Children flying international after Mom becomes citizen

[harvey_1960 0]

Hello,

My wife became a US citizen June 15 2011. Her 12 year old daughter, who lives in the US, became a citizen at that time based on her mom's citizenship. I have not filed form N-600 for the daughter yet. My question is this: Can the daughter fly internationally with her mother using her foreign passport while her mother uses a US passport?

[Mountain Climber 186]

Hello,

My wife became a US citizen June 15 2011. Her 12 year old daughter, who lives in the US, became a citizen at that time based on her mom's citizenship. I have not filed form N-600 for the daughter yet. My question is this: Can the daughter fly internationally with her mother using her foreign passport while her mother uses a US passport?

I had the same senario as you. I assumed the children could still use their foreign passports and their greens cards to travel. I called the Passport Control Office for clarification. They directed me to call US Customs, who directed me to call Immigration. Unfortunately, no one had a definitive answer. I was told by Customs that if the mother was using a US passport, they would question why the daughters did not have a US passport. All US citizens need a US passport for international travel. They told me it could result in a big problem and could possibly result in the children not being able to enter the US. I decided to get US passports for mom and her children to avoid any problems.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Mountain Climber

[Leatherneck 693]

I had the same senario as you. I called the Passport Control Office for clarification. They directed me to call US Customs, who directed me to call Immigration. Unfortunately, no one had a definitive answer. I was told by Customs that if the mother was using a US passport, they would question why the daughter did not have a US passport. All US citizens need a US passport for international travel. They told me it could result in a big problem and could possibly result in the children not being able to enter the US. I decided to get US passports for mom and her children to avoid any problems.

That's a safe approach to mitigate any problems.

[harvey_1960 0]

Thank you for your reply. I thought that might be the answer but, I was wishing for an easy answer.

Thanks again for your imput

Chris

[Boiler 45,982]

She can leave, but she would need a US Passport to come back in.

PS You only need to post it once.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Hello,

My wife became a US citizen June 15 2011. Her 12 year old daughter, who lives in the US, became a citizen at that time based on her mom's citizenship. I have not filed form N-600 for the daughter yet. My question is this: Can the daughter fly internationally with her mother using her foreign passport while her mother uses a US passport?

The answer is no. All US citizens are required to leave and enter the US on their US passport. They can get into trouble for not doing this. So you need to file for the passport. Fun fun fun!

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Let me rephrase your question.

Is it okay if my wife's daughter commits material misrepresentation and document fraud by presenting herself as a foreigner to a federal officer and using an invalid Green Card, when in fact she is a U.S citizen?

Of course not.

You don't need to file an N-600, as your child's citizenship is not in dispute. All that's needed is for your wife to go with her daughter to the passport office and apply for a U.S. passport for her. Your wife will once again submit her original Certificate of Naturalization and her daughter will hand over her Green Card. For that reason it is the smart thing to do this at the same time, instead of going to the passport office twice. I will also suggest that your wife's daughter, as she does not have a Certificate of Citizenship, should get a passport book and, for $25 extra, a passport card so that she has two independent proofs of U.S. citizenship, should something happen to one of the passports.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Brother Hesekiel

[NickD 203]

Yeah its kind of messy traveling with kids under 18, if my wife was to take her daughter to say, Venezuela, even with a US passport showing she was born in Venezuela, they would never let her leave that country with permission from her biological father. DOS is the same way with kids under 16, have to prove sole custody or get permission from the biological parent to even get that US passport. If the child has a different name than the parent, have to send in paper trail that is indeed your child, plus proof of US citizenship of the parent.

USCIS says your kids are now US citizens, but without any proof, cost you another 600 bucks and at least six months to get that proof.

See your home country is Australia. Good to go to the DOS site and learn all the rules about traveling to that country. This board also has country based sections, so can chat with fellow countrymen as to what they had to go through.

Yep, it ain't easy with kids.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hello,

My wife became a US citizen June 15 2011. Her 12 year old daughter, who lives in the US, became a citizen at that time based on her mom's citizenship. I have not filed form N-600 for the daughter yet. My question is this: Can the daughter fly internationally with her mother using her foreign passport while her mother uses a US passport?

