Citizenship for minor

[Traditions Way 0]

Hi, I will be eligible to apply for citizenship on December of this year. I have 13 year old son, is he included in the application? If he is, do I need to pay as well for his application fee and biometric fee? Thanks!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

What happens is that he will get derivative citizenship from you. When you get your certificate of citizenship after your ceremony, you will then submit an N600 application for him, including your citizenship certificate. That will generate a citizenship certificate for him. Since he is 13, he will be required to go in person to the local USCIS office to take the citizenship oath. That is what was explained to us at my citizenship ceremony in August.

[Traditions Way 0]

Thanks to your reply, Kathry: Below what I was found before I read your reply (Child Citizenship Act of 2000)

Must the Child Get a Certificate of Citizenship?

You do not have to apply for a certificate of citizenship for your child. If you want to apply for a certificate, please go to How to Get a Certificate of Citizenship for your Child for instructions.

How Does the Child Get a Passport Under the Child Citizenship Act?

You will need the following when the child applies for a passport:

Proof of the child's relationship to the American citizen parent. For the biological child of the American citizen this will be a certified copy of the foreign birth certificate (and translation if not in English). For an adopted child, it is a certified copy of the final adoption decree (and translation if not in English);

The child's foreign passport showing the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS) I-551 stamp in the passport, or the child's permanent resident card (green card);

Proof of identity of the American citizen parent(s)

Passport application, passport photographs and fees. Go to Passport Services for forms and full instructions.

What happens is that he will get derivative citizenship from you. When you get your certificate of citizenship after your ceremony, you will then submit an N600 application for him, including your citizenship certificate. That will generate a citizenship certificate for him. Since he is 13, he will be required to go in person to the local USCIS office to take the citizenship oath. That is what was explained to us at my citizenship ceremony in August.

[rebelheart 0]

My son got an automatic citizenship at the minor age of 8 , from being adopted and attaining an adoption decree from the judge. After I got the adoption decree copy, I sent N600K (if I am not mistaken for adopted son). So he got the citizenship certificate only by mail application, I just sent the application fee, pics and other docs... biometrics is waived.

If he was not adopted by my husband, I will apply citizenship with him and pay necessary application fee and biometrics with it and apply together with me into process.

Your child is "almost" in mature age, you could still add him as your beneficiaries on your citizenship application, because if he reach 14, he will need to do a separate application. Though I would think he will need biometrics for he into almost mature age.. (anyone correct me if i'm wrong about this...)

It's really a case to case basis like: biological child, adopted child, or stepchild or in minor or mature age.

Goodluck!

[Dakine 26]

I adopted my daghter and applied for US Passport [proof of USC] and got it. LOT cheaper than doing the N-600 but I'll get that also one of these days.

[NickD 202]

Can't share anything on this, my step daughter barely turned 18 at the time we could apply for the N-400, asked why for bringing a child here, they considered under 21 as the limiting age. They don't know why, just that she has to wait the full five years. They can't make up their minds if a child is under 18 or under 21.

Not only with the USCIS, but also with the IRS for claiming if that is a child or a deduction, depends on whether they are in school or not, same is exactly true with your health insurance, if the kid doesn't go to college, kicked off your health insurance policy. At 18, considered old enough to take a bullet for your country in the armed services, but can't take a sip of whiskey to ease the pain until you are 21. What a screwed up society. At 18, they no longer require an adult to sign for them for a drivers' license and if they get knocked up either the male that did it or a daughter, parents are no longer obligated to support the baby. Between the ages of 18 and 21 is the twilight zone.

[alexb 0]

This question may be off topic, but I'm hoping that someone here reading this thread might be able to help... do minor children need to have any other forms filled out to recieve derivitive benefits? Or do they just show up to the interview with the intending immigrant? I'm assuming that it is enough to have their names written on the parent's forms, but as time goes by, doubt sets in.... I hope someone shed a little light... -Alex

[lucyrich 19]

do minor children need to have any other forms filled out to recieve derivitive benefits? Or do they just show up to the interview with the intending immigrant?

