Born in Canada to US Parent

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confused11

Registered Users (C)
I lost my social security card and when I went to go get a new one the ss office told me they couldn't give me a new one until I talked to immigration. I was born in 1977 to a US born mother and Canadian father. My mother went to Canada in 1975 and returned in 1979. When she came back she never registered my sister and I. I have lived here ever since 1979, went to school here, paid taxes here, voted here, had two children here. I went to immigration and was told to file a N-600 with some specific documents. I have obtained my mothers divorce decree from my father in 1979, her marriage certificate to my stepfather in 1988, her birth certificate, baptismal record, school records dating back to 1967 and her social security reports dating back to 1970. My mother always had me believe that I was a US citizen and I had no reason to doubt her. I had a social security card and I have been working since 1993, paying taxes and voting. My sister who was born in 1978 in canada recieved her Certificate of Citizenship after filing a n-600. She needed a passport and I thought this was a formality to get her passport. Now I have been told by immigration that technically I should not have been working or voting. I am going to file the N-600 tomorrow, but do I have to wait for approval before I can go back to work. I got laid off and need a new social security card to be able to go back. I have two small children that I support alone.
 
Your situation (early background) and your sister's case seems to the same. Do you know why immigration said you should not have been working or voting? Did they give something in writing?

How did you get your first social security card?
 
My mother said she got my social security card when I was a baby. She gave it to me when I became an adult. Immigration said they have no record of me and I should not be voting or working. They didn't give me anything in writing stating that but I am afraid that I won't be able to work again until this N-600 is approved.
 
confused11 said:
My mother said she got my social security card when I was a baby. She gave it to me when I became an adult. Immigration said they have no record of me and I should not be voting or working. They didn't give me anything in writing stating that but I am afraid that I won't be able to work again until this N-600 is approved.
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Do you have a proof like birth certificate or hospital records?
 
I think it is two different issues. If you are a citizen you have the right to vote and work. The problem here is you don't have proof of being a citizen, which is a different (but important) issue that you are going to get fixed with the N-600. I would try to make sure that either through cover letter or subsequent calls you make sure to make the point that you have some urgency due to financial concerns related to not being able to get a job. You should also try to contact your government representatives and even the media about your case. I am sure some news organizations would like to report on an alleged US citizen that in this tough economy can't land a job because of the bureaucracy not being fast or responsive enough to fix the problem promptly.

Anyway, I wouldn't like to diminish your mother's responsibility on this. I think she should have contacted the US consulate in Canada to register the birth, that should have the way to go for you to prove your citizenship. Now it is too late, as one has to be under 18 to apply for such report, I think.

http://travel.state.gov/law/info/overseas/overseas_703.html
 
I have both my birth certificate and my mothers.

I have given my mother an earful for putting me in this position. I think she was young and ignorant to what needed to be done. I have contacted the consulate and they told me because now that I am an adult there is nothing they can do to help. I have been told a cover letter might help. My sister needed her certificate of citizenship in order to travel. She said she got someone really nice at the immigration office and explained her situation and she was told to come back within a week and she picked up her certificate within the week. What are the chances of that happening in my situation?
 
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If the below applies to you, you are a US citizen.

Birth Abroad to One Citizen and One Alien Parent in Wedlock: For birth between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, a period of ten years, five after the age of fourteen are required for physical presence in the U.S. to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child.


confused11 said:
I have both my birth certificate and my mothers.
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I understand that I am under all probability a US Citizen. I have the N-600 to fill out and all of my mothers paperwork. My question was could I still work and is there any way to speed up getting this certificate.
 
confused11 said:
I understand that I am under all probability a US Citizen. I have the N-600 to fill out and all of my mothers paperwork. My question was could I still work and is there any way to speed up getting this certificate.
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If you are sure that you are a US Citizen, have you tried applying for a US Passport? It serves as proof of citizenship and is also accepted by employers. Plus, it takes much less time to process. This should not replace the N-600, but could get you out of the time crunch.
 
No and perhaps. Thanks to your fellow citizens, over the years, the US has made it extremely difficult to work without papers. You could try to live like an undocumented immigrant until your N-600 gets processed. Basically, work on cash paying jobs, buy a social security number and work until the employer gets a no match letter. Kidding aside, and considering the seriousness of your situation, I don't think you can do regular work until your N-600 gets processed, try the strategy your sister did. I don't think there is a formal way of expediting your N-600 but perhaps you can get it expedited by a nicely written cover letter, or involving your Congress representatives. Again, there is no formal process I know of to expedite N-600, whatever you do it will have to be ad hoc.
 
