Getting US Passport while N600 case is pending

[stdkl 0]

Like the title says, we already filed a n600(Certificate of Citizenship) for me and my brother on June 2012. I was 18 when my mom got naturalized on 2011. As I speak, the current status of our case is "Request for Evidence" and it has already been 1 month since our adjudication and 3 weeks since we submitted the evidence they needed, then we haven't heard anything since. I do understand that this might take a little while... but the thing is we need to travel out of the country. My mom already has a US Passport and a Certificate of Citizenship but me and my sibling don't.

Our option is to renew our Philippine passport just so we can go(it's really important that we go..so we're thinking of this option) but I researched around and have found out that some people didn't even need the "Certificate of Citizenship" to get a US passport(mostly for minors) and that in a sense you don't need the N600 to get a US Passport. But most of them didn't file their N600 yet and the posts are mostly from 2011/late 2012.

So, my question again is...is it possible for me and my sibling to get a US passport WHILE our N600 case is pending? Or should we just go renew our Philippine passport? Or an even better question...CAN WE leave the country while our case is pending or is this not advisable?

Thank you to those who will be able to answer.

[Penguin_ie 6,002]

I don;t think you can get a US passport in your case- you were not a minor when your mom naturalised, so need to go through the process.

[NickD 203]

Due to extended delays in our AOS processing, stepdaughter barely hit 18 when her mom was naturalized. Pleaded with the USCIS to make an exception, no way, she had to wait another two years and apply for the five year. Study the civics test, pay the $680.00 plus another 1,350 miles of driving for us, biometrics, interview, and oath ceremony.

When she did turn 18, we drove her 700 miles round trip to the nearest consulate so she could get her passport on her own, before that, her biological refused to sign a filled out piece of paper to give his permission to get that passport. But he would complain we would never let her visit him, figure that out. Now that she has her US passport, still needs her home country passport just to visit her home country because of an agreement our DOS made with her home country. But her US passport is good for every other country except hers.

Her consulate is loaded with corrupted people wanting some money under the table, got buy with a $100.00 bill, if not, will take forever to process it. Wish I was lying as I typed this. Wife was more stubborn and not in a rush, so we didn't pay extra, she received her home country passport a year later.

This is the kind of ####### we have to live with. US passport is good for ten years, in their home country, only five years, that time goes by very quickly. I reported all this to our DOS, its that place of birth they refuse to change. Neither of them had a choice of where they were born, but both wanted to become US citizens. That doesn't make any difference to them, say they need that for identification. Responded to them, they have tons of identification on my wife and stepdaughter, what else do they need? Never received an answer, your senator and congressman are also helpless on this issue.

Do you have to maintain your home countries passport? Even with a US passport? With each of the 200 different countries, each is different.

[stdkl 0]

I don;t think you can get a US passport in your case- you were not a minor when your mom naturalised, so need to go through the process.

Sorry, I must not have said it clearly... I was a minor when mom got naturalized. I was 17 when she did her oath taking, turned 18 a few months later.

Edited February 8, 2013 by stdkl

[NickD 203]

You are in a gray area for me, technically, you are a US citizen and require a US passport to leave this country, technically, you are also an adult and don't require your moms signature to apply for a US passport, but do need her certificate of naturalization to get your passport.

So find out directly from the source, go to this site:

http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

Type in your zip code and find a DOS agent near you, doesn't have to even be in your own town, find one with experience. In our town, have a postal worker doing it for six weeks, a clerk of court doing it for over twenty years. Ask your questions there, they are usually very nice.

This site:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

Has all the information you need to get started, let us know how you make out.

Too bad your mom didn't apply for US passports for you and your sibling all at the same time. Maybe she didn't know she could do that. And maybe they will copy her US passport and use that as proof of citizenship so she won't have to send in her certificate again. These are all questions to ask and experience DOS agent.

Still don't know why they can't give proof of US citizenship to kids when their parent gets theirs. Sure have to give the USCIS plenty of proof even to bring kids here. Same old ####### over and over again. We call that red tape.