Children flying international after Mom becomes citizen

[grrrrreat 109]

Please try to be courteous when responding even if you are feeling frustrated.

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When I attended my citizenship oath there were a number of parents there with their minor children. The Director of USCIS Atlanta office led the ceremony. In her opening remarks she clearly stated that the children of those immigrants who were receiving their citizenship that day, and who had their own green cards would not be taking the oath, but they too were becoming US citizens through their parents. The parents were told they did not have to apply for citizenship for their children, but they were advised to apply for proof of their children's citizenship using form N600. They were told they could obtain that proof by using their own certificate and submitting it with a passport application for the child's passport and that would be their proof but did recommend that, at some time, the child also receive the N600 proof of citizenship.

It was very clear that these children were now US citizens in addition to what ever other citizenship they may also hold. While the US does not officially recognize US citizens as being citizens of other countries it also realizes that it has no control over how another country deals with its citizenship requirements, even if the individuals are also US citizens. So, while such children can leave the US using whatever citizenship proof they have available - and if they are returning to their country of birth and their original country allows them to hold dual citizenship then they can use their original passports to enter that country. To return to the US, however, you have to prove you have a legal right to enter the US. That means you either are from a Visa waiver country and enter with the foreign passport as a visitor; you enter with a visa for a specific reason (study, work, visit) or you enter with proof of either US residency (green card) if you are a US resident, or US citizenship (passport) if you are a US citizen. If you enter with a passport of another country then you will be challenged as to your right of admission to the US. If you are a citizen you will be severely chastised for failing to declare and prove that citizenship upon entry. The children are no longer permanent residents. Their greencards are technically no longer valid. They are US citizens and require proof of their citizenship,

A friend of mine from Canada deliberately held off getting her US citizenship because her teenage son did not want to become a US citizen. She waited until he was over 18 before she applied so that he did not automatically receive derivative citizenship.

So, the children of your naturalized US citizen wife are now also US citizens. You need to have proof of their citizenship if they wish to travel outside of the US - and return without running into a lot of hassles at the border.

Interesting story about your Canadian friend. Any idea of why the son didn't want U.S. citizenship? You don't give up Canadian dual citizenship when you're U.S. naturalized, right? Technically she could have gotten naturalized and the son could have renounced any derivative U.S. citizenship. I am not sure if that would affect his LPR.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Interesting story about your Canadian friend. Any idea of why the son didn't want U.S. citizenship? You don't give up Canadian dual citizenship when you're U.S. naturalized, right? Technically she could have gotten naturalized and the son could have renounced any derivative U.S. citizenship. I am not sure if that would affect his LPR.

No, Canada recognizes its citizens having more than just Canadian citizenship so he could have become a dual citizen just like his mother and his sister chose to do. I don't know his exact reasons but from my understanding he was a teenager already when he moved here and he found a lot of differences between life in Canada and life in the US that he didn't like. He wasn't sure if he wanted to become a US citizen yet or not and didn't want to have that choice taken away from him. He is a green card holder and he can remain a permanent resident for as long as he likes as long as he fulfills residency requirements. He may chose at a later time to become a US citizens but it wasn't something he wanted to do at this time. Whether or not he is allowed an option to opt out or renounce his derivative citizenship it was something he didn't want to to have to do. He did not want to be a US citizen and have to opt or or not. He wanted to make his own choice when it felt right for him to do so, knowing that it may never feel right and he may choose to leave the US permanently and give us his residency as well. US citizenship has requirements that follow you all around the world even if you don't live in the US so it certainly shouldn't be something imposed upon you when you are old enough to know your own mind, as he certainly was when his mother had been here long enough to qualify for citizenship.