If you are the child of a United States citizen, you may have a claim to citizenship through parents, even if you were born outside the United States many years ago. If you were born to at least one U.S. citizen parent but you’re no longer a child, you can still claim your citizenship under certain circumstances. You’re not eligible to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad once you’ve reached the age of 18, but you may apply for a Certificate of Citizenship. You will need to prove your relationship to your U.S. citizen parent and show proof of their U.S. citizenship.
Requirements
At the time of your birth, at least one parent had to be a citizen and meet certain physical presence requirements. Here’s where it gets a little complicated. The laws have changed several times over the years. You can use a service like CitizenPath to confirm your eligibility and request the certificate correctly.
If you were born abroad to two U.S. citizens and at least one of your parents lived in the United States at some point in his or her life, then in most cases you are a U.S. citizen. If you were born abroad to one U.S. citizen, on or after November 14, 1986, you are likely a U.S. citizen if all of the following are true:
– One of your parents was a U.S. citizen when you were born;
– Your U.S. citizen parent lived at least five years in the United States before you were born; and
– At least two of the five years in the United States were after your U.S. citizen parent’s 14th birthday.
As mentioned, the laws have changed. The above conditions may be apply for individuals born before November 14, 1986.
Apply for a Certificate of Citizenship
To prove status, you’ll need to apply for a certificate using Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship. You must submit supporting documents that evidence your status