You really do not need an N-600. Remember, the state department decides who is a citizen and who is not. You should simply apply for a US passport.
An N-600 can come down the road if you really want one.

confused11 said:
I understand that I am under all probability a US Citizen. I have the N-600 to fill out and all of my mothers paperwork. My question was could I still work and is there any way to speed up getting this certificate.
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confused11 said:
My mother said she got my social security card when I was a baby. She gave it to me when I became an adult. Immigration said they have no record of me and I should not be voting or working. They didn't give me anything in writing stating that but I am afraid that I won't be able to work again until this N-600 is approved.
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Since USCIS has no record that your mom ever registered you as a US citizen they assume you are illegal. Until you show them evidence that you are a US citizen, you are in immigration limbo.
 
I have looked into applying for a passport also. My concern there is that it states on the application instructions they check your social security number to determine eligibility. If the social security office has a note somewhere in the system stating I need to talk to immigration, wouldn't the passport office have that same note somewhere. The N-600 has $460 fee attached to it. An expidited passport would be another $175. Like I said I am a laid off mother of 2 so if I applied for a passport I would want to make sure it would go through. I also checked the passport office requirement for proving citizenship through a parent. I have to provide my birth certificate, my mothers birth certificate and my parents marraige license. I have the birth certificates but I only have my parents divorce decree (which I think would suffice).

Thanks for all of your helpful answers.
 
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confused11 said:
I have looked into applying for a passport also. My concern there is that it states on the application instructions they check your social security number to determine eligibility. If the social security office has a note somewhere in the system stating I need to talk to immigration, wouldn't the passport office have that same note somewhere. The N-600 has $460 fee attached to it. An expidited passport would be another $175. Like I said I am a laid off mother of 2 so if I applied for a passport I would want to make sure it would go through. I also checked the passport office requirement for proving citizenship through a parent. I have to provide my birth certificate, my mothers birth certificate and my parents marraige license. I have the birth certificates but I only have my parents divorce decree (which I think would suffice).

Thanks for all of your helpful answers.
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Have you called the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-4-USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778)? They might be able to help you further with this. If you live close to a Passport Agency, you could make an appointment there and discuss the issue (although they typically require an immediate travel itinerary for you to get an appointment).

Another thing to do would be to call Social Security and ask them what they have recorded as your status. While they may not be able to change anything on the spot, it should give you additional information.

I understand that money is a concern, but there is also a downside to not spending what is needed to get the issue resolved. Otherwise it might cost you much more down the road in lost income and other expenses.
 
Confused,

You father bears responsibility for registering you as a USC in Canada immediately after you were born. I agree, your mother was young and naive, but find your father and take him to the passport agency, he will prove that he's a citizen and you are his biological child, and then you need a passport. I am certain with your father present, then passport agency might go an extra mile to make you whole.


good luck,
 
Al Southner, I think you are getting it backwards, the US citizen is the mother. What has the father have to do with this?
 
confused11 said:
I have not seen my father or heard from my father since 1979, so that is really not an option.
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Don't worry about father since your father was not born in USA so forget about that.

Very important: Does your mother have a US passport since your mother was born in USA? If so, make a copy of your mom's passport and then apply for a N-600 and US passport for yourself with that proof. If your mother doesn't have a US passport, then apply for US passport on her own with her birth certificate that mentioned that she was born in USA and then use it as a proof for yourself to apply for N-600 and passport to claim a US citizenship.
 
Huracan said:
Al Southner, I think you are getting it backwards, the US citizen is the mother. What has the father have to do with this?
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H,

Ok. You are correct, I have it backwards. She needs to take her mother to US passport agency, bring a copy of her mother's birth certificate or passport and get her (daughter) a US passport. I hope she has a passport, because couple of years ago a study came which shows about 50% of USC never having left this country to go anywhere, which means they didn't have passports.


I wish her a great deal of luck, it must be very agonizing to have your world turned upside down by such a straight-forward issue. If she runs into problems, write to Ms. Obama about your case. About 3 years ago on this board, somene wrote to Laura Bush and she got a response that it was forwarded to USCIS for further inquiry. In about a month or so, it was resolve to the OP's satisfaction. It might have been a coincidence, but nothing wrong with trying. Also, local TV channel that can get some rating by lampooning USCIS might help...:rolleyes:
 
I called the passport office and they said because I was born before 1983 i need to prove citizenship of both parents to receive a passport through parentage. This is a nightmare. I think my only option is to file the N-600 tomorrow, bat my eyelashes and give them my sob story in the hope that they will view this as an urgent case. You all have been very helpful. Note to all, if you were born outside of the United States to a US citizen parent, don't take their word that you are a citizen too.
 
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