A U.S. Citizen Who Has Never Been a Citizen of the U.S.

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I can’t think of how many 3299 customs forms I have helped people fill out in my 40 plus years in the industry. Thought I knew all the answers, but this was a new one.

On the “Declaration for Unaccompanied Articles” better known as a 3299. It asks for the shipper’s status in in the U.S.A.

You can be a:

  1. Returning Resident
  2. Immigrant
  3. Visitor

What happens if you are none of the above?

Here was the situation, a person moving from Canada to the United States, has dual citizenship (Canadian and American). No problem except that she had never lived in the U.S., born to American parents in Canada where she has lived all her life.

So what is her status on the 3299?

When in doubt call Homeland Security at the Queenston / Lewiston crossing, they should know. They weren’t sure but they said “Under Returning Resident print CITIZEN and make sure you have a copy of her U.S. Passport, fill in the rest as they normally would”.