Dougster75

So... my wife and I got naturalized today. Now trying to figure out next steps. Our kids are 15 and 13. As we understand it, they are citizens immediately but they have no evidence of such. So we should file an N-600 for each (along with $1,170 each) to get them a certificate of naturalization? Below link implies that this is a good idea but not an essential step. Could we get the kids a US passport based on our naturalization certificates? If so, is there a downside to not getting them the expensive certificate. Thanks!

https://www.murthy.com/2011/05/27/derivative-citizenship-children-of-naturalized-u-s-citizens/

tom169

Firstly congratulations on your naturalizations.

I believe it's recommended to get them the certificate as it updates them in the immigration system permanently as US citizens.

Eventually you both will die and if they lose passports it may be a struggle to prove their US citizenship.

OldJuddian

I'm keenly interested in this as just about to start the process and will have to decide what to do about both kids.

It just seems a lot of money for something that does not appear to be needed. How many families just go with the passports?

S Folinsky

This is a pet peeves.

A long time ago, the former INS had a form ancillary to the N-400 for concurrent issuance of certificates of citizenship to the kids.

Complain to your Congressperson bringing this state of affairs and suggesting the costs should reflect the difficulty in adjudication.

Legally speaking, full term passport is binding evidence of US citizenship. That said, there have been difficulty sometimes noted in Government databases.

jkeller

This

As a US military brat born overseas(RAF Mildenhall),I can tell you it could save your kids a lot of problems decades from now if you do the prudent thing now and get them the certificates.

Rete

I know of two families who have not done the N-600. Their kids have US Passports - one is a family of two boys and the other is a family of 3 kids. All of Irish nationality who naturalized.

You don't have to do them immediately nor altogether. You get a tax refund or a bonus, then go for one and the next year or so go for the other. My personal feelings are that they aren't needed but again, I can see where having them, if they are kept in a safe place and the kids are aware that they are important to them personally, can be helpful. The same can be said of your naturalization certificate (my mother naturalized and I've no idea where her certificate is 25 years after her death), copies of yours and their immigration paperwork for future reference. But I've heard of people just throwing all that out the moment they naturalize. You never know if you might need them in the future.


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Curious what being a military brat and being born overseas has to do with filing an N-600 for the certificate? Regardless of being the child of military personnel stationed overseas, you were born a US Citizen as evidenced by your Report of Child Born Abroad and your children will still be US citizens as you are a US Citizen regardless of the nationality of their other parent.

jkeller

Rete....It's not the same proof of citizenship form, in my case it's a fs-240. But it's the same idea. The certificate is in itself proof of citizenship. Today it is fairly easy to order a replacement fs-240 from the State Department's website. I'm thinking the same to get a replacement n-600 down the road if needed. In either case it's just like insurance, a bad deal until you need it.

cynthia786

After my husband and I naturalized in 2012, we got US passports for both kids (9 and 13 at the time) based on our naturalization. At the time, we didn't think it necessary to get them the Certificate of Citizenship. However, after the elections last year and just before the rates went up in December, I decided to file the N-600. I just didn't want there to be any problems later on. As both were 14 or older, they had to attend the oath ceremony. Took 7 months from application to ceremony. No biometrics were required.

Rete

I've never needed it a certificate. My Report of Child Born Abroad has served me for voting and passport and yes, it is very easy to get from the State Department. My father was military and my mother a native and I was not born in a military hospital. Never heard of my needing or being eligible to get a certificate since I was a US citizen from birth.

jkeller

I'm just making an analogy, both the n-600 and fs-240 are easily obtained documents down the road for proof of citizenship. Parents don't have to get them, I just think it can make a kids life easier decades later. Rete if you have time some day you might look to see if your parents also got you an fs-545. It's basically a short form version of the fs-240. It's blue, well at least mine is. State Department stopped issuing them in the 90s, but all the ones out there are still valid.

Rete

Nope, don't have that. Both my parents are deceased. Having been born in 1948 and nearing the great age of 70, I'm not worried about not having the short form. I believe due to the fact that my father was military and the laws/rules governing when he and mom were able to marry and the notations on the RCBA from both the State Department and the military commander that a short form might not have been available given the circumstances. My report has an initialed statement stating that I have US Citizenship. That has been good enough for nearly 70 years.

S Folinsky

There is a presumption that persons born outside of the US are not US citizens. There are three documents which are conclusive evidence of US citizenship of people born abroad - certificate of citizenship, certificate of naturalization, and full term US passport.

By conclusive, I mean they must be accepted as proof of citizenship. They are not subject to collateral attack. If there is a problem the document must be attacked directly to be revoked.

In teaching a class to lawyers on citizenship, one student told me that he was a US Citizen born abroad. One state bar required foreign born persons to show a green card, or a certificate of naturalization or citizenship. That bar would not accept a US passport. Under the rubric that it doesn't pay to fight City Hall, he just did the N-600.

Again, I think the fee for a simple case as OP's is an outage.

morpeth

I can say based on one experience in my family that best to get the certificate
for the children as soon as you are able to, if you believe retaining American citizenship for the children is important. Never hurts to have enough documents when dealing with any bureaucrats, especially those at immigration.

MarylandNed

Yes, the kids are now US citizens assuming they had green cards and were living with you when you naturalized. I did not do N600 for my kids. Get them US passports and make sure you update everyone's immigration status with the SSA to "US Citizen" - go into any SSA office with your kids and US passports. This is important because the Dept of Education uses the SSA database when verifying citizenship status on college federal loan applications. Next, keep all US passports - even expired ones - safe. Expired passports can be used to document a history of being a US citizen. The kids retain their green cards (unlike the parents who naturalized - they had to surrender their green cards). Keep all medical and school records safe. If you do this, you shouldn't need N600. If you or your kids are terrible at record keeping, file N600 for them or get them to do so when they are older.