CRBA by an unmarried US citizen mother living in th UK

L

Leeanne123

New Member
Hi

I understand my son (9 months old) is eligible for a US passport. I was born in the US and have a US passport. However I have lived in the UK since I was 5 years old and I also hold a UK passport - I have dual citizenship. My sons father is also a UK national but not US. From what I gather that means my son should be able to become a US citizen but only if I can prove my physical presence in the US for at least one year at some point before his birth. Can anyone advise me about what kind of documentation the consulate might accept to prove 1 years physical presence? I have all my passports from birth except my first US one - So the immigration stamps do not show a years presence. I have my childhood vaccine book from the US, My parents divorce papers (including affidavit), My UK naturalisation certificate from when I first emigrated here at age 5, school/class photo, a cope of my social security card, a Family medical card with my name on it, a birth certificate Does anyone have any experience of this situation or even of documentation proving physical presence in the Us?

Many Thanks in advance for your help
 
Are you sure about this? I have known friends and family that have applied on behalf of their children outside the US w/o any residency or physical presence requirements!
 
Koosh said:
Are you sure about this? I have known friends and family that have applied on behalf of their children outside the US w/o any residency or physical presence requirements!
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The OP is correct about her requirements.
 
So, I take it you and the father are NOT married, in which case you are right. Usually in this case, when you left the US at a very young age, any early school/kindergarten certificates, and medical records, would be used. Your best bet would be to write the embassy/consulate where you will go and tell them exactly what you've told us, and see what they say. Worst case scenario, the child could get citizenship through a grandparent's physical presence. I'm sure they won't make it hard for you, though.

If you're married to the father, you WILL need to use the grandparent's physical presence.
 
Thank you for your replys. No we are not married but we live together. My partner is also keen for me to pursue this as we feel our son might benefit from this opportunity in the future. What kind of medical records do you think would be acceptable? Would you advice me to seek legal advice regarding this or does it seem straightforward?

Many Thanks
 
First go straight to the Americans and ask them what they want. I am having a kid here in Germany, and I emailed the consulate directly to see if the evidence I had was sufficient. They replied in a couple of days and told me it was, so now armed with that email, I have more power to use what I have in case they tell me otherwise when I go there in person.

In any case, unless you exhaust all avenues, you need not go to a lawyer. Also, if citizenship at birth ends up being impossible, you can always file for a green card, and as soon as you enter the US with your child, he will automatically become a US citizen. There are some details I don't remember, but just remember that you are not out of options if this doesn't work out.
 
You mentioned school photos in your post. If you have school records from the USA, that would be acceptable. The important thing to realize is that your child's eligibility depends only on past events. Nothing you do can invalidate the child's claim. Therefore, there is no real cost to failure; if they deny your application, you just ask them how to remedy the problem, and then try again. CRBAs are handled by the State Department which in my experience is MUCH more helpful than DHS/USCIS.
 
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