Interesting situation/question

[AlexArt 0]

Hello All,

 

Hoping someone can answer this for me... 

 

I was born in Ukraine, during the time it was part of USSR. During the time I was born, no one under age 18 was given a passport or any ID of any kind or considered a citizen technically... When Ukraine separated, that same year my dad moved us to USA, I was 9yrs old at the time. So technically, I am NOT a citizen of any country, or have been of any country. Now I am applying for US citizenship, and have a question on what to fill in for part 2 question 11 ("Country of citizenship or Nationality").

 

Thank you all!

Edited August 21, 2017 by AlexArt

[milimelo 4,775]

Ukraine. You have a birth certificate from there? 

[AlexArt 0]

It says I was born in "USSR".

[Going through 5,674]

I would put USSR since that is where you were born, as named at the time of your birth, as stated on your birth certificate. 

If you are filling out the paper application, you can always put "USSR (Ukraine)" if it makes you feel better.  You will have a chance to explain it at your interview, should it be brought into question---never know, you may end up giving the immigration officer a history lesson at the same time  

 

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Going through

[jxn 86]

You are almost certainly Ukrainian, and although you may not have the documents to prove it, they should be obtainable.

 

How did you leave Ukraine and enter the U.S.? What document did you use?

 

Read section 14.1 here for more information.

[AlexArt 0]

1 hour ago, jxn said:

You are almost certainly Ukrainian, and although you may not have the documents to prove it, they should be obtainable.

 

How did you leave Ukraine and enter the U.S.? What document did you use?

 

Read section 14.1 here for more information.

Since I was a minor, I had no documents besides the birth certificate. According to the article you linked, I should write down Ukraine it seems... 

[Going through 5,674]

@AlexArt...you said your father moved to the US when you were 9.

Is your father a citizen of the US?  What about your mother?

Are you filing the N400 for Application for Naturalization, or the N600 for Certificate of Naturalization based on your parentage?

 

 

[AlexArt 0]

Just now, Going through said:

@AlexArt...you said your father moved to the US when you were 9.

Is your father a citizen of the US?  What about your mother?

Are you filing the N400 for Application for Naturalization, or the N600 for Certificate of Naturalization based on your parentage?

 

 

We all moved together as a family... parents are not citizens, I am filing N400. 

[Going through 5,674]

Ok just wanted to make sure you were doing the right application.

 

If the circumstances of your arrival in the US should come into question, just make the adjudicator aware that you were a minor at the time of point of entry, as well as quite young, so it's not like you had a choice in what sort of documentation you showed/didn't show/legality of your crossing.  In fact, I would even include a short statement to this effect along with your application, it couldn't hurt.

 

I would suggest writing in "USSR (Ukraine)" as your citizenship.  That way you cover both sides of your situation, especially since your only document pertaining to your birth/citizenship/nationality states USSR as the official name at that time, and it was part of the USSR at the time of your birth (as reflected by the date of your birth).

[jxn 86]

What document did you leave Ukraine and enter the U.S. on?

[AlexArt 0]

1 minute ago, jxn said:

What document did you leave Ukraine and enter the U.S. on?

Refugee visa..

[Going through 5,674]

Just now, jxn said:

What document did you leave Ukraine and enter the U.S. on?

OP said he entered the US at age 9, he may not know what his father showed.

[f f 725]

is there any reason you wouldn't want to put the same information as you did when you applied for residency? if you are not sure what was put just freedom of information it to get the info.

[mcdull 474]

20 hours ago, AlexArt said:

Hello All,

 

Hoping someone can answer this for me... 

 

I was born in Ukraine, during the time it was part of USSR. During the time I was born, no one under age 18 was given a passport or any ID of any kind or considered a citizen technically... When Ukraine separated, that same year my dad moved us to USA, I was 9yrs old at the time. So technically, I am NOT a citizen of any country, or have been of any country. Now I am applying for US citizenship, and have a question on what to fill in for part 2 question 11 ("Country of citizenship or Nationality").

 

Thank you all!

I can confirm that you need to put the name of the country as it currently exists.

 

I was born in Hong Kong which was a British dependent territory, and is now a part of China. I had to put Hong Kong SAR.

[Jens79 64]

This isn't too complicated, I think.

You were born in the USSR, that was the name of that country. Ukraine was not (unlike Romania, Poland and the rest of the eastern block) a sovereign country, just like any US state is not a sovereign country. The fact that minors didn't get passports or ID's doesn't change anything, you were still a citizen of that country. Your passport isn't your citizenship, but a proof of your citizenship. (You can still be a citizen despite having zero civil rights, it's two different things). When the USSR ceased to exist, Ukraine became a sovereign country and with that, you automatically became a citizen of Ukraine and at the same time, your USSR citizenship was automatically terminated, since a country has to exist for someone to be a citizen of it. 

 

I'm pretty sure that the correct way to describe your situation is that you have been a citizen of two countries: From the day of your birth until 1991 a citizen of the USSR and from 1991 until today, a Ukrainian citizen.