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anonymous
Q: Which passport should we choose? American or Chinese or Both?
Hello guys
Which Passport should I choose for our baby? My wife is Chinese.
American or Chinese or Both?
1. American passport? But the problem is school, if the baby has an American passport, can't go to a Government school because we don't plan on returning to America, unless a war and other none foreseeable things happen. After the baby is born could my wife and I take the American passport to the PSB for a Q visa?
2. Chinese passport? Ok good she can go to a Gov school. Nope can't afford those private school that cost: Y60,000 every 6 months.
3. Choose Both Passports? I know a lot of people do this and yes we know the small risk. But how do you exit China and enter into America (wont they see there is no exit stamp in it?) or entering any other country on an American passport? Is there a risk of never being allowed in China again if our child doesn't show up back in China after the exit permit is over?
4. Or get a Chinese passport not and renounce the Chinese citizenship later before our child is 18 years old? I don't know if the whole renounce thing is difficult or not..
All of this is nerve racking, we're not sure what we should do, we hope other who have already done this can help us.
God bless. Thank you.
9 years 44 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
American passport... even if you plan on staying in China, your child can travel pretty much anywhere in the world. They'll likely make an exception for you at government schools (why the fuck would you want your child to go to a government school in China?) if you pay them enough.
And if a war breaks out, do you know who is going to win? I'll give you a hint: NOT China. China will be reduced to a radioactive wasteland really fast.
The American passport alone is worth everything. Do it... if you choose the Chinese passport, please do not come back to these forums ever again. I will hate you for irreversibly screwing your daughter's future.
ironman510:
What about if he and his wife got both passports for the baby, how would he use the American passport to get out, I also wonder about this too.
Scandinavian:
the loophole to get out is to always go to places where Chinese people can get visa on arrival, like Thailand, now to go from China to US, Bangkok might be a detour. But could work for some depending on destination. There are other places than Thailand where visas are not required.
DrMonkey:
@Scandinavian Vientiane, Laos ^^ Very quiet tropical town with good restaurants, excellent fruits and decent local beer. The country is a really poor yet can be a delight if you're into jungles, mountains and tropics. And it's clean...
Viki87:
Good point, why need a Chinese passport to get trapped? You are screwing her life.
I have a two year old daughter here to my Chinese wife, and we went for Chinese citizenship for her.
The reasons...... ?
Like you, I have no plans on going back to my country of origin (UK) any time soon. So there is no benefit to our daughter having British nationality...... at the moment.
The job and visa situation. I am not a teacher, nor am I qualified to be one. So if I lose my job here, my z visa goes with it. I don't want our daughters residence here to be tied to my employment.
The UK has recently introduced new rules that say if I do go back, I can't take my wife wife me straight away. I would need 6 months worth of UK pay slips, a house etc, or a large wedge of cash before we could even apply for her spousal visa. So I would need to go back, get established and half a year later start the visa process. With no guarentee of being successful. My daughter no problem, just change her to a UK citizen. So do I leave my wife behind?
I don't really have much in the UK, so I prefer our daughter to have the benefit of the Chinese extended family. If she is Chinese, she can stay here to enjoy having the family around her. If she was British, we would always have the visa cloud hanging over us.
The school thing is important of course.
At the end of the day, what citizenship to have is a choice our daughter will have to make for herself one day. She is lucky, because she will be able to make that choice.
I just hope she does not end up hating us for deciding to start her off as Chinese. But that's a few years away.
I think she will have a better future here than in the UK. She will be bi-lingual first of all. She will have western influences over her thinking style. I just think she will have more opportunities here than she would have there. But I don't have a crystal ball, so who knows?
Not really an answer really, more of a ramble.
Congratulations on your upcoming baby by the way 
ironman510:
Couldn't your daughter go on a Q visa with your wife(her mom) instead of being a dependent on your Working resident Permit? This topic is a good.
ScotsAlan:
The Q visa was not available then Ironman.
And in any case, it would have been a huge hassle if she was British. Emergency exit visa from the PSB, emergency passport from the UK consulate, exit China, get passport, get visa and back to china.
The Q1 is a good option now of course because you don't need to leave China to get it. It's a bit of a weird situation really, that a child can be born in China to a Chinese parent, but can technically be an illegal alien with her first breath.
ironman510:
I feel you, it is a very unfair and strange system. Our son is on a U.S passport and our daughter is on a Chinese passport, like the person asked in the post, we are also trying to figure out how to get our daughter to the U.S 12 years later for high school. Getting the U.S passport is easy but using it correctly I have no idea. I'm also watching this topic closely for answers.
Viki87:
I think she might hate you to decide her nationality. She might never be able to become a British and get trapped in China for her entire life and can't even go for a UK university. Not easy to travel the world to improve herself.
