N-600

[Jitender]

Would anyone care to comment on the usefulness or advantages of Certificate of Citizenship if one already has a passport?

[Soul_fh]

Passports are for travel purposes only!

Most Immigration petitions and/or benefits require a copy of your naturalization certificate and not passport. Also can take the place of a birth certificate, shows you are not a natural-born citizen.

The naturalization certificate has a ceremonious significance, kinda like getting a diploma. (sense of accomplishement)

Also, one cost $390, the other $85 and priceless!, btw, why do you care, just curious?

[nkm-oct23]

If you lose your passport, you might need to prove your citizenship to apply for a new passport.

[Jitender]

Passports do serve as proof of your citizenship. Certificate of Citizenship costs $240. I am interested because I was thinking of applying for my son who derives his citizenship from mine.

I understand that the Certificate might be useful for claiming immigration benefit, for example, for sponsoring his future wife from abroad. However, why would not the passport also suffice, if all that is needed is the proof of citizenship?

[Huracan]

jitender,

I'll be in your same situation some time down the road. I still don't understand why USCIS doesn't supply the certificate of citizenship for children benefiting from the child citizenship act in a more straightforward manner. The way I see it there should be an option in the N-400 to apply for this certificate concurrent to the parent naturalization, and there should require only a photocopy of the "Green Card" or "permanent resident passport stamp" of the child/ren. Anyway, I encourage you to suggest this to DHS/USCIS in however manner you think appropriate. Now that they are in backlog reduction mode this is a good suggestion to improve efficiencies in USCIS.

My 2 cents

[Jitender]

OK. The reason why you need Certificate of Citizenship is that it is the only document that BCIS issues to verify your child's citizenship. Passport is issued by Department of State, and BCIS will not accept your child's passport to alter the status from Permanent Resident to Citizen. Read more at:

http://library.adoption.com/Laws-Leg...le/4324/1.html

[Jitender]

jitender,

I'll be in your same situation some time down the road. I still don't understand why USCIS doesn't supply the certificate of citizenship for children benefiting from the child citizenship act in a more straightforward manner. The way I see it there should be an option in the N-400 to apply for this certificate concurrent to the parent naturalization, and there should require only a photocopy of the "Green Card" or "permanent resident passport stamp" of the child/ren. Anyway, I encourage you to suggest this to DHS/USCIS in however manner you think appropriate. Now that they are in backlog reduction mode this is a good suggestion to improve efficiencies in USCIS.

My 2 cents

I am very sympathetic to your view and the best time to ask would be at the oath ceremony when questions are invited from the new citizens before swearing in.

BCIS response would be, I imagine, that they do not investigate children in as much detail as they would if N-600 was submitted. Also, N-600 can be used by anyone who was under 18 at the time their parent/s naturalized. They could apply anytime, long after their 18th birthday.

Department of State does not apparently carry out as extensive an investigation as BCIS and hence, in some quarters, passport is not as firm an evidence of citizenship as the Certificate.

[Huracan]

OK. The reason why you need Certificate of Citizenship is that it is the only document that BCIS issues to verify your child's citizenship. Passport is issued by Department of State, and BCIS will not accept your child's passport to alter the status from Permanent Resident to Citizen. Read more at:

http://library.adoption.com/Laws-Leg...le/4324/1.html

The funny thing here is that it should not be up to USCIS to alter the status from Permanent Resident to U.S. citizen. the change happens automatically by operation of law. Other thing is that certain agencies can have different requirements to show your citizenship, and some can require the certificate instead of the passport. Ironically in the FAQ in the USCIS website we have the following:

http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/n...esiding_us.htm

# Do I have to apply to USCIS for my child’s citizenship?

No. If your child satisfies the requirements listed above, he or she automatically acquires U.S. citizenship by operation of law on the day he or she is admitted to the United States as an immigrant. Your child’s citizenship status is no longer dependent on USCIS approving a naturalization application.

# What documentation can I get of my child’s citizenship?

If your child permanently resides in the U.S, you can obtain evidence of your child’s citizenship by applying for a Certificate of Citizenship. You will need to file Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship) and submit it to the local USCIS District Office or Sub-Office that holds jurisdiction over your permanent residence. You can also apply for a U.S. Passport from the Department of State.

# Will USCIS automatically provide me with documentation of my child’s citizenship?

At the present time, USCIS is not able to automatically provide biological parents with documentation of their child’s citizenship. USCIS will continue to implement programs that streamline processes to more rapidly issue Certificates of Citizenship to qualifying children.

That's why I was suggesting that if the citizenship is acquired automatically and the certificate of citizenship can be useful for the child in the future USCIS should make obtaining it very easy and very automatic.

PS:

Another info from the state department this time:

http://travel.state.gov/childcit.html

Must the Child Get a Certificate of Citizenship?

You do not have to apply for a certificate of citizenship for your child. If you want to apply for a certificate, please go to How to Get a Certificate of Citizenship for your Child for instructions.


My 2 cents.