Proof of citizenship under Child Citizenship Act-2000

[Seraya-Karl 0]

My grandson just entered the US (Saturday) under an IR-2 immigration visa, his father being a US citizen.  My grandson is 17 years old and qualifies under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.  

Questions:
1) Does he need to complete some other process to be a US citizen or his now a citizen?
2) Can he apply for a US passport now using only is visa?
3) He, his grandmother and I are going back to Colombia December 24 for a short vacation. Can he travel outside the US on his Colombian passport or will he have to have his US passport to re-enter the US? His immigration visa expires in February 2020.

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

12 minutes ago, Seraya-Karl said:

My grandson just entered the US (Saturday) under an IR-2 immigration visa, his father being a US citizen.  My grandson is 17 years old and qualifies under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000.  

Questions:
1) Does he need to complete some other process to be a US citizen or his now a citizen?
2) Can he apply for a US passport now using only is visa?
3) He, his grandmother and I are going back to Colombia December 24 for a short vacation. Can he travel outside the US on his Colombian passport or will he have to have his US passport to re-enter the US? His immigration visa expires in February 2020.

1) If he qualifies, he's a citizen now. 

2) Yes, and probably a copy of this father's passport or something that proves his father is a citizen and a copy of his birth certificate that proves he's his father's son and his age. 

3) He needs his US passport to leave (leaving not much of a problem, since US doesn't do exit immigration) and enter the US as a US citizen. He cannot use his Colombian passport to enter the US. 

[Seraya-Karl 0]

Thank you for your reply.

Another question: He will need to register for selective service soon and will need a social security number.  Will he be getting a social security number automatically or does he have apply?

[LilyJ 1,258]

1 hour ago, Seraya-Karl said:

Thank you for your reply.

 

Another question: He will need to register for selective service soon and will need a social security number.  Will he be getting a social security number automatically or does he have apply?

 

Depends. Did he already check “yes” to be automatically assigned a SSN when he or whoever else filled out his DS260? If yes then he’ll receive his SS card in the mail. If no he can go down to the social security administration office 

[Seraya-Karl 0]

Thanks for the reply. I looked it up. Yes, he choose "yes" for the social security question on the DS-260. Thanks again.

[pushbrk 12,906]

The reason he cannot enter the US Again on his Colombian passport is that the IR2 visa is a single entry visa.  While the stamp serves as a temporary green card for those who gain LPR status upon entry, he will not get a Green Card.  He just needs to apply for his passport.  The local post office that handles passport applications can help you through it.

[Seraya-Karl 0]

Thank you about 'local post' office. I was worried that they would never have heard about the Child Citizen Act.  I'll go there tomorrow.

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures to General Immigration-Related Discussion.

[Seraya-Karl 0]

As I feared the local post office passport person never heard of Child Citizens Act of 2000 and told me to call 1-877-487.2778 about applying for my grandson. Of course, they only had a recorded messages at that number which didn't come close to answering my questions.

 

Is their anyone who has gone through this process? 

 

The two questions that worry me most:

1) What will they accept as "proof of admission to the United States for permanent residence". the Colombia passport of my grandson with his IR2 immigrant visa or will a photo copy of the visa be sufficient?

2) What kind of proof can we provide that he is living with his father?  Would an affidavit of both of them be sufficient? They are living at my house would an affidavit by me be useful/sufficient?

 

Of course, I don't know what I don't know and I am probably missing other questions.

[Apa1970 0]

Hi,I saw in a post about this and I’ll need it for my son when he arrives also,

i think it said you have to send originals ! Birth certificate

,Marriage  certificate of the parents and his origanal passport with I 55  and the usc passport also ,if i find the original post I’ll repost .

[Seraya-Karl 0]

As I feared, neither of the two local post offices had any idea of what the Child Citizen Act of 2000 was about. The responsibility was entirely up to me to provide the right things. I went to the post office appoint with my grandson and his father even though I am not sure his father was needed because my grandson is 17. 

The lady at the post office wanted to give us back the father’s passport but that was required to be sent in because they wanted proof of the father’s citizenship. She also asked for identification for my grandson even thought she had his Colombian passport.  He happened to have is student identification with him, and she was happy with that.

I paid for expedited processing and mailing, and we got my grandson’s passport in 10 days! 

Here’s what I send in with the passport application (Juan is my grandson and Joseph is my stepson):

1.       Passport application

2.       Passport photos

3.       US Passport of Joseph, Father

4.       Birth certificates of Juan, applicant

a.       Original certified birth certificate with misspelling of mother’s name

b.       Newest certified birth certificate with correction for misspelling of mother’s name

5.       Translations of birth certificates of Juan with affidavit of translator

6.       Passport of Juan, applicant, with IR2 immigration visa

7.       Affidavits (4: Juan, Joseph, his grandmother and myself) of residence of Juan living with his father, Joseph

8.       Affidavit of Juan that he does not have a social security number

9.       Photo copy of Joseph’s identification, (father’s passport)

10.   Photo copy of Juan’s identification, (his Colombian passport and immigration visa)

11.   Fees for expedited application

Your situation might be different. The father was a naturalized citizen and the passport application just asked for proof of his citizenship. We send in the passport instead of the certificate of citizenship which would cost $550 for a replacement. When my stepdaughter sent in her certificated of citizenship for her passport, they lost it!  We haven’t got back my stepson’s US passport nor my grandson’s Colombian passport yet, but there was a note to the effect that “you may receive your newly issued passport and your returned citizenship evidence in two separate mailings”.  

They did not ask for a marriage certificate at any point during the I-130 process.  The interview at the embassy did ask for a certified birth certificate of the father but that may have just been a mistake and the passport application didn’t ask for it. They send out form email requests for information which may not be appropriate for your case. The embassy email asked for an I-864 but when he got to the interview, they really wanted an I-864w. They allowed us to email it in. Since his father speaks English, he filled it out, and we didn’t have to have a certificate of translation.

Hope some of this helps.

[Villanelle 4,122]

@Seraya-Karl  Are you also going to get the certificate? I know its an additional fee and process. Ive seen on VJ mention that the passport is better and the certificate is not necessarily needed. However Ive seen some posts online about how certain security clearance type jobs require a certificate and not just the passport. Because your grandson is so young who knows what his future career path may hold. You may want to invest in the certificate for him as well as you never know. Probably best to do it now while you have all the docs available. Just my 2 cents. Glad you were able to get the passport!

[Seraya-Karl 0]

No, we wouldn't get the certificate.  His only proof that he is a citizen is his passport and we don't want to send that in as he'll be needing that in December for a trip that he is making back to Colombia.  If and when he needs a certificate, he can pay the $550 or what ever the cost will be at that time.