You should have throught about this problem before marrying a Chinese woman. So many trouble!
ScotsAlan:
She has a "right to abode" certificate in her Chinese passport. She can get a UK passport at any time she wants. But if she does, then she will lose her Chinese passport.
She is entitled to a UK passport by decent. The only difference between that and a full UK passport is that any kids she has will not be British unless they are born there.
Are you insane? There's a million benefits to her having US nationalisty. For starters, not needing a visa to go like ANYWHERE and if this government goes full-on coo coo she can get out.
American passport... even if you plan on staying in China, your child can travel pretty much anywhere in the world. They'll likely make an exception for you at government schools (why the fuck would you want your child to go to a government school in China?) if you pay them enough.
And if a war breaks out, do you know who is going to win? I'll give you a hint: NOT China. China will be reduced to a radioactive wasteland really fast.
The American passport alone is worth everything. Do it... if you choose the Chinese passport, please do not come back to these forums ever again. I will hate you for irreversibly screwing your daughter's future.
ironman510:
What about if he and his wife got both passports for the baby, how would he use the American passport to get out, I also wonder about this too.
Scandinavian:
the loophole to get out is to always go to places where Chinese people can get visa on arrival, like Thailand, now to go from China to US, Bangkok might be a detour. But could work for some depending on destination. There are other places than Thailand where visas are not required.
DrMonkey:
@Scandinavian Vientiane, Laos ^^ Very quiet tropical town with good restaurants, excellent fruits and decent local beer. The country is a really poor yet can be a delight if you're into jungles, mountains and tropics. And it's clean...
Viki87:
Good point, why need a Chinese passport to get trapped? You are screwing her life.
I will not tell you what to do, but just what I would do. I will get her registered as a Chinese, and obtain a local birth certificate. No need to get her a Chinese passport unless there are plans to travel soon.
Then, after the dust settles, and you have the time, go to the UK EMBASSY AND REGISTER HER BIRTH, and also do not request a passport unless there is a near need to travel.
China does not allow dual citizenship, if they find out that fact, they will remove her Chinese nationality. And how do they find out?. Well, normally is when a person travels, using the Chinese passport to leave China, and the British one to enter UK. So, be very careful there on what you do, try hard to think of a good solution. When the child reaches 21 years (in USA,do not know in UK) of age, the child can choose the citizenship he or she wants.
I'd get both but never use the American passport. At least not use it anywhere near China. Reason, you don't know what the legislation will be like in 18 years when your kid is grown up.
It also depends on your wifes situation in China. Are you actually living where her hukou is, then the Chinese citizenship has some value, if you're not, then it is worthless.
My wife is Chinese. We have no intention of giving up her citizenship. We don't have children. I was unaware the USA allows dual citizenship. China certainly won't allow it. I know several expats in your situation. All have chosen to either obtain their non-Chinese passports. As long as your wife has her Chinese passport it is easy for your child to get a visa to enter China. Another reason is many western countries are getting tough on Chinese migration. Your child might find going to America has become a life long paper work scam. Trust me: You don't want your child's first 12 years of education to be in China. Although the CCP is making progress for the better, it will take years.
ironman510:
I disagree. My 8 year old son has been going to school here for 5 years and didn't you know that the parents are in control of what and how much their children learn? Don't you know how to fill in blanks when it comes to the missing links of Chinese education? No? Think very hard before having children man, education in China is a parents and government school partnership. So dont be lazy to fill in the blanks.
American passport. You can't have both.
Your daughter can leave and enter China on a Tong Xing Zeng that substute the passport. It's renewable annually.
Being born in China from Chinese mother she do not need a visa to stay in China, and she can enter/exit China using the above mentioned Tong Xing Zeng (or Zheng?).
n.b. I have a 20m-old girl.
Is this not possible that you get both passports. Use Chinese one until you get to US. to enter US use the Chinese passport bcoz of the entry exit stamp problem. Once in the US discard the Chinese passport
Hi my friend, I too am from the UK. If at some stage in the future my wife and I are to have a child it will be born in the UK. Being born in the UK is not automatic entitlement to obtain a UK passport. Things change in the world and I hope that the child if holding the UK passport can travel and live more freely throughout Europe not just the UK, this allows more opportunity The UK has little if anything to offer anyone at the moment and I believe it will be another 15-20 years before there are back on an even track, however Europe is a much bigger place with so much more to offer. I hold dual passport UK and Ireland, if any future child cannot obtain a UK he or she will most certainly take an Ireland passport which are believe it or not are in the top 5 of the most respected and desired throughout the world. Good Luck to you and your family. God Bless you all also.
the applicant will chose what country passport they need
Stiggs:
I don't believe you. You can't get a real passport for anywhere you want, especially by replying to someone with a yahoo email address.
