Traveling on an Indian passport after obtaining us citizenship

I will be obtaining US citizenship shortly. I need to travel to India almost immediately afterwards. I cannot delay my oath ceremony for US naturalization, and my need to travel to India immediately after is critical (I won't have enough time to wait to renounce citizenship in the US. I expect to be in India for a few months. My question: I have read that Indians who have obtained US citizenship must not use their Indian passport for travel after 3 months of obtaining us citizenship. Does this mean I can travel on my Indian passport and renounce my citizenship while I'm in India? What kind of documents, letters of support should I carry to ensure I do not face any trouble with this? PS - I plan to eventually apply for the OCI.

Get an appointment from your nearest Indian consulate, and get an official clarification from a person at least the level of 1st Sec (consul)

India does not allow dual citizenship and so as soon as you become a citizen of another country, your Indian passport becomes invalid. You can not use it at all let alone 3 months after obtaining US citizenship, it would land you in trouble with Indian authorities. Also with US authority re-entering US as you will be entering using an invalid Indian passport.

Think about this. When you leave India, if you show your old Indian passport to the immigration guy, he will ask where is your US visa. How will you answer that?

There are some details that can be finnesed. Devil is in the detail. There is a clause somewhere that mentions the 3 month grace period; but I have not personally known of persons using that option.

Smart thinking - Now also solve the puzzle. It is not that difficult. Think outside the dabba

"You will be obtaining US citizenship shortly. You need to travel to India almost immediately afterwards."

It can be go either way. You can request to US authorities to postpone your oath ceremoney and you can do it when you return from India. Travel on Indian Passport and reenter in USA on valid visa. When you get US citizenship You need surrender certificate for your passport from Indian embassy, which charge a good amount only stamped Cancelled on your Indian passport. Same time you need US passport and you may know how much time it taken there. Then you need Visitor visa to India on your US passport, which take minimum 10 days. For OCI it takes 3 months if every thing fine. Permission granted from New Delhi.

It is easy to request US, that you can get your citizenship later.

By showing it, I suppose. As this guy is only just taking US citizenship, he must have a valid US visa in his Indian passport.

Nope. When you get a Permanent Residence, the visa is invalidated. I do not know what they stamp on the passports now, but one has to show a PR card along with your passport in countries where they have exit control. Unfortunately, during the swearing-in ceremony you have to surrender the PR card.

OP is not the first, and certainly would not be the last. What a lot of persons do not realize, is, that once CBP [Customs and Border Protection] flags you for a secondary (citizen or non citizen) you get into their database. That record-locator just does not go away. You keep getting secondaries and/or extra questioning... welcome to twilight-zone

Screwed, then.

Not really, as my old neighborhood friend Quentin used to say !! A difficult hand dealt no doubt. One out of ten, will make 6-NT contract. The other nine go down in flames with Grandslam. It is OP's call, really

A few thoughts:
- Traveling to India on an Indian passport does not present a problem, since they will not know about US naturalization
- Staying in India a few months does not present a problem, since you have a Indian passport and possibly PAN card / other ID
- You can depart India on a ticket to Hong Kong or Nepal and you won't need to show any visa (since those are visa-free for Indian citizens). (Alternatively, you could get a visa for some non-US country and fly there.)
- A US passport could be obtained before departure (go to a passport agency the day after naturalization, you will get a passport in a day or two), at a US consulate in India, or at a US consulate in a third country (say, in HK)

I suppose it is possible that India could complain about this later and deny OCI or something, but that seems really far-fetched to me.

Just some thoughts and not big help to OP.

--> A person about to become a citizen would have been a PR with a Green Card. That GC will have to be surrendered at the time of the Oath Ceremony.

--> The Oath Ceremony is also the point when the Indian Passport becomes in-valid.

--> Seen couple of posts earlier where the 3 month grace period was mentioned but not seen any first hand accounts of people actually using an Indian Passport for travel after obtaining US Citizenship.

--> Eventhough you have the Indian Passport in your hand you would be asked for the Green Card at the Airport check in when exiting USA. You will not have it with you.

--> The options are, ask for postponement of oath ceremony or go thru the entire process of Oath --> Obtain US Passport --> Go for Indian Tourist Visa.