Passport/N-600 for my 17-yo stepdaughter who I've not adopted

[chuckycheese 0]

Hi Everyone,

First of all I would like to say a resounding thank you to all of you who helped me and my wife and daughter when filing papers for citizenship (K1/K2). Truly top notch of folks on this forum! Now to my next delimma:

My wife and step daughter got their citizenship this past May. My daughter's biological father is nowhere in the picture and my wife (her biological mother) and I have been married now for 7 yrs. My wife doesn't have any legal custody papers as he left long before their annulment. We are getting ready to go back to the Philippines this June and are needing to get Passports.

The Passport is the simplest and cheapest. What is needed for this? I'm sure they will need my wife's CoN, green card, and daughter's birth certificate. Anything else?

I am also planning on getting the N-600 but will take awhile to get (i'm assuming) since we are leaving the end of May (can't believe how much for 4 tickets!), but because we have no custody papers, are we going to run into any problems when filling out the N-600?

Thanks for the help as always!

[chuckycheese 0]

Nobody knows?

[JimmyHou 611]

I've git no experience in this area, so I could be totally wrong, but I looked this up for you since no one else answered. This is how I interpret the State Department rules.

You will need one of these:

-U.S. or foreign birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or adoption decree, listing only the applying parent

-Court order granting sole legal custody to the applying parent(unless childs travel is restricted by that order)

-Court order specifically permitting applying parents travel with the child

-Judicial declaration of incompetence of the non-applying parent

-Death certificate of the non-applying parent

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/under-16.html#consent

You're going to have to go to court and get a judicial declaration first, unless the birth certificate does not list the other parent.

You'll also need this after you get the passport because every time the child travels, the mother may be asked for a letter of consent from the father.

Edited December 21, 2014 by JimmyHou

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Its very clear here what is required on the US Department of state website to get a 17 yrs old's passport - she can technically apply on her own without any parent's permission so I don;t think you're going to hvae to worry about the absent parent for that at least,

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/16-and-17.html

My daughter traveled with us many times outside the US when she was 16/17 and she was not questioned and neither were we about other parental permission (I have sole custody). How close to 18 will your daughter be to 18 when you travel?

Clearly whatever documentation you had to get her here was enough for the US government 7 yrs ago so I would simply travel with that and her US passport.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Udella&Wiz

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Your advice applies to 'Minors under 16' as noted on that page

I've git no experience in this area, so I could be totally wrong, but I looked this up for you since no one else answered. This is how I interpret the State Department rules.
You will need one of these:

-U.S. or foreign birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or adoption decree, listing only the applying parent
-Court order granting sole legal custody to the applying parent(unless childs travel is restricted by that order)
-Court order specifically permitting applying parents travel with the child
-Judicial declaration of incompetence of the non-applying parent
-Death certificate of the non-applying parent

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/under-16.html#consent

You're going to have to go to court and get a judicial declaration first, unless the birth certificate does not list the other parent.

You'll also need this after you get the passport because every time the child travels, the mother may be asked for a letter of consent from the father.

[JimmyHou 611]

Hi Everyone,

First of all I would like to say a resounding thank you to all of you who helped me and my wife and daughter when filing papers for citizenship (K1/K2). Truly top notch of folks on this forum! Now to my next delimma:

My wife and step daughter got their citizenship this past May. My daughter's biological father is nowhere in the picture and my wife (her biological mother) and I have been married now for 7 yrs. My wife doesn't have any legal custody papers as he left long before their annulment. We are getting ready to go back to the Philippines this June and are needing to get Passports.

The Passport is the simplest and cheapest. What is needed for this? I'm sure they will need my wife's CoN, green card, and daughter's birth certificate. Anything else?

I am also planning on getting the N-600 but will take awhile to get (i'm assuming) since we are leaving the end of May (can't believe how much for 4 tickets!), but because we have no custody papers, are we going to run into any problems when filling out the N-600?

Thanks for the help as always!

Your advice applies to 'Minors under 16' as noted on that page

Thank you for the correction!

The OP's original question didn't have an age listed in it so I assumed he was talking about a young child. But I see now that the title of the thread says 17yo.

[chuckycheese 0]

Thanks and you're right. I also have documentation that shows she is allowed to travel here because like it's you all stated that she would've had to have something to travel as well. Well..we do. I just forgot about it and my wife reminded me. However we don't have sole custody papers.

But what about the N-600? She'll be about 3-4 months from turning 18 when we go. One thing I'm confused about on the N-600 is the father(adoptive father) section. Is that actually the father or does that apply to me the step father. I won't get into a debate or step on anyone's toes but papers don't make you a father either. I'm a step child and consider my step-dad my father because he took care of me and was a excellent parent. Anyway, here are some of my questions on the form:

1. In Part 1 would we check Question 1 (because her mother is a citizen) or 3 and say biological US citizen and married and US citizen?

2. Part 2 Question 21 & 22 & 23: would this be talking about my daughter's bio father and my wife? or me and my wife?

3. Part 3 again is this me or him? I'm thinking him. What if we don't know were he is?

Again many thanks on this! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Unless you have officially adopted her, her bio father is still her father. She has been a citizen since her mother became one...you aren't in a rush to obtain it before she is 18 because she is technically already a US citizen, you just want the N600 as reassurance

Thanks and you're right. I also have documentation that shows she is allowed to travel here because like it's you all stated that she would've had to have something to travel as well. Well..we do. I just forgot about it and my wife reminded me. However we don't have sole custody papers.

But what about the N-600? She'll be about 3-4 months from turning 18 when we go. One thing I'm confused about on the N-600 is the father(adoptive father) section. Is that actually the father or does that apply to me the step father. I won't get into a debate or step on anyone's toes but papers don't make you a father either. I'm a step child and consider my step-dad my father because he took care of me and was a excellent parent. Anyway, here are some of my questions on the form:

1. select #1 In Part 1 would we check Question 1 (because her mother is a citizen) or 3 and say biological US citizen and married and US citizen?

2. they refer to the bio dad Part 2 Question 21 & 22 & 23: would this be talking about my daughter's bio father and my wife? or me and my wife?

3. Part 3 again is this me or him? I'm thinking him. What if we don't know were he is? I may be wrong but Section 3 only applys if she was applying for citizenship through a biological US dad (which you mentioned he is not) or an adoptive US dad - but she's not adopted. It specifically says in the gray section 'Complete this section if you are claiming citizenship through........

Again many thanks on this! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!