I Just Received My Citizenship, What About My Minor Children?

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One of the requirements to apply for U.S.citizenship is that you must be at least 18 years old. This means that adultsmay qualify for naturalization, but their minor children will not. What happensto your minor child’s immigration status if you obtain citizenship? You shoulddiscuss your specific circumstances with an immigration lawyer in Orange Countyright away.

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DerivativeCitizenship for Your Children

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The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows childrenunder 18 to obtain citizenship under certain circumstances. The followingrequirements must be met:

• The child is a lawful permanentresident with a green card
• One parent (at least) is a U.S.citizen by naturalization or birth
• The child lives in the U.S. in thephysical and legal custody of the citizen parent

In this situation, a child will automaticallyreceive citizenship with no need for formal applications. If you receivecitizenship while living with your child in the U.S., your child should alsoreceive citizenship.

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Certificateof Citizenship

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The government will not issue any formaldocuments regarding your child’s citizenship status upon your naturalization.Instead, your child must prove that they have a claim to citizenship and followthe right process to obtain proof of their nationality, called the Certificateof Citizenship. This includes filling out and filing Form N-600, along with thenecessary filing fees and all relevant evidence of their claim to citizenship.You should not hesitate to discuss this process with an Orange Countyimmigration attorney who can ensure all necessary steps are taken for yourchild to receive their Certificate of Citizenship.

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