Please note: There is no walk-in service for United States citizens who require a service related to passports, citizenship or birth registration. These services are by appointment only.
What Service Do You Require?
Child Citizenship Act of 2000
In addition to the naturalization process, the United States recognizes the U.S. citizenship of individuals according to two fundamental principles: jus soli, or right of birthplace, and jus sanguinis, or right of blood.
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizenship at birth to almost all individuals born in the United States or in U.S. jurisdictions, according to the principle of jus soli. Certain individuals born in the United States, such as children of foreign heads of state or children of foreign diplomats, do not obtain U.S. citizenship under jus soli.
Certain individuals born outside of the United States are born citizens because of their parents, according to the principle of jus sanguinis, which holds that the country of citizenship of a child is the same as that of his/her parents. The U.S. Congress is responsible for enacting laws that determine how citizenship is conveyed by a U.S. citizen parent or parents according to the principle of jus sanguinis. These laws are contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA 320) provides that children acquire U.S. citizenship if they satisfy certain requirements before age 18 which include:
- Have at least one U.S. citizen parent by birth or naturalization
- Be admitted to the United States as an immigrant for lawful permanent residence
- After admission to the United States, reside in the country in the legal and physical custody of a U.S. citizen parent
- If the child is adopted, his or her adoption must be full and final so that the adoption process is legally complete and fully recognized by the U.S. state where the child is residing.
If you and your child reside outside the United States, your child may apply for a certificate of citizenship through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under Section 322 of INA 322 and take an oath of naturalization to complete the child’s citizenship acquisition. This includes children of U.S. government employees and members of the armed forces who live abroad with parents stationed outside of the United States. To acquire U.S. citizenship under INA 322, you must demonstrate to USCIS your child meets certain requirements before age 18 which include:
- Have at least one U.S. citizen parent by birth or naturalization
- Have a U.S. citizen parent who has been physically present in the United States for a total of at least five years, at least two of which are after age 14. If the child’s U.S. citizen parent cannot meet the physical presence requirement, one of the child’s U.S. citizen grandparents must meet it.
- The child lives abroad in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent and is temporarily present in the U.S. pursuant to a lawful admission and is maintaining that lawful status.
For more information, please see the USCIS website page on “Citizenship of Children“.
In addition, the U.S. Department of State’s web pages on “Citizenship and Nationality” also provide detailed information on the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.
