Citizenship for step-daughter

[timandofelia 0]

How do I go about applying for citizenship for my stepdaughter?

Here is our background info. My wife and stepdaughter are from Colombia and are both permanent residents without restrictions. We have filed all those needed forms and everything is going well without problems. Earlier this year in January we applied for citizenship for my wife with form N-400 and that has been processed and she is now officially a US citizen. Yea! But my stepdaughter from Colombia is not a US citizen yet (she is a permanent resident without restrictions though). Does anyone know which Forms to file? Is it Form N-600? This question seems to be the most complicated that I have had in the whole immigration process. My stepdaughter just turned 10 years old.

Please let me know any thoughts.

Thank you,

Tim & Ofelia

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

how old is she ? he may be a citizen without anything

[Hypnos 6,578]

Since she is under 18 then on the day her mother naturalised she also became a US citizen automatically under the Child Citizenship Act.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1312.html

Edited August 25, 2013 by Hypnos

[timandofelia 0]

Since she is under 18 then on the day her mother naturalised she also became a US citizen automatically under the Child Citizenship Act.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1312.html

What do we need to do to obtain a certificate of citizenship?

[Hypnos 6,578]

You don't need a certificate of citizenship but can jump right to a US passport if you wish.

[BigDaddy28 228]

You can apply for a passport directly or you can apply form N-600 then a passport.

[timandofelia 0]

You can apply for a passport directly or you can apply form N-600 then a passport.

Can anyone think of any good reasons why we would need the citizenship certificate vs. just having a passport?

[BigDaddy28 228]

In case you loose your passport and you are over 18, you certificate of citizenship will get you a new passport faster then arguing with a person from state department. Besides updating the status of the step daughter once and for all when she is younger then 18 is a lot better then just leaving it like that. I hope I helped.

[Hypnos 6,578]

Given that a US passport serves as proof of citizenship also, it's fairly pointless to get a certificate of citizenship. They're also not cheap, running in at $600.

[aaron2020 11,651]

In case you loose your passport and you are over 18, you certificate of citizenship will get you a new passport faster then arguing with a person from state department. Besides updating the status of the step daughter once and for all when she is younger then 18 is a lot better then just leaving it like that. I hope I helped.

My parents naturalized when I was 11 years old. At age 18, I used my Certificate of Citizenship only once to get my US passport. I have never had to use it for the last 20+ years.

I have always traveled with a backup plan if my passport goes missing. For the last 15 years, I would email myself a copy of my US passport. It's available on any device connected to the Internet. A photocopy is sufficient to get help to replace a missing passport.

Pay for the Certificate if you want, but I don't think it's necessary.

[NickD 203]

Either is good, N-600 or applying directly to the DOS with that long paper trail for evidence. Did lay out a small fortune to bring my stepdaughter here, was my choice to permanently close the door with the USCIS. N-600 does that.

Can also tell you with Colombia and the agreement our DOS has with them, with their US passports, can travel just about anywhere in the world, except Colombia. For that country, if they want to visit it, must also maintain their citizenship in that country and have a Colombian passport to boot.

This is an old subject on this board, kids under 18 year of age automatically become US citizens at their parent's oath ceremony, but without proof. Actually, my stepdaughter just barely turned 18 days after my wife received her certificate. Arguments, nice ones about the fact the USCIS misplaced our applications, long delays in processing didn't hold up. Even though it was their fault that caused much delays, with them 18 is 18. She had to wait another two years and file her own application requiring another 1,350 miles of driving for us.

But if they would excuse a couple of days, still would have paid that 600 bucks just to be done with it.

You can apply for that US passport now and kick around that N-600 for the next eight years. Ha, actually if I could, would have filled out that N-600 and send it in with a copy of her US passport. And learn if we could work out a deal for that 15 cent certificate.

[DaveE 178]

I adopted my stepdaughter and she became a US citizen as soon as it was finalized. We obtained her a US passort, and that is all we plan on doing. She now has a Georgia birth certificate though, as a result of the adoption.