They don't do ANYTHING. They don't even need to show up. They become citizens automatically, without taking any action whatsoever, whether they like it or not. It's automatic citizenship by the action of the law.

However, you (or they) need to take action if you want to obtain documentary proof of their citizenship. And they'll need some documentation before they can do things like travel outside the US as a US Citizen, or even get a job or social security number. You can file an N-600 to get a certificate of citizenship, and/or you can file a passport application to get a passport for them. You'd be well advised to get documentary proof of their citizenship fairly quickly, while all the documents are still fresh and easy to get. But technically, there's no time limit on how long you or they can wait.

http://www.visalaw.com/06mar2/2mar206.html

http://www.murthy.com/news/UDchicit.html

[marga2 0]

do minor children need to have any other forms filled out to recieve derivitive benefits? Or do they just show up to the interview with the intending immigrant?

They don't do ANYTHING. They don't even need to show up. They become citizens automatically, without taking any action whatsoever, whether they like it or not. It's automatic citizenship by the action of the law.

However, you (or they) need to take action if you want to obtain documentary proof of their citizenship. And they'll need some documentation before they can do things like travel outside the US as a US Citizen, or even get a job or social security number. You can file an N-600 to get a certificate of citizenship, and/or you can file a passport application to get a passport for them. You'd be well advised to get documentary proof of their citizenship fairly quickly, while all the documents are still fresh and easy to get. But technically, there's no time limit on how long you or they can wait.

http://www.visalaw.com/06mar2/2mar206.html

http://www.murthy.com/news/UDchicit.html

[marga2 0]

do minor children need to have any other forms filled out to recieve derivitive benefits? Or do they just show up to the interview with the intending immigrant?

They don't do ANYTHING. They don't even need to show up. They become citizens automatically, without taking any action whatsoever, whether they like it or not. It's automatic citizenship by the action of the law.

However, you (or they) need to take action if you want to obtain documentary proof of their citizenship. And they'll need some documentation before they can do things like travel outside the US as a US Citizen, or even get a job or social security number. You can file an N-600 to get a certificate of citizenship, and/or you can file a passport application to get a passport for them. You'd be well advised to get documentary proof of their citizenship fairly quickly, while all the documents are still fresh and easy to get. But technically, there's no time limit on how long you or they can wait.

http://www.visalaw.com/06mar2/2mar206.html

http://www.murthy.com/news/UDchicit.html

hi lucyrich,

I am confuse on how to go about applying for a Certificate of Citizenship for my 15 yr old son. He already has a US passport and we are currently living in the Philippines. I want to apply for him a Certificate of Citizenship (N-600K, for a child who regularly resides abroad), but one of the requirements is Evidence of Lawful Admission and Maintenance of Such Lawful Status (eg. I-94).

With that requirement, what evidence should I provide on his application?

And one of the questions in the application is Do you know of any prior application for a certificate of citizenship or US passport for this child? Yes or No?

thank you for your time...best regards...

marga2

[lucyrich 19]

I am confuse on how to go about applying for a Certificate of Citizenship for my 15 yr old son. He already has a US passport and we are currently living in the Philippines. I want to apply for him a Certificate of Citizenship (N-600K, for a child who regularly resides abroad), but one of the requirements is Evidence of Lawful Admission and Maintenance of Such Lawful Status (eg. I-94).

With that requirement, what evidence should I provide on his application?

And one of the questions in the application is Do you know of any prior application for a certificate of citizenship or US passport for this child? Yes or No?

The easy question first: Yes, you know of a prior application for a passport for your child, since you say he already has a US passport.

For the evidence of lawful admission, you would present his I-94 or his stamped immigrant visa. That brings up the point that the N-600K is for a child who wants to acquire citizenship via INA 322. It is NOT for someone who is already a citizen. One of the requirements to obtain citizenship via INA 322 is to be a lawfully admitted alien present inside the US.