Your post before - that is gone now - was asking for personal information. RED FLAG.
passport168:
well that is your opinion and we do not force people to believe us and we just do what we can
Stiggs:
Fair enough.... so, what is it you're offering? Fake passports? I don't have a problem with that although I wouldn't want to try going anywhere with one myself and wouldn't be interested in buying one, but I am curious.
As long as your wife has a Chinese passport your child will have no problem staying in China. I would opt for the foreign passport for my child any day. China is too turbulent and unfriendly to foreign people.
Hotwater:
So what school would you send your child to on China if you get them a foreign passport? You can only go to state schools if you have a Hukou. The international schools are very expensive.
I I know this is an old discussion bit read the old posts. Best option, in my view, is to get the Chinese passport but register also with the foreign parents home country. That way the child can decide in later years whether to denounce Chinese citizenship & take the other nationality
Timtimtim:
It seems to me Hotwater that you don't know how it all works.
If you want a child to go to a state run school but have no citizenship you pay a fee.
The fee is high if you are poor I guess. To be exact my friend paid 30,000RMB for total school entry and full rights in the school forever.
However I would never allow my child to go to such a school because they are shit.
Timtimtim:
Well if I am 'absolutely wrong' then why is it happening? People on the website are all just full of opinionated shit. Would you like to tell me your validated counter experiences in China on the matter?
Englteachted:
A child staying in China involves what? Going to to school, right? There are other things that I don't know that would require the child to be on the hukou. If the child is not on the hukou you will have to pay for school. Rergardless of what I think of someone condemning their child to the Chinese Education when they can just work their way back to their home country or could have just exercised smarter family planning (don't have a child unless you can fully afford one) that is the reality(not on the hukou= no benefits of Chinese Education among other things that come with staying here).
Timtimtim:
As I thought you just gave me your opinion and no substance. What's with people here. It's insane... I am telling you right now that I have first hand seen something that disputes everything that you said. Something that was easy to resolve and after a little research is quite common. You should try talking to Chinese people some time..
you get both passports and stick the american one in a drawer to never be used until an emergency.
Travel to another country always with the Chinese passport. Then fly from another country to america with the american passport. Make sure your not on airline that has any linkage or coordination with a chinese airline and no airline that does any business with china.
It's odd that you want to settle in China permantly. If I am a westerner, I don't want my daughter to breath toxic air and definetely won't need the Chinese education.
ironman510:
In Shenzhen nothing toxic. Great schools, nobody hurting anyone, thousands of jobs, HK near by, no guns, new city. I love it, hey give me a Chinese Passport. My mom in the U.S keeps saying I'm in the safest country in the world, she says that after all the shootings, the prob in France and stuff like that. We should take a moment and be thankful for the safety in China. Do you have kids Vicky? Would you sleep better with your kids going to a Chinese school or international school where you have to only get off your lazy a** and fill in the lacking educational areas? Or would you rather sleep with your kids going to school in America where your teenage kids meet a friend with white powder in his hand saying: hey smell this, you'll like, or being bullied, hurt or worse? I'm not saying all school will be like that, but yeah you gotta be tough and strong minded if you go to any school in the U.S. All I gotta say is I'm happy with everything in Shenzhen, China. So shut up Vicky and stop talking about things you know nothing about like kids and passports.
Viki87:
You make China sounds like a wonderland. Thousands of job? Maybe now but you'll be prepared for the future with the rising of RMB exchange rate. More Chinese companies are hiring westerner talents for the overseas market. More foreign firms are moving to the south Asian areas for cheaper labour costs. Your kid will be better getting a western education. I personally think my English sucks compare to educated European, but funny that most Chinese companies value my English as most Chinese failed to speak English fluently due to it's Chinese education system. I have never got a chance to study in aboard, so I tried to study by hanging out with the natives in Shanghai, watch films and read news.
The Chinese education system really destoried me and I wasn't myself till I was like 20 years old. Back to my life in middle school and high school, I have to stay in the classroom from morning till night, I have no time to develop my personslity and hobbies. I was simply a society studying robot. Fact is my Chinese teachers' English isn't good enough to teach. The teachers only care about kids who have good grades, the teachers used to hit me for punishment. During the time, it made me become odd for living in an enviroment likes that. It makes everyone feels like you are losers if you don't get good grades. I believe I have few talents but no one was really trying to help me to explore them.
I have been lacking social skills as my entire life before 20 is just studying and I wasn't given or encouraged to develop hobbies, socializing skills, be more civilized.,etc. I was retarded and arrogant. I appreciate the life in Shanghai, it helps me a lot. I start to find ME in my body and pursue a life I want rather than the one the society wants me to have.
i agree with HappyExpat. no rush to decide which passport to choose unless your daughter have the need to travel.
