name change for: Citizenship Through Parents

[Mountain Dew 0]

Hello all,

I'm about to fill a N-400 for my friend.

she has a child that she's going to include in the n-400 form.

the child is under 18.

So, what other additional forms does she need to fill ?

she is also wondering, can she help her son to change his name? she would like to give him an american name.

Thank you so much.

[JimmyHou 610]

Hello all,

I'm about to fill a N-400 for my friend.

she has a child that she's going to include in the n-400 form.

the child is under 18.

So, what other additional forms does she need to fill ?

she is also wondering, can she help her son to change his name? she would like to give him an american name.

Thank you so much.

1- You cannot include a child on an N400 form. The form is for one applicant only. The child must be listed as a relative, but is not part of the application.

2- An N400 is only for people over 18 years old. Again, the child will not go through the N400 naturalization process.

3- If the child is under 18 when the mother becomes a citizen, and if the child is a legal permanent resident in the care of his mother, then the child will automatically become a U.S. citizen when his mother naturalizes. No application necessary.

4- If the child is over 18 when the mother becomes a citizen, the child will have to file his own N400 when he is eligible (5 years as a legal permanent resident).

5- If the child is under 18, you can obtain a name change in court according to your state laws. Most states are more strict about name changes for minors than for adults. This will cost money. You cannot change his name as part of his automatic citizenship process.

6- If the child is over 18, he can request a free name change on his own N400 when he files it.

Edited December 3, 2014 by JimmyHou

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

The child will be listed in the N-400, but the child will not naturalize because the minimum age for naturalization is 18.

Instead, the child will become a US citizen by act of law, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, at the moment his mom naturalizes. Once that has happened, mom and child will go to the nearest passport office, ideally the next day, and apply for a US passport.

The child cannot change his name. If the mother wants to change his name, she has to apply for a name change in his behalf at the registrar's office, after the child has become an American. For that reason I would only get a passport card for the child, and then a passport book in the new name later.