So I think the N-600K does not fit your circumstances. But I could be wrong, since I do not know your circumstances. I can't say what you should do.

How did your son get a US passport? What made him eligible for that passport? What proof of citizenship did he supply with his passport application?

I suspect he became a citizen via another section of the INA, probably INA 320 or INA 301, maybe INA 301(g).

Another question I might ask is why do you want a certificate of citizenship? Normally a US passport, even an expired one, is considered proof of citizenship for virtually any purpose. Note that native-born US Citizens aren't eligible for a certificate of citizenship.

[NickD 202]

I am confuse on how to go about applying for a Certificate of Citizenship for my 15 yr old son. He already has a US passport and we are currently living in the Philippines. I want to apply for him a Certificate of Citizenship (N-600K, for a child who regularly resides abroad), but one of the requirements is Evidence of Lawful Admission and Maintenance of Such Lawful Status (eg. I-94).

With that requirement, what evidence should I provide on his application?

And one of the questions in the application is Do you know of any prior application for a certificate of citizenship or US passport for this child? Yes or No?

The easy question first: Yes, you know of a prior application for a passport for your child, since you say he already has a US passport.

For the evidence of lawful admission, you would present his I-94 or his stamped immigrant visa. That brings up the point that the N-600K is for a child who wants to acquire citizenship via INA 322. It is NOT for someone who is already a citizen. One of the requirements to obtain citizenship via INA 322 is to be a lawfully admitted alien present inside the US.

So I think the N-600K does not fit your circumstances. But I could be wrong, since I do not know your circumstances. I can't say what you should do.

How did your son get a US passport? What made him eligible for that passport? What proof of citizenship did he supply with his passport application?

I suspect he became a citizen via another section of the INA, probably INA 320 or INA 301, maybe INA 301(g).

Another question I might ask is why do you want a certificate of citizenship? Normally a US passport, even an expired one, is considered proof of citizenship for virtually any purpose. Note that native-born US Citizens aren't eligible for a certificate of citizenship.

Sounds similar to the I-130, with my wife's daughter unmarried and under 18, I as the USC sponsor could partition for her, but since my wife is using our married name had to show a link between that and her previous marriage with a divorce and our marriage certificate, as her daughter's translated birth certificate was in the name of her biological father. We also had to show proof that my wife had full physical custody of her daughter and permission from her biological father to come here.

With her unmarried son over 21 I could not petition for him, wife had to and the time delays between between a LPR and a USC were drastic, so waited until my wife became a USC. Since this child was over 18, no longer needed proof that my wife had full physical custody and no permission from the biological father. But still have to show the link between her new married name and previous marriage with divorce and our marriage certificate that she was indeed the parent of this child.

Makes sense in a way. S0 I am assuming to apply for a US passport for a minor child would essentially have to send the same proof as bringing a child here with the AOS, but this time using the US certificate as proof of citizenship for the parent of that child.

See that the pricetag on the N-600 is just slightly higher than the fee if you lost your US certificate, another consideration if you happened to lose your US certificate. In anything I have ran across, a US passport is just as good as your US certificate, has benefits in being able to leave and come back here, and a lot cheaper. But does give a sense of security in having both.

What does confuse me is why on some forms, a child is defined as under the age of 18 and others, under 21, seems like this country is highly confused on defining the age of a child. Not only with the DOS and USCIS, but in just about everything else.

[internetkafe 0]

Hi NickD,

Maybe because there are hundreds of people who are involved in legislating. Since there are many laws, regulations, directives (not only legislators but also bureaucrats) the meals they cook tend to be stomach-upsetting from time to time Someone at some point in time thinks age 21 is when a person becomes mature, someone at another point in time thinks age 18 is the threshold. And nobody thinks of aligning the disparities within existing legislation...