[NickD 203]

I adopted my stepdaughter and she became a US citizen as soon as it was finalized. We obtained her a US passort, and that is all we plan on doing. She now has a Georgia birth certificate though, as a result of the adoption.

What country did they show her place of birth at? If in the USA, positively absolutely no problem. Was told by other people on this board, were able to adopt in their own state. Really didn't do this much research on this issue, Wisconsin, but was told the adoption would have to occur in my stepdaughter's home country that takes years and would cost thousands of dollars. Same thing happened to friends that recently adopted a baby that would have have died if not adopted. Cost them $52,000.00, and even after paying that and showing that child was born in Ethiopia. and them just like the biological parents. Put down Ethiopia as the home country, so that baby had to go through the immigration process.

So I am gathering again, one country, 50 different states on this issue and 50 different sets of laws. And many other issues as well.

[DaveE 178]

What country did they show her place of birth at? If in the USA, positively absolutely no problem. Was told by other people on this board, were able to adopt in their own state. Really didn't do this much research on this issue, Wisconsin, but was told the adoption would have to occur in my stepdaughter's home country that takes years and would cost thousands of dollars. Same thing happened to friends that recently adopted a baby that would have have died if not adopted. Cost them $52,000.00, and even after paying that and showing that child was born in Ethiopia. and them just like the biological parents. Put down Ethiopia as the home country, so that baby had to go through the immigration process.

So I am gathering again, one country, 50 different states on this issue and 50 different sets of laws. And many other issues as well.

The Georgia birth certificate shows her birth in Muntinlupa, Philippines. It also lists myself and her mom as her parents. In any case it was not problem getting her a US passport. State department requested one additional document that we didn't know we had to provide. They wanted an NSO certified copy of her original filipino birth certificate, and they even gave us the website to request it from. We provided that and they sent her the passport in her US Citizen name.

She spent the summer in the philippines and had no problem traveling back to the US with it.

I don't know if Georgia is unique, but they have two types of birth certificates for "foreign birth adoptees". The difference is whether or not the child is entitled to citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. Both acknowledge the foreign birth, but one will actually state that it is not valid as proof of citizenship. Since my daughter was eligible for citizenship she got the second birth certificate, without the disqualifying statement. Georgia statute below.

The following shall apply to certificates of birth of adopted persons born in a foreign country:

(1) If a person was born in a foreign country, is not a citizen of the United States, and does not meet the requirements of the federal Child Citizenship Act of 2000, P.L. 106-395, 114 Stat. 1631, but was adopted through a court in this state, the state registrar shall prepare and register a certificate in this state. The certificate shall be established upon receipt of a report of adoption from the court decreeing the adoption and proof of the date and place of birth of the child. The certificate shall be labeled 'Certificate of Foreign Birth' and shall show the actual country of birth. A statement shall also be included on the certificate indicating that it is not evidence of United States citizenship for the person for whom it is issued. After registration of the birth certificate in the new name of the adopted person, the state registrar shall seal and file the report of adoption which shall not be subject to inspection except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or as provided by statute;

(2) If a person was born in a foreign country and was not a citizen of the United States at the time of birth but meets the requirements of the federal Child Citizenship Act of 2000, P.L. 106-395, 114 Stat. 1631, and was adopted through a court in this state, the state registrar shall prepare and register a certificate in this state. The certificate shall be established upon receipt of a report of adoption from the court decreeing the adoption and proof of the date and place of birth of the child. The certificate shall be labeled 'Certificate of Foreign Birth' and shall show the actual country of birth. After registration of the birth certificate in the new name of the adopted person, the state registrar shall seal and file the report of adoption which shall not be subject to inspection except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or as provided by statute; and

(3) If a person was born in a foreign country and was a citizen of the United States at the time of birth, the state registrar shall not prepare a 'Certificate of Foreign Birth' and shall notify the adoptive parents of the procedure for obtaining a revised birth certificate for their child through the United States Department of State.

[Jamaica10 13]

The citizenship certificate is always good to have and you will need it to file for her passport. When you file for a passport it will only be valid for 5 years since she is under the age of 16, so once you renew it 5 years later you will need the citizenship certificate to reapply again... Better safe than sorry