Is the proof of citizenship must be Original ?

[rose.rose 1]

Hi, i would like to apply for a US passport for the first time . Do i HAVE to submit with my application the Original certificate of citizenship  ONLY, Is the Certified copy is not acceptable? 

i'm just asking i do not even have a certified copy 

Please help, 

Thanks

[Liam2021 583]

Yes, you need to send Original certificate of citizenship .

[rose.rose 1]

13 minutes ago, H&T said:

Yes, you need to send Original certificate of citizenship .

Thanks

You mean the Certified true copy is not acceptable and the Original is a must?

i do not see any link or info online that says it must be original!! 

[BigDaddy28 228]

22 hours ago, rose.rose said:

Hi, i would like to apply for a US passport for the first time . Do i HAVE to submit with my application the Original certificate of citizenship  ONLY, Is the Certified copy is not acceptable? 

i'm just asking i do not even have a certified copy 

Please help, 

Thanks

The original or a cerified copy only are accepted.

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/applyinperson.html

Click on provide evidence of US citizenship section. 

[Dinosaur2013 26]

You may send a certified naturalization certificate and this is how to obtain the certification: https://my.uscis.gov/helpcenter/article/how-can-i-obtain-a-certified-copy-of-my-naturalization-certificate

[Dinosaur2013 26]

It’d be nice if some people actually check and validate the information they have BEFORE advising the VisaJourney fellows here. 

[jj23521 1]

On 10/21/2017 at 9:47 AM, Dinosaur2013 said:

You may send a certified naturalization certificate and this is how to obtain the certification: https://my.uscis.gov/helpcenter/article/how-can-i-obtain-a-certified-copy-of-my-naturalization-certificate

I actually came here to ask this exact question.

 

The State Dept's website does say a certified copy is acceptable.  But when I called to confirm, the person did not know anything about this.

 

Has anyone successfully gotten a copy certified at USCIS and then successfully applied for a passport?  Do you simply bring a photocopy of the certificate to an Infopass and they stamp it?

 

Thanks for any tips!

 

 

[floridadave 195]

11 hours ago, jj23521 said:

I actually came here to ask this exact question.

 

The State Dept's website does say a certified copy is acceptable.  But when I called to confirm, the person did not know anything about this.

 

Has anyone successfully gotten a copy certified at USCIS and then successfully applied for a passport?  Do you simply bring a photocopy of the certificate to an Infopass and they stamp it?

 

Thanks for any tips!

 

 

First, on the certified true copy.  I made an appointment with infopass.  Two weeks later at the appointment my wife took the original certificate and a photocopy.  After some confusion, she did get a certified true copy.  The true copy was our photocopy with a big stamp on the back with annotations, certificate number, initials, etc.  They also attached a form letter to the new certified true copy.  Gosh, it looked so good and authoritative.

 

The wife sent the passport application along with the “certified true copy.”  This was my suggestion because the DOS website’s instructions were written where it could be understood that the true copy was good enough.

Not so, at least for my wife. 

 

4 weeks after mailing the passport application, w/certified true copy, she received an email, and copy of same in postal mail, requesting the ORIGINAL certificate.  At this point we just caved and sent in the original as the DOS email requested.  4 more weeks later the passport, original certificate and certified true copy were received in the mail within 2 days of each other.  Oh yes, and passport card was received too because she applied for that also.

 

Total lost time was 6 weeks:  2 weeks for infopass appointment and 4 weeks for DOS to send letter requesting original certificate.

 

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

[jj23521 1]

Thanks for the story, Dave.  That is kind of what I was afraid of.  

 

We'll probably end up just going to the Chicago passport agency before our next planned travel.  I really, really do not want to mail out that certificate.

[ruby_7 45]

On 1/30/2018 at 12:50 AM, floridadave said:

First, on the certified true copy.  I made an appointment with infopass.  Two weeks later at the appointment my wife took the original certificate and a photocopy.  After some confusion, she did get a certified true copy.  The true copy was our photocopy with a big stamp on the back with annotations, certificate number, initials, etc.  They also attached a form letter to the new certified true copy.  Gosh, it looked so good and authoritative.

 

The wife sent the passport application along with the “certified true copy.”  This was my suggestion because the DOS website’s instructions were written where it could be understood that the true copy was good enough.

Not so, at least for my wife. 

 

4 weeks after mailing the passport application, w/certified true copy, she received an email, and copy of same in postal mail, requesting the ORIGINAL certificate.  At this point we just caved and sent in the original as the DOS email requested.  4 more weeks later the passport, original certificate and certified true copy were received in the mail within 2 days of each other.  Oh yes, and passport card was received too because she applied for that also.

 

Total lost time was 6 weeks:  2 weeks for infopass appointment and 4 weeks for DOS to send letter requesting original certificate.

 

Hope this helps.  Good luck!

Did you send birth certificate too?

[floridadave 195]

17 minutes ago, ruby_7 said:

Did you send birth certificate too?

No, we did not send a birth certificate.

 

For more info: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/apply-in-person.html

[ruby_7 45]

5 minutes ago, floridadave said:

No, we did not send a birth certificate.

 

For more info: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/apply-in-person.html

Oh Thank God...Because I did not send my foreign birth certificate since I'm a Naturalized US Citizen based on marriage.  

 

Thank you for this info, it helped me a lot when I filed mine yesterday at USPS facility and relieved me a bit of stress.

[ruby_7 45]

On 1/30/2018 at 12:50 AM, floridadave said:

 

The wife sent the passport application along with the “certified true copy.”  This was my suggestion because the DOS website’s instructions were written where it could be understood that the true copy was good enough.

 

That's what my understanding too at first when I read the info on DOS site, few weeks ago.  Then I came across your posting about your experience, it helped me a lot on my decision to send the Original Copy of my naturalization certificate.  

 

Thank you sooo much for posting your experience. It's very helpful.

[floridadave 195]

5 hours ago, ruby_7 said:

That's what my understanding too at first when I read the info on DOS site, few weeks ago.  Then I came across your posting about your experience, it helped me a lot on my decision to send the Original Copy of my naturalization certificate.  

 

Thank you sooo much for posting your experience. It's very helpful.

Your welcome.  And congratulations on your citizenship! 

 

After a few days, if you desire, you can check the status on your passport at:  https://passportstatus.state.gov/  There, we entered our email address for updates via email too.  I liked the email updates because they sent us a tracking number for the passport they mailed to us via USPS Priority.  Your Cert. of citizenship will be returned via USPS first class mail in a large envelope.  If you applied for a passport card, that will be mailed to you in a USPS first class letter size envelope.  And don't forget to sign your passport!

 

Good luck and happy travels!

[Gary_UK 17]

Important point to note on sending that certificate. 

 

When I applied for my passport last year, i heard horror stories of the cert being folded by the passport people on return.

 

The postal / passport office i went through was nice enough to put post-it notes on the cert and notes on the envelope to not bend it. 

 

Amazingly a week or so after my US passport arrived my certificate returned in a cardboard backed envelope and was unscathed !

 

Hope you are as fortunate as I was.