0

No. She needs her own US passport. You do not have to file form N-600. Take her mothers proof of citizenship, the childs birth certificate and evidence that the child was also admitted as a K-2 (or CR-2 whichever) and get the child a passport. We are doing the same for our 17 year old.

Follow the guidelines for applying for a passport as a child of a naturalized citizen.

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

**** Topics merged. PLease only post once on a issue/ question ***

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Let me rephrase your question.

Is it okay if my wife's daughter commits material misrepresentation and document fraud by presenting herself as a foreigner to a federal officer and using an invalid Green Card, when in fact she is a U.S citizen?

Of course not.

You don't need to file an N-600, as your child's citizenship is not in dispute. All that's needed is for your wife to go with her daughter to the passport office and apply for a U.S. passport for her. Your wife will once again submit her original Certificate of Naturalization and her daughter will hand over her Green Card. For that reason it is the smart thing to do this at the same time, instead of going to the passport office twice. I will also suggest that your wife's daughter, as she does not have a Certificate of Citizenship, should get a passport book and, for $25 extra, a passport card so that she has two independent proofs of U.S. citizenship, should something happen to one of the passports.

Good answer. We are getting the passport cards also as they are cheaper than the enhanced drivers licenses ($75) and will work for going to Canada (just a few miles away) without using our passports. We had planned on getting EDLs but the passport cards are cheaper.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yeah its kind of messy traveling with kids under 18, if my wife was to take her daughter to say, Venezuela, even with a US passport showing she was born in Venezuela, they would never let her leave that country with permission from her biological father. DOS is the same way with kids under 16, have to prove sole custody or get permission from the biological parent to even get that US passport. If the child has a different name than the parent, have to send in paper trail that is indeed your child, plus proof of US citizenship of the parent.

USCIS says your kids are now US citizens, but without any proof, cost you another 600 bucks and at least six months to get that proof.

See your home country is Australia. Good to go to the DOS site and learn all the rules about traveling to that country. This board also has country based sections, so can chat with fellow countrymen as to what they had to go through.

Yep, it ain't easy with kids.

Somewhat true, country specific to a point but definitely do-able, We never missed a beat traveling internationally (we do it several times a month)we made sure the permission letter applied for all future international travel and Alla carried it with her whenever we traveled before Pasha was age 16. He even traveled internationally alone during that time.

[DouglasFiel 53]

The N-600 is a waste of Money... Get the US Passport (Cheaper and faster). It will serve the same purpose,,,

and will be proof of citizenship for life.

Regards,

[Imagination 15]

Hello,

My wife became a US citizen June 15 2011. Her 12 year old daughter, who lives in the US, became a citizen at that time based on her mom's citizenship. I have not filed form N-600 for the daughter yet. My question is this: Can the daughter fly internationally with her mother using her foreign passport while her mother uses a US passport?

Does your daughter have a green card? She will not have any problem traveling with the foreign passport.

However, you don't have to apply for N-600 for your daughter in order to obtain US passport for her. You can simply go to state.travel.gov website and download the passport form. Complete that and send the mother's original Naturalization certificate along with daughter's birth certificate. The daughter will get her passport as well.

Her daughter can apply for N-600 at any point. (even after she is over 18). Look at N-600 instructions for more info. http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/n-600instr.pdf

[Imagination 15]

Let me rephrase your question.

Is it okay if my wife's daughter commits material misrepresentation and document fraud by presenting herself as a foreigner to a federal officer and using an invalid Green Card, when in fact she is a U.S citizen?

Of course not.

You don't need to file an N-600, as your child's citizenship is not in dispute. All that's needed is for your wife to go with her daughter to the passport office and apply for a U.S. passport for her. Your wife will once again submit her original Certificate of Naturalization and her daughter will hand over her Green Card. For that reason it is the smart thing to do this at the same time, instead of going to the passport office twice. I will also suggest that your wife's daughter, as she does not have a Certificate of Citizenship, should get a passport book and, for $25 extra, a passport card so that she has two independent proofs of U.S. citizenship, should something happen to one of the passports.

Green card holder children of US citizens are ELIGIBLE to apply for citizenship or claim citizenship. However, they NOT REQUIRED to become US Citizen. They are not breaking any law to travel on their foreign passport.