How does my k2 Step-son become a citizen? He already has AOS to Permanant Resident for almost a year

[JeanneAdil 6,410]

16 hours ago, EriLupGus said:

Yes, his mom is my wife.   I understand that if my wife decides to naturalize, he can gain citizenship through her.  She is undecided about doing that for the moment. However, we for sure want him to get citizenship.

 

I am understanding that if I adopt him, the citizenship process may be easier and sooner. I read something that I was understanding to mean that once the adoption is complete, since he is under 16 citizenship is automatic as long as I am a citizen, we live in the US etc. Not sure if that is accurate and even if it is accurate, not sure what forms to file etc.

 

Any info on that?

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.uscis.gov/adoption/immigration-through-adoption/family-based-petition-process#:~:text=The adoptive parent petitioner must,for purposes of immigration benefits.

 

says the following:

• The adoptive parent petitioner must have evidence of a full and final adoption and satisfy the 2-year legal custody and joint residence requirements before the adopted child may be considered their “child” for purposes of immigration benefits.

immigration benefits include the N 600 for citizenship

[powerpuff 6,598]

*** Thread moved from Progress Reports to main US citizenship process discussion section ***

[Ontarkie 14,190]

Skipping the adoption parts as I don't know how easy that is. He can get it through mom, which is pretty easy. Then next would be when he turns 18 he does the N400 himself. 

[Stubmeister 31]

Just going through this process myself. For the OP, how does the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 apply here for you?

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-h-chapter-4

[RamonGomez 271]

We went through this and it was super simple. 

 

My wife naturalized around November 2023. Wife got her passport a few weeks later. Then applied for stepdaughter's passport with mom's naturalization certificate and custody document as part of her divorce decree (two parents need to sign if the kid is under 16). Stepdaughter's passport arrived in a few weeks.

 

Under 18 - adoption is one option. When we looked into that, it was NOT cheap. but that's because the biological dad has been MIA for 12+ years, and we'd have to show that we tried to find him in China and get his permission by hiring a PI, posting in newspapers, etc. I think we were quoted around $6-10k and 6-12 months by a few attorneys.

 

Otherwise, when he is 18, he can file the N400 on his own.

 

That's pretty much it.

Edited June 26 by RamonGomez