Naturalization Certificate needed for?
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Mr Vertigo
Registered Users (C)
Proof of citizenship. That's like saying "I'm a college graduate now, what is the use o this diploma they gave me?"
good analogy... the paper is not the important part, its your status. the certificate is only proof of that status.
Proof of citizenship? Isn't that a passport? So the only reason to keep the certificate is so I don't have to apply for a new one before getting the passport renewed/replaced? Cuz it's not like if you use the certificate your not a citizen anymore, u can just get a new one.
Mr Vertigo
Registered Users (C)
A passport expires.
No, it is to prove your citizenship. Applying for a passport is just one of its functions. It is stupid to throw away your Certificate of Naturalization and to then apply for a new one, pay the fee, and then wait for 6 months. Do you routinely throw away important documents after you've used them once?
What does this mean?
Are u serious? Course I don't throw important documents away, I'm was not planning to throw the certificate away either, it's just a question.
The whole idea of a certificate seems a little silly to me. I'm still a citizen if I lost the certificate, the government still knows I'm a citizen since they can issue me a new certificate. I only need the certificate to prove to the state dept that I'm a citizen when I need a replacement passport, even though the government knows I'm a citizen. They probably had some kind of reason to start doing this in 1991 but doesn't this seem a little silly?
That was suppose to be loose not use. And you're instead of your.
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It does, but an expired passport can be renewed. In other words, an expired passport is acceptable on its own to get a new passport. Similarly, if you get both a passport and a passport card, one can be used to replace the other in the event that one is lost.
One place where I can see that a naturalization certificate would be needed directly is if one plans to run for political office since many positions require the person to have been a citizen for a certain time and a passport can't necessarily prove this.
Mr Vertigo
Registered Users (C)
Not any sillier than birth certificates.
harvydonald
Registered Users (C)
Right, Passport proves you are either a citizen or a US National. There are some people who are nationals, but not citizens of USA who have US Passport.
A passport is fundamentally a travel document, not an identity document. It derives its authoritative identity function from the verification and authentication of the original proof of citizenship which is required in order to obtain a passport. This is one of the reasons you have to send your original certificate of naturalization to the Dept of State to receive a passport.
Also as harvydonald points out, a US passport can be issued to nationals who are not citizens of the US. But since 2005, the only US nationals who are not also US citizens are the residents of American Samoa and Swains Island (also part of American Samoa, both located in the Pacific).
However, for practical purposes, you are right in that you don't have to have the naturalization certificate handy on a regular basis. If you are traveling and you lose your passport, a US consulate or embassy will verify your US citizenship through an interview, your answers to a number of questions, and potentially information they obtain from family and friends in the US. But most importantly, they will also check their systems to see whether a passport had previously been issued to you. If all of these requirements are met, another US passport will be issued to you.
Keep your naturalization certificate in the same place you keep your college degrees and don't lose it - you may be asked for it one day and a passport may not meet the definitive requirement at that point...
Also as harvydonald points out, a US passport can be issued to nationals who are not citizens of the US. But since 2005, the only US nationals who are not also US citizens are the residents of American Samoa and Swains Island (also part of American Samoa, both located in the Pacific).
However, for practical purposes, you are right in that you don't have to have the naturalization certificate handy on a regular basis. If you are traveling and you lose your passport, a US consulate or embassy will verify your US citizenship through an interview, your answers to a number of questions, and potentially information they obtain from family and friends in the US. But most importantly, they will also check their systems to see whether a passport had previously been issued to you. If all of these requirements are met, another US passport will be issued to you.
Keep your naturalization certificate in the same place you keep your college degrees and don't lose it - you may be asked for it one day and a passport may not meet the definitive requirement at that point...
Does the passport not have that information on it anywhere? I've not got mine yet so I don't know, but I do know, for example, that British passports state whether you are a British Citizen or a British Subject which is essentially the same as the US citizen/national distinction.
If you're not from American Samoa or Swains Island this just does not matter.
cafeconleche
Registered Users (C)
For nationals, the passport is endorsed to reflect the status.