What is the best way to get citizenship for my child?

[winner 0]

Hi,

My wife and I have a child who was born before we married and before they came to the US.Now they are here and have a greencard (both).I am USC. How can I get the child citizenship? It seems the N-600 requires the child be a natural child.

I was thinking of getting a DNA test done and send those tests along with the birth certificate,proving am the dad.How acceptable is that, to show am the natural father?

Any ideas?

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

Hmm, I thought that if you are the natural father, being a USC, that your child automatically gets citizenship through you, not a GC.

[winner 0]

I became a USC AFTER the child was born, hence child did not become a USC at birth. The child was born outside the country. Am trying to get the child citizenship though the CCA(Child Citizenship Act).

Hmm, I thought that if you are the natural father, being a USC, that your child automatically gets citizenship through you, not a GC.

[zyggy 9]

If you are the USC birth parent and have proof of that through a birth certificate, the child became a US Citizen upon its entry to the US on a Permanent Resident visa or upon your naturalization if it was in the US as a permanent resident at that time.

If the child is not yours, but is your step child, the only way the child can get US Citizenship through you is to adopt the child and wait two years, or it can get US Citizenship through the mother when she naturalizes.

I would apply for a US Passport for the child first and see what happens. I don't think a DNA test would be necessary if your name is on the child's birth certificate as the father and you have legitimated the child by marriage to the mother.

If you name is NOT on the child's birth certificate, then the child will not be able to get US Citizenship from you unless you either

a) get your name added to the birth certificate through either the mother adding it or you are named as the legal father through a court order of some sort or

B) you adopt the child and wait two years.

WHile the child may be biologically yours, it is not legally yours until one of the above things happen. The State Department or USCIS is not responsible for the determination of legal parentage, only a court or other competent authority has that authority.

Edited June 29, 2007 by zyggy