[marga2 0]

I am confuse on how to go about applying for a Certificate of Citizenship for my 15 yr old son. He already has a US passport and we are currently living in the Philippines. I want to apply for him a Certificate of Citizenship (N-600K, for a child who regularly resides abroad), but one of the requirements is Evidence of Lawful Admission and Maintenance of Such Lawful Status (eg. I-94).

With that requirement, what evidence should I provide on his application?

And one of the questions in the application is Do you know of any prior application for a certificate of citizenship or US passport for this child? Yes or No?

The easy question first: Yes, you know of a prior application for a passport for your child, since you say he already has a US passport.

For the evidence of lawful admission, you would present his I-94 or his stamped immigrant visa. That brings up the point that the N-600K is for a child who wants to acquire citizenship via INA 322. It is NOT for someone who is already a citizen. One of the requirements to obtain citizenship via INA 322 is to be a lawfully admitted alien present inside the US.

So I think the N-600K does not fit your circumstances. But I could be wrong, since I do not know your circumstances. I can't say what you should do.

How did your son get a US passport? What made him eligible for that passport? What proof of citizenship did he supply with his passport application?

I suspect he became a citizen via another section of the INA, probably INA 320 or INA 301, maybe INA 301(g).

Another question I might ask is why do you want a certificate of citizenship? Normally a US passport, even an expired one, is considered proof of citizenship for virtually any purpose. Note that native-born US Citizens aren't eligible for a certificate of citizenship.

Hi lucyrich,

Thank you for your prompt reply. Your first question, How did my son get a US passport? I, the mother is a naturalized US citizen. We presented my Certificate of Citizenship when we applied for a US passport for my son.

Second question, Why do I want a Certificate of Citizenship for my son? Well, I just want to make sure that my son has all the necessary papers/documents, (or have applied for it), while he is still under the age of 18. I guess another reason is, I just want to make sure that he will have another form of legal document, aside from a US passport, in case the immigration policies regarding dependents of naturalized US citizen change again, which is constantly changing anyway. In short, a piece of mind on my part as a mother.

Thats is why I am confuse on which form to use, to apply for the certificate of citizenship because we are currently living in the Philippines.

Thank you again for your time...

[lucyrich 19]

Thank you for your prompt reply. Your first question, How did my son get a US passport? I, the mother is a naturalized US citizen. We presented my Certificate of Citizenship when we applied for a US passport for my son.

That tells me how you became a citizen, but not how HE became a citizen. You probably had to provide some evidence that you had resided in the US for a period of time, I'm guessing.

I presume he was born outside the US, but you don't say.

Were you a US citizen before he was born? Then he's probably a citizen via INA 301(g) or INA 309©, depending on whether or not he was born in wedlock and depending on how much time you spent residing in the US before he was born. In either of these cases, he's not eligible for a certificate of citizenship (no natural born citizen is), but he can get a consular report of birth abroad. See the nearest US Consulate for details.

Did you become a US citizen after he was born? Did he live in the US? Then he probably became a citizen via INA 320, and he can get a certificate of citizenship via filing an N-600 (not an N-600K).

Second question, Why do I want a Certificate of Citizenship for my son? Well, I just want to make sure that my son has all the necessary papers/documents, (or have applied for it), while he is still under the age of 18. I guess another reason is, I just want to make sure that he will have another form of legal document, aside from a US passport, in case the immigration policies regarding dependents of naturalized US citizen change again, which is constantly changing anyway. In short, a piece of mind on my part as a mother.

Note that he himself is a US Citizen, not just the dependent of a naturalized US Citizen (I know that because he has a US passport, and I assume that passport was not issued in error). The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that a person's US Citizenship cannot be taken away without that person's consent, because of what the 14th amendment says. It's not up to the USCIS to change this, nor can the US Congress change it. So while it's certainly good to have all the paperwork in order to prove his US Citizenship, it's unlikely that US immigration policy toward US Citizens is going to change any time soon.

A change in the law could perhaps make it such that children born in the future in circumstances similar to his circumstances would not be citizens, but that could not take away his citizenship that he already has.