Child Naturalization Process

[taniya 1]

Me & my son came into US in August 2006 as LPR through my brother's petition. Now I am preparing to fill up N400 & gather all supporting documents for our naturalization process as we have been living here for almost five years. As far as I learnt through this forum that I need to fill up N400 & pay naturalization fee only for myself, my son will automaticly become a US citizen once I finish with my petition. Though I am wondering to know -

1. Do I need to fill any additional forms or provide any supporting documents for my son along with my N400 to ensure his citizenship?

2. If there are no additional forms/documents required for my son while submitting my N400 then - WHEN / HOW can I apply for his citizenship? He is going to be 18 years on May 2012.

Furthermore, I am plannig to visit Canada for one month right after sending my N400 to USCIS. But I affraid that I would miss any appointments with USCIS for fingerprints or else during my vacation. Hence please advise me how long does it usually take to receive the Fingerprint Notice or other relevant correspondence from USCIS after submitting N400?

Besides, I would like to know what kind of supporting documents should I attach along with N400 to USCIS?

Your kind replies will be highly appreciated to the above concerns.

[OKflyboy 35]

Your son will automatically become a USC, if you naturalize before he turns 18. In this case you will have to submit form N-600 - certification of naturalization along with your naturalization certificate after you naturalize. Certification of naturalization may take up to 5 months. If he turns 18 before you naturalize, he will have to file N-400 for himself based on 5 years of LPR.

Here's the document checklist for your form N-400:

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/attachments.pdf

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Yes,

if you naturalize as a US citizen, your child will automatically become a US citizen at the same time. You cannot apply for him to become a US citizen afterward, and he cannot apply to become a US citizen afterward, because he'll be a US citizen already. To this day nobody has found out how to turn a dog into a dog if that dog is already a dog.

What people "normally" would do is to file an N-600 afterward. Unlike the N-400, where you apply to become a US citizen, the N-600 is an application to document what is already the case. Since it costs a hefty $600 for which your son only gets a Certificate of Citizenship which he really doesn't need, I usually advise against this route.

Once you have become a US citizen, you'll go to the passport office and apply for a US passport book and a US passport card for $25 extra. This way you'll have two independent proofs of citizenship independent from your Certificate of Naturalization which you want to put in the safe. At the same time, your son will come with you and submit his own application for a passport, at which time he'll need to surrender his Green Card. Basically your son will ride piggyback on your passport application, except he has to pay his own fees. They will still mail in both applications in one envelope.

Once you have received your passports, you'll have proof of US citizenship. The Certificate is only a last resort backup in case your house burns to the ground and you lose everything, including every document you have had. Therefore, put the Certificate at a different place than your passports. Put the passport book in a safe place, and the passport card in another safe place. Make sure if the house burns down or an earthquake swallows it that one of your two passports survives. Does that make sense?

The N-400 timeline, simplified, is this:

Mail in N-400 to biometrics 4 to 7 weeks. Interview at around the 3-month mark. The Oath Ceremony can be the same day or 4 months later, depending on which USCIS office is working on your N-400.

You need very little documentation. Read the VJ Guides, they are spot on.

[NickD 203]

Should be an FAQ on this question, yes your under 18 child automatically becomes a US citizen according to the USCIS, but with NO proof of that citizenship. You have to pay for that proof, 600 bucks for the N-600 and/or another couple of hundred for a US passport. Either requires a lot more proof, like is that kid really yours. Just have to download the forms and the instructions. The USCIS site for the N-600, the DOS site for the passport application.

Could also ask why the USCIS doesn't issue passports, still part of Homeland Security like the DOS, but they don't. Have to send in your original US citizenship certificate and pray that you get it back in one piece.

If you went through the removal of conditions stage, at least the USCIS is far more accommodating, just send in an extra 80 bucks for each kid, practically no proof is required and that kid gets that ten year green card.

They could do the same for the N-400, but don't and they don't give any reason why.

[taniya 1]

Thanks to all of you - OKflyboy (Ara & Anya - Tulsa), Just Bob, NickD for spending your precious time to help me out. Those information have been very useful to work on my naturalization proces. As far as I understood-

My son will become USC automatically when I will receive my naturalization certificate from USCIS through N 400 application. Then we both may apply for our US Passports together without filling N600 for my son's naturalization certificate & avoid paying $600 fee. This is great, we won't have to spend additional $600 for a piece of paper.

Meanwhile, I have an alien relative visa petition pending with NVC for my spouse, which has been affected by Visa Retrogession & may take longer for his priority date become current. As I had filed that petition with my current LPR status, I am planning to update my citizenship status into that petition after naturalization completed. Therefore I am wondering:

1. How can I update my status of citizenship with NVC?

2. Would NVC ask me to start up the whole process from begining with my spouse petition as the category will be changed?

3. What kind of additional documents may NVC or USCIS ask for update my status into my spouse visa peition?

I will be grateful to you for sharing your experience and knowledge related to the above concern.