immigration
Entry to US on green card. Do I have to present a passport of the country of origin or should any passport suffice (or ID)?
<p>I'm a dual citizen with 2 passports. Let's say passport A and passport B.
Passport A is the country of birth / country of origin. Passport B I acquired later in life before immigration to US.</p>

<p>Upon entering US I presented my greencard and was fully prepared to also show my passport. When asked to show one I showed my passport B. I was then surprised that the immigration officer didn't accept the passport B and asked me to present passport A. When I asked for the reason the reply was look at your green card (where the country of origin is) it says Passport A, you have to show me passport A.</p>

<p>I was under impression that I am entitled to show any passport as long as I have at least one I should be permitted to enter is that not true ?</p>

<p>This is a case where the official sources contradict each other</p>

<ul>
<li><strong>USAGov</strong>: Green card only ('No additional document is required') </li>
<li><strong>USCIS</strong>: <strong>need</strong> to present a green card ('and any other identity documents you present...') </li>
</ul>

<p>When arriving from a country where a passport is required, that passport can be demanded (politely written as 'presented') by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer. </p>

<p>In a <em>virtual</em> world, it may be sufficient to quote the <strong>USAGov</strong> site ('No additional document is required'), but in the <em>real</em> world (where the Border Protection Officer determines if you can enter the United States) showing the passport that matches the green card is advised.</p>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://www.usa.gov/green-cards" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Green Cards and Permanent Residence in the U.S. | USAGov</a><br>
  <strong>Permanent and Conditional Residents</strong>   </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><strong>Absent for less than one year:</strong>   
  
  <ul>
  <li>No additional document is required.   </li>
  <li>Show your Green Card upon your return.   </li>
  </ul></li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-a-permanent-resident" rel="nofollow noreferrer">International Travel as a Permanent Resident | USCIS</a><br>
  If seeking to enter the United States after temporary travel abroad, you will <strong>need</strong> to present a valid, unexpired “Green Card” (Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card). When arriving at a port of entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer <strong>will review your permanent resident card and any other identity documents you present, such as a passport, foreign national I.D. card or U.S. Driver’s License, and determine if you can enter the United States</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/tools/glossary?topic_id=c#alpha-listing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">USCIS - Glossary</a></strong>   </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><strong>Country of</strong> -   
  
  <ul>
  <li><strong>Birth</strong>: The country where a person is born.</li>
  <li><strong>Chargeability</strong>: The independent country to which an immigrant entering under the preference system is accredited for purposes of numerical limitations.</li>
  <li><strong>Citizenship</strong>: The country a person is born in or naturalized in (and has not renounced or lost citizenship).</li>
  <li>Former Allegiance: The previous country of citizenship of a naturalized U.S. citizen.</li>
  <li><strong>(Last) Residence</strong>: The country that an alien habitually resided in before entering the United States.</li>
  <li><strong>Nationality</strong>: The country of a person’s citizenship or country in which the person is deemed a national.</li>
  </ul></li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong><a href="https://uscode.house.gov/browse/prelim@title8&amp;edition=prelim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Title 8 (Aliens and Nationality), Code of Federal Regulations</a></strong><br>
  <strong>Part III</strong><br>
  <strong>Issuance of Entry Documents</strong><br>
  <strong><a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1201&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">§1201. Issuance of visas</a></strong><br>
  (a) Immigrants; nonimmigrants<br>
  (1)<br>
  ...   </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>(A) to an immigrant who has made proper application therefor, an immigrant visa which shall consist of the application provided for in section 1202 of this title, visaed by such consular officer, and shall <strong>specify the foreign state, <em>if any</em>, to which the immigrant is charged</strong>, the immigrant's particular status under such foreign state, the preference, immediate relative, or special immigrant classification to which the alien is charged, the date on which the validity of the visa shall expire, and such additional information as may be required; and</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>...<br>
  (2) The Secretary of State shall provide to the Service <strong>an electronic version of the visa file</strong> of each alien who has been issued a visa to ensure that the data in that visa file is available to immigration inspectors at the United States ports of entry before the arrival of the alien at such a port of entry.<br>
  ...<br>
  <strong><a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1202&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">§1202. Application for visas</a></strong><br>
  ...<br>
  (b) Other documentary evidence for immigrant visa<br>
  Every alien applying for an immigrant visa <strong>shall present a valid unexpired passport or other suitable travel document</strong>, or document of identity and nationality, if such document is required under the regulations issued by the Secretary of State. </p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p><strong>Sources</strong>:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-a-permanent-resident" rel="nofollow noreferrer">International Travel as a Permanent Resident | USCIS</a>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/tools/glossary?topic_id=c#alpha-listing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Glossary - <strong>C</strong> | USCIS</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.usa.gov/green-cards" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Green Cards and Permanent Residence in the U.S. | USAGov</a> </li>
<li><strong>Collection of documents interpreting immigration status</strong>

