Do I Qualify for U.S. Citizenship through my father?

B

Blancagg

Registered Users (C)
My father naturalized in 1998 but i had a case pending since 1995, i was approved for my visa but never received a visa number as my status was rapidly adjusted when my father became a U.S. Citizen. My case was lost for about 2 years and when recovered i quickly received my Legal permanent residency when i was 16 in 2003. I turned 18 in 2005 and i have been told by 2 other credible sources that i qualify. I'm seeking other professional opinions

BTW in January of 2008 i was registered to vote under false pretenses outside of a shopping center, i was never asked if i was a U.S citizen i was asked to sign a petition to save the animals and was asked for my I.D.

I would like any feedback that could further assist me in making a decision to pursue legal help or clarify whether i qualify for citizenship through my father
Thank you
 
Since you lived as a legal permanent resident in the US from 2003 with your US citizen father before you turned 18, you are considered a US citizen since 2003.

You can apply for a US passport with the following documents:

1) Passport application, fees.
2) Your birth certificate with your father's full legal name on it.
3) Your original green card (the one you received in 2003)
4) Proof that you were in your father's physical custody in 2003 (school records, etc.)
 
nkm-oct23 said:
You can apply for a US passport with the following documents:

1) Passport application, fees.
2) Your birth certificate with your father's full legal name on it.
3) Your original green card (the one you received in 2003)
4) Proof that you were in your father's physical custody in 2003 (school records, etc.)
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5) father's naturalization certificate
 
Blancagg said:
My father naturalized in 1998 but i had a case pending since 1995, i was approved for my visa but never received a visa number as my status was rapidly adjusted when my father became a U.S. Citizen. My case was lost for about 2 years and when recovered i quickly received my Legal permanent residency when i was 16 in 2003. I turned 18 in 2005 and i have been told by 2 other credible sources that i qualify. I'm seeking other professional opinions
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You won't get professional opinions here, you'll get free unprofessional anonymous opinions.

In my unprofessional opinion, you became a citizen when you were 16, assuming that you were living with your father in the US in his legal custody at that time.
 
Very good responses. Do the passport first, but you might also consider getting a certificate of citizenship using form N-600 as additional proof and verification of your citizenship.
 
Blancagg said:
My father naturalized in 1998 but i had a case pending since 1995, i was approved for my visa but never received a visa number as my status was rapidly adjusted when my father became a U.S. Citizen. My case was lost for about 2 years and when recovered i quickly received my Legal permanent residency when i was 16 in 2003. I turned 18 in 2005 and i have been told by 2 other credible sources that i qualify. I'm seeking other professional opinions

BTW in January of 2008 i was registered to vote under false pretenses outside of a shopping center, i was never asked if i was a U.S citizen i was asked to sign a petition to save the animals and was asked for my I.D.

I would like any feedback that could further assist me in making a decision to pursue legal help or clarify whether i qualify for citizenship through my father
Thank you
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1) You should have been very careful in registering to vote. In most cases, you should know that you voting is only for US citizens.
2) If your father was a citizen at the time you were born, then you automatically become a citizen
3) If your father was a greencard holder at the time he petitioned you and he became a us citizen while you had your greencard, then you could filed N-600 while under 18 and became citizen through your father
4) If your case is #3, and you are now over 18, you need to make sure that you qualify. If you file N-600, and they find you not elligible, then there might be an adverse consequence, resulting from the N-600.
5) Still you have a permanent residency and registered to vote. You need to be careful with this as it is very serious offense for naturalization purposes. The fact that you were elligible for citizenship does not mean you were a citizen.
 
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Registering to vote when one is not a citizen is a grave offense. However, there are some exceptions for people who reasonably believed to be citizens (this was introduced by the child citizenship act of 2000) through their parents. Anyway, in your case you seem to be a citizen. I can't see any adverse effects from applying for N-600 as you'll likely be approved. If you were a citizen there is no problem that you registered to vote, even if you didn't have a passport at a time. However, it would have been better in your case to have had proof of citizenship before registering to vote. In the unlikely event that you are not a citizen (according to the information you provide) the registering to vote, and even worse voting would be bad. However, you mention something about signing a petition, it is not clear if you actually registered to vote with your county. Anyway, gather the paperwork as nkm and Jackolantern explained and apply for a passport.
 
Please keep us updated if you try to obtain a passport or certificate of citizenship through form N-600. Good luck.
 
regards to voting

i was sick and i was picking up medicine with my boyfriend, outside of this store there were several stands that had petitions i was trying to walk right by them since it was really cold outside and looked like it was about to rain, my boyfriend was like look a petition to save the animals you should sign that since your so all about that i said sure what the hell, i proceeded to sign and the guy at the booth was making small talk as i was signing his petition, when i finished signing he was like ok i need to verify that it is indeed you can i see your ID i said sure (then again people i was really sick and not paying attention which i should kick myself now) he then asked me to sign and date one more time and i did he tore off the bottom and said thank you so much for your time you are now registered to vote i told him WTF im not a US CITIZEN!!! he said you can take that up with the OC registrar of Voters i said no i want my form he told me no to go to the voters office. i waited till i got better and i faxed them a letter stating what happened, they told me i was fine that they would delete my records and it would be as if it never happened, they also told me to be wary of those petition people because they get paid as to how many people they register no matter how they get those people registered. i have a letter signed from the county stating i never voted and i fully admitted that i was not and AM NOT a US citizen. they also told me it could not affect me in my naturalization process but anyways thats what happened and i dont know what to do :(
 
