PassageBoy
Registered Users (C)
Hello all!
As the caption blurts...i was born in Washington D.C in 1970, the son of a Kenyan diplomat (dad) and Canadian (mom). My mother was also an American at the time but wasn't aware of her citizenship status.
I have always loved America, and indeed my chest always 'swells up' whenever i tell people where i was born. But i had never applied for my US citizenship, as i was sure that the technicality of "diplomatic immunity" would disqualify me.
In 1994, congress passed the Technical Corrections and Amendment Act which drew attention to my mom's claim for US citizenship. (Her mother was a American born in Wisconsin in 1913, and who started raising a family in Canada in 1933, but was denied the ability to transfer citizenship to children born abroad until the law was changed in 1934).
Encouraged by the news, my mom applied for her US passport in 1996 and got it.
That lead to my questioning - if my mom was an American, and even though she never knew it at the time of my birth, would that legitimize my claim for US citizenship too?
I decided to apply for my passport in 2003, but i was turned-down on the grounds that i was the son of a diplomat when i was born...(diplomatic immunity etc...)
I decided that this denial over-looked the FACT that my mom was an American when i was born, and with some determined resolve, i applied for a second time in 2007.
This time round, i decided to explain myself to a consular officer in Halifax, Canada, and this officer agreed to the principle that if my mother was an American when i was born, then the 'diplomatic immunity' clause wouldn't hold any sway with her assessment in my application.
NOTE - i say "IF my mother was an American" as the Halifax lady was convinced that my mom wasn't American when i was born (we told them that my mom hadn't lived in the States until 1969, the year before i was born - this is commonly known as the 'retention requirement').
Sure enough, the second application was turned down with the following statement : "it appears that your mother was not an American when you were born as she regained her US citizenship in 1996."
I have now decided to appeal my case in the Federal Court and the process has already started.
QUESTION: I know i haven't explained the case as well as a lawyer would, but does anyone know of a case similar to mine, in which an American who happens to be married to a Diplomat & who's child was born in the US and has thus been denied citizenship - that i may draw reference to?
I'm just as inept at 'trawling the web!' & Thank you so much for reading!
Peace.
As the caption blurts...i was born in Washington D.C in 1970, the son of a Kenyan diplomat (dad) and Canadian (mom). My mother was also an American at the time but wasn't aware of her citizenship status.
I have always loved America, and indeed my chest always 'swells up' whenever i tell people where i was born. But i had never applied for my US citizenship, as i was sure that the technicality of "diplomatic immunity" would disqualify me.
In 1994, congress passed the Technical Corrections and Amendment Act which drew attention to my mom's claim for US citizenship. (Her mother was a American born in Wisconsin in 1913, and who started raising a family in Canada in 1933, but was denied the ability to transfer citizenship to children born abroad until the law was changed in 1934).
Encouraged by the news, my mom applied for her US passport in 1996 and got it.
That lead to my questioning - if my mom was an American, and even though she never knew it at the time of my birth, would that legitimize my claim for US citizenship too?
I decided to apply for my passport in 2003, but i was turned-down on the grounds that i was the son of a diplomat when i was born...(diplomatic immunity etc...)
I decided that this denial over-looked the FACT that my mom was an American when i was born, and with some determined resolve, i applied for a second time in 2007.
This time round, i decided to explain myself to a consular officer in Halifax, Canada, and this officer agreed to the principle that if my mother was an American when i was born, then the 'diplomatic immunity' clause wouldn't hold any sway with her assessment in my application.
NOTE - i say "IF my mother was an American" as the Halifax lady was convinced that my mom wasn't American when i was born (we told them that my mom hadn't lived in the States until 1969, the year before i was born - this is commonly known as the 'retention requirement').
Sure enough, the second application was turned down with the following statement : "it appears that your mother was not an American when you were born as she regained her US citizenship in 1996."
I have now decided to appeal my case in the Federal Court and the process has already started.
QUESTION: I know i haven't explained the case as well as a lawyer would, but does anyone know of a case similar to mine, in which an American who happens to be married to a Diplomat & who's child was born in the US and has thus been denied citizenship - that i may draw reference to?
I'm just as inept at 'trawling the web!' & Thank you so much for reading!
Peace.
Ah well...& when will it all end?! 
to tell your friends, relatives and other insignificant people that you were born in America who probably have no clue about US immigration laws or what diplomatic immunity is; so doesn't matter whether just me or 3 or 4 people here and the feds believe that you are not eligible but that's what matters in the end. 
who know him or had ever met him thought it was most logical that he would end up in the US once he graduates. But the bitter fact was that he had a real tough time and literally had to plead to enter this country even as a visitor on a VISA for just a month. Doesn't change facts based upon what our friends believe or because one posts a cool "Title" 
in a public forum so that 99% guys start believing or sympathizing with him. I could be working for the Feds, state, county or at the dump yard across the road;