N-600 - any use?

[manishvora_99]

After my wife and I get our naturalization certificate during oath, we plan to apply for our passports as well as the paspport for our minor son. I have few questions:-

1. Is there any need for submitting N-600 for my son and getting a naturalization certificate for him. In other words, is a naturalization certificate ever needed or what is the purpose for getting a naturalization certificate, since he will get a US passport very soon.

2. If naturalization certificate is required, do I need it now or can I get it anytime before he turns 18?

3. Is naturalization certificate required during highe edication / college admissions etc?

 

[Huracan]

It's called a certificate of citizenship, not a naturalization certificate, as it is a proof of citizenship, not of naturalization. Basically your son hasn't naturalized, but acquired citizenship by operation of law (child citizenship act of 2000). Anyway.
1. It is extra proof of citizenship in a document that doesn't expire and that can be used to apply for passport. There is not a clear use for it. It seems a few agencies insist on it, instead of accepting passport. It is not an absolute requirement, it is a convenience and creates a record of citizenship with USCIS, but all in all I am sure many people go through life without one of them. My recommendation would still be to get one.
2. It is better to do it now when the documentary evidence is easier and you have everything at hand. It becomes more difficult to get the documents together later on. You want to make sure the certificate of citizenship reflects the citizenship since the correct date, so you have to document that the kid was with you in the US when you naturalized. This might become more difficult to prove some years down the road. My advice is to do it now.
3. I don't think it will be an issue with higher education/university admission, but you'll have to check with each university as they might have different policies. There are a few rare situations where they insist on certificate of citizenship for foreign born individuals.

 

[cafeconleche]

Universities do not require a certificate of citizenship, nor do they require a passport. I've never been asked for any documentation, and I wasn't even an LPR when I applied for admission. The rest of what Huracan said I agree with, though. You might as well get the certificate now, or you can wait a little, but don't do it 10 years down the road, as it will just be all the more difficult (IMO)

 

[Jackolantern]

After my wife and I get our naturalization certificate during oath, we plan to apply for our passports as well as the paspport for our minor son. I have few questions:-

1. Is there any need for submitting N-600 for my son and getting a naturalization certificate for him. In other words, is a naturalization certificate ever needed or what is the purpose for getting a naturalization certificate, since he will get a US passport very soon.

If you lost your naturalization certificate or it got stolen after you got your passport, would you apply for a replacement certificate?

If yes, that means you value having an unexpiring certificate that proves citizenship. So get the same for your son.

2. If naturalization certificate is required, do I need it now or can I get it anytime before he turns 18?

Anytime, even after he is 18. So if you don't personally think it is worth it, let your son know about it so he can get it on his own when he grows up, if he wants it. However, the longer you wait the more difficult it gets (and more expensive, as they raise the fee every few years).

3. Is naturalization certificate required during highe edication / college admissions etc?

If someone has an unexpired passport, the certificate isn't officially required for anything except where it is necessary to prove acquisition of citizenship on a certain date. However, passports do expire or get lost/stolen, or forget to renew it when it expires. And from time to time there are long delays in replacing/renewing passports, so if that happens and he needs to prove citizenship for a job or voting or driver's license while waiting for the replacement passport, having the certificate would help.

 

[Jackolantern]

Universities do not require a certificate of citizenship, nor do they require a passport. I've never been asked for any documentation, and I wasn't even an LPR when I applied for admission.

Some universities require proof of legal immigration status, especially for approving a student's eligibility the lower in-state tuition rate or granting certain state-funded scholarships. Which for a citizen would mean proof of citizenship, whether it is a certificate or passport. But none would specifically require a certificate of citizenship.

 

[anxiouscdn2]

Our attorney recommends we apply for an N-600 for our child, in addition to the passport. He said it's worth having.

 

[sanjoseaug20]

I think your attorney is right. However, I would do it for one reason...

Passport and Certificate are issued by 2 different agencies. Once in a while, they may not agree on what the rules are, and even if they agree, the clerks do not always remember how the laws were 10, 20 or 30 years back.

I would want to do this to build a paper trail that your kid's citizenship was formally authorized. If they need it 25 years down the line, you do not know what all runaround they will need to do, but a record of certificate being issued would be easier to find than generating all the other evidence then.