NOTE: i also went to a lawyer to ask him and he told me that i qualified for citizen, he told me i was a citizen the day i got my green card anyways he also explained to me that he would argue that the fact that i registered to vote would not affect me due to the fact that i became a citizen but anyways any other advice before i decide to shell out 1210 bucks on this
 
Blancagg said:
NOTE: i also went to a lawyer to ask him and he told me that i qualified for citizen, he told me i was a citizen the day i got my green card anyways he also explained to me that he would argue that the fact that i registered to vote would not affect me due to the fact that i became a citizen but anyways any other advice before i decide to shell out 1210 bucks on this
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Read posts #2 and 3 in this thread, and the passport application form and instructions, and you won't need a lawyer for this.
 
From the information you provided when you opened this thread it would seem you have been a citizen since 2003 so the whole ambush voter registration would not, is not and was not an issue from the beginning. Anyway, it seems you took care of that problem by contacting the registrar of voters so even if you are not a citizen you probably wouldn't have much of a consequence if you tried to apply for citizenship.

What are the 1210 dollars for?

Apply for the passport as Jackolantern and others have pointed out, including myself, and then apply for N-600 if you think it might be useful for extra proof.
 
lawyer fees

I went to a consultation with a lawyer and he told me i was a citizen and that he was going to help me get my N600 and get a passport i believe the fee is 460 for the n600 and his fee is 750 but i am going to passport services today and see what they say, I am nervous about this whole process because what if they deem i am not a U.S. citizen and i get into trouble, i dont know guys im just really paranoid because i dont want anything bad to happen to me i really want to be a U.S. citizen sooooo BAD!:confused:
 
Blancagg said:
I went to a consultation with a lawyer and he told me i was a citizen and that he was going to help me get my N600 and get a passport i believe the fee is 460 for the n600 and his fee is 750 but i am going to passport services today and see what they say, I am nervous about this whole process because what if they deem i am not a U.S. citizen and i get into trouble, i dont know guys im just really paranoid because i dont want anything bad to happen to me i really want to be a U.S. citizen sooooo BAD!:confused:
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As others have told you above, you seem to be a U.S. citizen since 2003, by virtue of the Child Citizenship Act:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1312.html

Your case seems to be relatively straightforward and I personally do not see a compelling need for you to hire a lawyer. But if you can afford one and if it would give you an extra peace of mind, then why not.

I suggest that you apply for a U.S. passport first, before filing N-600 since passport applications are processed faster. You'll need your father's naturalization certificate, your birth certificate, your green card and some proof that at the age of 16 (when you got the green card) you lived in your father's legal and physical custody. If you parents are still married, then their marriage certificate and a statement from your father, plus a copy of your school records would probably be sufficient. If your father can come with you to the post office passport application center when you apply for a passport, it would be even better. If your parents were divorced before you turned 18, you'll need a court document giving your father joint or sole custody of you after the divorce.

I don't really see what you are paranoid about. You still have your green card so if for some unlikely reason your passport application is denied, you'll still have your permanent resident status. But you case seems to be fairly straightforward, based on the information you provided.
 
because i want to be a citizen not an LPR

I am going to go to passport services on monday with my father to get it, today im going to get a notarized letter and call the school district to get some records to prove that i have lived with my dad my whole life, i have my parents marriage certificate and their birth certificates, im currently waiting to get my birth certificate from mexico as i only have a copy so ill let you guys know what happens as soon as i get everything ready and stuff! WISH ME LUCK!
 
Blancagg said:
I am going to go to passport services on monday with my father to get it, today im going to get a notarized letter and call the school district to get some records to prove that i have lived with my dad my whole life, i have my parents marriage certificate and their birth certificates, im currently waiting to get my birth certificate from mexico as i only have a copy so ill let you guys know what happens as soon as i get everything ready and stuff! WISH ME LUCK!
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OK, good luck! Do remember that you will need to bring the original of your father's naturalization certificate. They will take it at the time of the passport application and later return it by mail.
 
I think you should be alright. I understand that people might be willing to pay a lawyer to avoid dealing with the paperwork. The passport paperwork shouldn't be that difficult and you should be able to deal with the application yourself. You would seem to have qualified under the child citizenship act of 2000. So, birth certificate, your father's original naturalization certificate, your Green Card and perhaps some of the proof you mention might be needed. In a regular case when a parent applies for a child passport right away after naturalization there is no need for school records or anything like that. Marriage certificate is sometimes needed. Don't worry too much, if there is some document missing they'll just ask for it. You might still consider doing the N-600 after getting the passport.

Suerte.
 
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