N-600 Application - What documents should I submit?

G

gianne

Registered Users (C)
I'm in the process of applying for Certificate of Citizenship for my 2 children. I called the CIS twice already about the needed docs listed on the Instruction Form of N-600. Some of them are confusing and the CIS people I spoke with on the phone could not even give me clear answers. What they basically told me is to just submit anything I think is applicable. I'm applying for my 2 minor children from previous marriage who are living with me here in the US. They're 16 and 12. So far I have prepared the following copies of docs:

Birth Certificates
Baptismal Certificates
Proof of Legal Full Custody of my Children
Permanent Resident Cards
School Records
Photos (2" x 2")
My Certificate of Naturalization
My U.S. Passport + card

I'm confused about other documents I need to produce on my part - Proof of Residence or Physical Presence in the U.S.? Should I send a copy of my Driver License? I'm not employed and I don't attend any church, union, or other organizations. I'm a stay-home mom. How else can I prove that I live where I live continuously at my address?

Census record is also on the list. Should it be enough if I get a copy of our household record from the Census?

:confused:
 
Don't waste your money on a certificate of citizenship - a passport is as good a proof of US citizenship as anything else. A certificate of citizenship has no real value, even USCIS does not recognize it as proof of work authorization. There is no legal requirement for getting a certificate. Even USCIS clearly states this: (see link: http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/A4eng.pdf

I was born overseas. After I was born, my parent(s)
became naturalized U.S. citizens. Could I have derived U.S.
citizenship?
If one of your parents naturalized after February 27, 2001, and you were a permanent resident and under 18 years old at the time, then you may have automatically acquired U.S. citizenship. Before that date, you may have automatically acquired U.S. citizenship if you were a permanent resident and under 18 years old when both parents naturalized, or if you had only one parent when that parent naturalized.
However, if your parent(s) naturalized after you were 18, then you will need to apply for naturalization on your own after you have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years.

How do I apply to have my citizenship recognized?
You have two options:
• You can apply to the U.S. Department of State for a U.S.
passport. A passport is evidence of citizenship and also serves as a travel document if you need to travel. For information about applying for a U.S. passport, see the U.S. Department of State website at www.state.gov.
• If you are already in the United States, you also have the
option of applying to USCIS using Form N-600, Application for
Certificate of Citizenship. However, you may find applying for
a passport to be more convenient because it also serves as a
travel document and could be a faster process.
 
I called the USPS about Passport Application for my children and I was told that they need to see their Citizenship Certificates, and that they can not accept their Green Cards. If it's possible to directly apply for U.S. passport for my children what documents should I present as the basis of their automatic citizenship? My Certificate of Citizenship and U.S. passport? This is what I don't understand....they said children under 18 automatically acquires US citizenship once the parent became one but then they ask to apply for N-600. Why is it like that if it's automatic? I don't get it....and N-600 application is so expensive. I wish I could really just apply for passports for my children but they require their Citizenship Certificates. What choice do I have?
 
gianne said:
I called the USPS about Passport Application for my children and I was told that they need to see their Citizenship Certificates, and that they can not accept their Green Cards. If it's possible to directly apply for U.S. passport for my children what documents should I present as the basis of their automatic citizenship? My Certificate of Citizenship and U.S. passport? This is what I don't understand....they said children under 18 automatically acquires US citizenship once the parent became one but then they ask to apply for N-600. Why is it like that if it's automatic? I don't get it....and N-600 application is so expensive. I wish I could really just apply for passports for my children but they require their Citizenship Certificates. What choice do I have?
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This is unheard of.. the USPS person who gave you this information is clearly mistaken. I applied for my foreign born son's passport on the day I naturalized. I applied at a local US post office. Only thing I needed was his birth certificate, his green card, my Nat certificate and the completed application form DS-11+fees+photos. I got his passport in 3 weeks. I have not filed N-600 for him.
Try going to a nearby post office. The Passport form clearly states what is required. Please review the instructions on DS-11 form. I show the relevant portion from DS-11 here:
b. APPLICANTS BORN OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES: Submit a previous U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Report of Birth Abroad, or evidence described below.
1) If You Claim Citizenship Through Naturalization Of Parent(s): Submit the Certificate(s) of Naturalization of your parent(s), your foreign birth certificate, and proof of your admission to the United States for permanent residence.
 