<ul>
<li><strong><a href="https://www.sccgov.org/sites/ssa/debs/Pages/policy-common-place.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">County of Santa Clara - Program Policy: Common Place - Social Services Agency - 2019-05-01</a></strong>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.sccgov.org/sites/ssa/debs/CP/chapters/cpchap09.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">09. Citizenship</a> (PDF)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.sccgov.org/sites/ssa/debs/CP/chapters/cpchap10.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10. Immigration</a> (PDF) </li>
<li><a href="https://www.sccgov.org/sites/ssa/debs/CP/chapters/cpchap11.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">11. Noncitizen Categories</a> (PDF) </li>
<li><a href="https://www.sccgov.org/sites/ssa/debs/CP/chapters/cpchap12.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">12. United States Citizenship and Immigrant Status Code</a> (PDF)     </li>
<li><a href="https://www.sccgov.org/sites/ssa/debs/CP/chapters/cpchap13.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">13. Immigration Documents</a> (PDF) </li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_state_of_chargeability" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Foreign State of Chargeability - section 202(b)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Policy Manual | USCIS - (2020-20-07)</a> 

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-6" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Volume 6 - Immigrants</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-7" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-11" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents</a> 

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-11-part-b" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Part B - Permanent Resident Cards</a> 

<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-11-part-b-chapter-1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background</a> </li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://uscode.house.gov/browse/prelim@title8&amp;edition=prelim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Title 8 (Aliens and Nationality), Code of Federal Regulations</a>   

<ul>
<li><a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1152&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[USC02] 8 USC 1152: Numerical limitations on individual foreign states</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1201&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[USC02] 8 USC 1201: Issuance of visas</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title8-section1202&amp;num=0&amp;edition=prelim" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[USC02] 8 USC 1202: Application for visas</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

<p>According to the US government, a returning US permanent resident with a green card does not need to have any passport at all to re-enter the US. So obviously it follows that they cannot require one particular country's passport over another.</p>

<p>See <a href="https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1191?language=en_US" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the answer</a> from the CBP help site for "Traveling outside US - Documents needed for Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)/Green Card holders":</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>United States (U.S.) LPRs do not need a passport to enter the U.S. as
  per 8 CFR 211.1(a), however, they may need a passport to enter another
  country.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Also, see the CBP <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/2019%20Carrier%20Information%20Guide%20-%20ENGLISH.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">carrier information guide</a>, page 28 (36th page of the PDF):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>A Lawful Permanent Resident may travel to the United States without a
  passport with a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes — immigration officers (like anybody) can ask you anything. The right to <em>ask</em> is always there (as opposed to the right to <em>have</em> an answer).</p>

<p>Now, you would only not worry about any rubbish that immigration officer asks if you were a US citizen: these cannot be denied entry.</p>

<p>Because you are not a US citizen, you can be denied entry as the immigration officer pleases, lawfully or not. As a green card holder you would be <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/23497/can-non-us-citizens-challenge-us-border-entry-refusal">eligible to appear before the immigration judge</a> and prove that you should be let in.</p>

<p>So, the answer is merely your own judgement call depending on the situation: either subdue and do what the officer asks, or risk delays or even deportation.</p>

<p>Since this is Law Stack Exchange, there ought to be an answer linking to relevant statutes or regulations.</p>

<p>The requirement to present the green card is found in the Code of Federal Regulations at <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/211.1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8 CFR 211.1(a)(2)</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(a) General. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, each arriving alien applying for admission (or boarding the vessel or aircraft on which he or she arrives) into the United States for lawful permanent residence, or as a lawful permanent resident returning to an unrelinquished lawful permanent residence in the United States, shall present one of the following:...(2) A valid, unexpired Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card, if seeking readmission after a temporary absence of less than 1 year...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The lack of a requirement to present a passport of any sort is found at <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/211.2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">8 CFR 211.2(a)(2)</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(a) A passport valid for the bearer's entry into a foreign country at least 60 days beyond the expiration date of his or her immigrant visa shall be presented by each immigrant except an immigrant who...(2) Is entering under the provisions of § 211.1(a)(2) through (a)(7);</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Since your green card was accepted, we can conclude that you entered under the provision of 211.1(a)(2), and that therefore there was no legal requirement to present any passport whatsoever.</p>
