CRBA Residency Requirements

[crbabelgium 13]

Hi All and Happy New Year!

I am a USC and was naturalized in Summer 2009. I had a GC previoiusly to this since 1991 and have been residing permanently in the US since 1996. I attended High Scott and University here and have continuously lived in the US with short vacations abroad since 1996 when I was 14 years old. My wife is a Belgian citizen who has been living with me in the US since Dec 2013. I filed an AOS for her which was approved and she was granted a conditional GC in May of 2014. We are expecting our first baby in April 2015. She wants to travel to Belgium to deliver the baby as she feels she will be more comfortable there and have her mom to help her out. I have done extensive research online and on this forum to learn about CRBA and understand the requirement to prove with records 5 year permanent residency in the US after the age of 14 for the USC. My question is does the 5 year of residency proof for me start in 2009 when I became a USC or does it start in 1996 when I started living in the US permanently? I am seeking clarification on the residency proof as I don't want to risk running into issues with our baby's US citizenship status if he/she is born abroad.

Thanks for your help in advance!

[milimelo 4,505]

Either way you look at it you're fine with residency. Look up the CRBA paperwork to figure out all the dates you'll need for completing it. Get your student transcripts, doctor's records for the consular. Old passports (including prior citizenship one while you were an LPR) help.

[iamwhatiam80 92]

It started in 1996 when you started living permanently.

But as milimelo stated, either way you look at it, you should be good. I will be doing CRBA for my baby in June hopefully.