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try a different location to submit your DS11, that postal worker is clearly incompetent with non-mainstream PP applications... Check out if your zip-code has a different passport acceptance location, see
http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

I agree, first and foremost get a PP for your kids, but do consider getting an N-600 (once they have their PPs): Now you have all the documents handy that you need to prove their derived citizenship (your NC, their GC, foreign BCs, both parents in one location), those docs can be more difficult to assemble in, say, 15 years and once they moved out to lead their own lives. Passports expire and can get lost/stolen, so it's convenient for them to have a non-expiring document that allows them to establish their citizenship. Search this forum for some example how unnerving this can be...
 
nkm-oct23 said:
This is unheard of.. the USPS person who gave you this information is clearly mistaken. I applied for my foreign born son's passport on the day I naturalized. I applied at a local US post office. Only thing I needed was his birth certificate, his green card, my Nat certificate and the completed application form DS-11+fees+photos. I got his passport in 3 weeks. I have not filed N-600 for him.
Try going to a nearby post office. The Passport form clearly states what is required. Please review the instructions on DS-11 form. I show the relevant portion from DS-11 here:
b. APPLICANTS BORN OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES: Submit a previous U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Report of Birth Abroad, or evidence described below.
1) If You Claim Citizenship Through Naturalization Of Parent(s): Submit the Certificate(s) of Naturalization of your parent(s), your foreign birth certificate, and proof of your admission to the United States for permanent residence.
Click to expand...

OMG you're right.... I just check the back of the instruction sheet of my own passport application form last month and saw exactly what you typed up there. I'm going to call the USPS again tomorrow and let them know about it. The person I spoke with earlier today actually put me on hold to ask another person she said who knew better about my inquiry....seems like they are indeed misinformed. Thank you so much. So do you think if I apply for N-600 rather than U.S. passport my application will be denied because of this automatic citizenship issue? If so that would be a waste of money because all application fees to USCIS are non refundable!
 
gianne said:
OMG you're right.... I just check the back of the instruction sheet of my own passport application form last month and saw exactly what you typed up there. I'm going to call the USPS again tomorrow and let them know about it. The person I spoke with earlier today actually put me on hold to ask another person she said who knew better about my inquiry....seems like they are indeed misinformed. Thank you so much. So do you think if I apply for N-600 rather than U.S. passport my application will be denied because of this automatic citizenship issue? If so that would be a waste of money because all application fees to USCIS are non refundable!
Click to expand...

As I said before, N-600 is not required at all for any reason and certainly not required for getting your childrens' passports. Your children are US citizens now. Call your local post office (not the 1-800 number) and make an appointment for passport application. Then go with with the required documentation, fees and photos. Your childrens' passport applications will be accepted.

Some post offices will accept walkins - check http://usps.whitepages.com/passport for locations nearest to you.
 
I usually respectfully disagree with nkm-oct23 on the issue of the usefulness of N-600. I agree with him that there are not many, or any practical uses of it that cannot be done equally with a passport. Its usefulness I think comes from a different angle. It creates a record of citizenship with USCIS which will produce a document with no expiration date that shows since which date that person is a citizen. I see it as a "citizenship birth certificate" for foreign born US citizens. I think it is worth spending the money and it is better doing it sooner rather than later, when gathering the documents for N-600 is simpler.

For the original poster it seems you have a good list of documents. You might not need the copies of your passport or passport card. It's your choice to send the baptismal or birth certificates, assuming USCIS already has those from the permanent resident process of your children. Did you just naturalize? If you did I think that is proof enough of physical presence. The naturalization process assumes you were in the US for interviews, fingerprints and oath ceremony. I didn't need to submit any proof of physical presence.
 
Thank you, DavidSea and Huracan. I think I will apply for both. It's a good thing to know that I could apply for my kids passports right away cause we may need to travel this year. The N600 I think I will go ahead and continue with the preparation of the application cause what both of you said makes sense....it has no expiration date and i'm thinking maybe a few yrs from now they will raise the fee again for these applications...so expensive, they make good money on this. Anyways, any idea how long will it take for the USCIS to process the N600 application? Thanks again.
 
Hi everyone.
i will apply for N600 on wednesday at Saipan, CNMI USCIS office.
i am a filipina and half chamorro, i was born in PI but my father is a US Citizen and my mother a filipino.
my father died in 2005 but before he died he acknowledge me as his biological daughter and i can use that acknowledgement in any jurisdiction.
If i file my application on wednesday, July 7, 2010 when do you think i can receive my certificate?
considering i am a daughter of a born US citizen father.
please help me.
 
andreandgerald said:
Hi everyone.
i will apply for N600 on wednesday at Saipan, CNMI USCIS office.
i am a filipina and half chamorro, i was born in PI but my father is a US Citizen and my mother a filipino.
my father died in 2005 but before he died he acknowledge me as his biological daughter and i can use that acknowledgement in any jurisdiction.
If i file my application on wednesday, July 7, 2010 when do you think i can receive my certificate?
considering i am a daughter of a born US citizen father.
please help me.
Click to expand...
Please create your own thread and stop asking the same question again and again in other threads.
 
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