want to live there or work there? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, thank you.

It doesn't sound as though you are a US citizen unless he registered you, have you got a citizenship certificate? If you're a US citizen you have to enter as a US citizen, you can't enter as a Canadian. So you'd need to get a US passport or NEXUS card with your US citizenship stated on it.

If you're a US citizen then obviously you don't need any kind of immigration authorization.

Have a look through the information on www.amcits.com, e.g. http://www.consular.canada.usembassy.go ... abroad.asp

One thing you can do is apply for a social security number through your local US consulate.

If your father did not register your birth abroad with the US consulate when you were born, you can do that now, and then you will be a documented US citizen. Then you wouldn't need to bother at all with immigration issues, as Steven has said.

It doesn't sound as though you are a US citizen unless he registered you, have you got a citizenship certificate? If you're a US citizen you have to enter as a US citizen, you can't enter as a Canadian. So you'd need to get a US passport or NEXUS card with your US citizenship stated on it.

I am not sure that is correct. US citizens are required to enter the US on a US passport when coming from outside the western hemisphere. But I am prettty sure you can enter the US from Canada on your Canadian passport.

Note that it is useful to have a US passport for working in the US.

Also, you can apply for the passport at a post office in the US, assuming you have an address to mail the passport to. You do not need to deal with the US embassy if you do not want to.

I am not sure that is correct. US citizens are required to enter the US on a US passport when coming from outside the western hemisphere. But I am prettty sure you can enter the US from Canada on your Canadian passport.

He said he's coming from Toronto so US passport, passport card or NEXUS card issued by the US (i.e. stating you're a US citizen on it). There was someone on here trying to enter with a Canadian passport as a US citizen and CBP definitely don't like that.

You can actually enter the US or Canada from anywhere using a NEXUS card, not a commonly known fact but it's not terribly practical to do it that way into the US because none of the airports have NEXUS machines.

You can actually enter the US or Canada from anywhere using a NEXUS card, not a commonly known fact but it's not terribly practical to do it that way into the US because none of the airports have NEXUS machines.

Are you saying I can enter the US as a US citizen using NEXUS card when arriving from London? Interesting!

Only if you're actually a US citizen.

Do you have any good links to DHS web site references about using NEXUS in the US when arriving from outside the western hemeisphere?

I know the new US "passport card" is not valid for such arrivals.

Thank you everyone. Yes, I have an actual citizen certificate.

Are you saying I can enter the US as a US citizen using NEXUS card when arriving from London? Interesting!

Legally yes you can, practically no you can't because there is no POE where a plane would arrive from London that has a NEXUS machine.

If you arrive say, in Calgary from London then yes you can because they have a NEXUS machine.

It's really useful if you arrive from somewhere other than the US in Canada at a NEXUS-equipped POE because the odds of anyone on a flight from a third country having a NEXUS card are basically nil, so you zip straight through immigration as you have the line all to yourself.

There's nothing on the DHS website about it, but it's mentioned on http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/nexus/a ... t-eng.html a few paragraphs down.

NEXUS cards are actually really useful but CBP and CBSA do an appalling job of explaining all the benefits of them, most of the blurb only mentions cross-border visitors, in fact you can use them for most non-immigrant categories although you still need to get an I-94 and go through US-VISIT for non-visitor categories.