Am I a US citizen?

J

JLeonor

New Member
Hi, i've been living in the US for 11 years now. I arrived when i was 9 and now currently 21. My passport/Greencard recently expired and i was wondering if I was a Citizen? My father was saying something that since I came into the US before my 18th birthday i would technically be a citizen by now and be able to directly apply for my US passport. Although that sounds wonderful, I am a bit skeptical about it and was wondering if that's true? I want to travel but this whole passport thing is a big issue and any type of information and/or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
I think some quick math shows that the poster was under 18 until around 2007 or so. So, the question remains about is the father or mother a US citizen? If they naturalized, did they naturalized before the poster turned 18?
 
Did you (JLeonor) have a green card when under 18, while living with a US citizen parent?
 
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@NKM-oct23: Yes my father is a US citizen. On Feb 2001 i was under 18.

@Huracan: Yes my father is a US citizen and he did get naturalized before my 18th.

@Jackolantern: Yes i did have a green card when i was under 18 whilst living with a US citizen parent.
 
JLeonor said:
@NKM-oct23: Yes my father is a US citizen. On Feb 2001 i was under 18.
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I have to wonder why nkm asked that, as that fact should be obvious based on you being currently 21.

@Huracan: Yes my father is a US citizen and he did get naturalized before my 18th.

@Jackolantern: Yes i did have a green card when i was under 18 whilst living with a US citizen parent.
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Assuming you mean living within the US with your US citizen parent (presumably your father), and he had legal custody of you in addition to you physically living with him, all indications are that you became a citizen when he naturalized (or when you obtained your green card and started living with him in the US, if that began after he naturalized).

For proof of legal custody, you need the court papers showing the custody order if your parents are divorced or separated, or proof that your parents are still married and living together (if married and living together, custody is assumed for both parents).

For proof that you were living with him, you need documents showing that you had the same address as him when you were under 18, such as school records.

Go ahead and apply for the passport! Once you get the passport, also consider applying for the optional N-600, which is a certificate of citizenship that does not expire, and it serves as the root document for proving your citizenship if your passport is lost or its validity is challenged. Without that certificate of your own, the root goes back to your father's naturalization certificate and the custody papers.
 
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