Secondary Evidence for Passport

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lyricalysound

New Member
Hello!

A little background: both my biological parents naturalized before I turned 18 in 2000. My dad in 1999 and my mom just a few months before my birthday. My parents never filled out the paperwork to get my citizenship certificate.

I was told I should fill out form N600 to get it, or just fill out the paperwork for the US passport. I was looking at the requirements to go the passport route and it says I’ll need my green card as proof. I have it; the only problem is that it expired in 2011. Will that be an issue? Do I need to get a current green card if I’m already technically a citizen? I have all the necessary documents otherwise.

I could just fill out the N600 and avoid the fee since I am a veteran. But I heard that may take awhile and I’m trying to get a U.S. passport within the next 18 months. Please advise. Thank you in advance!
 
The expired green card is not an issue. What matters is that you had permanent resident status at that time (between when your second parent naturalized and when you turned 18). Anything that proves your permanent resident status from that time or before will work (since permanent residency does not expire).
 
newacct said:
The expired green card is not an issue. What matters is that you had permanent resident status at that time (between when your parents naturalized and when you turned 18). Anything that proves your permanent resident status from that time or before will work (since permanent residency does not expire).
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Thank you for the response! What can be used as proof? Will my high school diploma work? I graduated high school 2 months before I turned 18 and a year after my first parent naturalized. What else could I use as proof as it’s a fairly narrow window.
 
I mean your green card or immigrant visa, from 2000 or before, will prove your permanent resident (i.e. green card) status from before then. Your green card that expired 2011 should also be fine, since it has a "resident since" date on it.
 
newacct said:
I mean your green card or immigrant visa, from 2000 or before, will prove your permanent resident (i.e. green card) status from before then. Your green card that expired 2011 should also be fine, since it has a "resident since" date on it.
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Ah. Got it. Sorry, I misinterpreted your previous reply. So I should be good then. I’ll go schedule my appointment at the post office for a pass port! Thank you so much.
 
Be aware that you became a citizen under the law prior to the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (which took effect in February 2001), so you will need to provide proof that both of your parents naturalized before you turned 18. I am not sure if the particular post office staff will know about the older laws, but they should just accept it and send it to the State Department for adjudication.
 
newacct said:
Be aware that you became a citizen under the law prior to the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (which took effect in February 2001), so you will need to provide proof that both of your parents naturalized before you turned 18. I am not sure if the particular post office staff will know about the older laws, but they should just accept it and send it to the State Department for adjudication.
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Good morning,

I have copies of both of my parents’ naturalization certificates which show they naturalized before my 18th birthday. I should be squared away!
 
TinTin619 said:
When you apply for a passport, I would personally apply for the little passport card as well to keep it save as a proof of citizenship.
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Thanks for the reminder! I will. I have an appointment set up early next month so hopefully everything goes through without issues.
 
TinTin619 said:
How was the appointment?
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Hi,

Apologies for the very late response but it's taken this long for any kind of resolution so I'll update now. Unfortunately, I was denied my passport. I went through the post office passport agency way back in May with all the paperwork the agent said I needed. When the passport agency in San Diego received it, they requested more information. Apparently the birth cetificate from my country of birth (Philippines) was dated too late from my actual date of birth. My parents only received my birth certificate a short time before they needed any kind of information for when my dad originally emigrated to the US, which was nearly 4 years from my date of birth. The agency required a DNA test to prove that I was my parents' child. I was given 90 days to do a DNA test.

I thought it was incorrect so I contacted my state representative at the end of May. They went ahead and contacted the passport agency on my behalf. It took them several months to get any kind of information regarding my case. Months in which I had called weekly because I had a 90 day deadline to do the DNA test. It wasn't until three weeks ago when I was finally told that I needed to provide a DNA test. I went on vacation the week after I received that email. While on vacation I received the packet from the Passport Agency with a letter denying my request for my passport. I'm just beyond irritated at this point because it took so long for my state rep to get any kind of resolution for me and now I have spent over $300 (non-refundable) for an expedited passport.

I'll attach the denial letter that was sent to me. What are my next steps? The denial is especially atrocius because both of my parents naturalized before my 18th birthday. However, the post office employee said I only needed to provided one of my parents' naturalization certificates. I have both in my possession.
 

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lyricalysound said:
Hi,

Apologies for the very late response but it's taken this long for any kind of resolution so I'll update now. Unfortunately, I was denied my passport. I went through the post office passport agency way back in May with all the paperwork the agent said I needed. When the passport agency in San Diego received it, they requested more information. Apparently the birth cetificate from my country of birth (Philippines) was dated too late from my actual date of birth. My parents only received my birth certificate a short time before they needed any kind of information for when my dad originally emigrated to the US, which was nearly 4 years from my date of birth. The agency required a DNA test to prove that I was my parents' child. I was given 90 days to do a DNA test.

I thought it was incorrect so I contacted my state representative at the end of May. They went ahead and contacted the passport agency on my behalf. It took them several months to get any kind of information regarding my case. Months in which I had called weekly because I had a 90 day deadline to do the DNA test. It wasn't until three weeks ago when I was finally told that I needed to provide a DNA test. I went on vacation the week after I received that email. While on vacation I received the packet from the Passport Agency with a letter denying my request for my passport. I'm just beyond irritated at this point because it took so long for my state rep to get any kind of resolution for me and now I have spent over $300 (non-refundable) for an expedited passport.

I'll attach the denial letter that was sent to me. What are my next steps? The denial is especially atrocius because both of my parents naturalized before my 18th birthday. However, the post office employee said I only needed to provided one of my parents' naturalization certificates. I have both in my possession.
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I’m sorry to hear you went through the appeals rather than just doing DNA and that this delayed it beyond your deadline. FYI, I needed to do a DNA test for my child in a similar situation to get them a passport when I naturalized, even though the birth certificate was adequate to get them a green card it wasn’t good enough for DOS because it was more than a year from the birth. I haven’t read through your denial letter but if it was dna I don’t see any other avenue than applying again and this time doing the dna test when they ask - as I recall for this purpose you need to use a DOS case number linked to your passport application at an approved DNA testing center, so you can’t do it in advance and send it with the application.
 
SusieQQQ said:
I’m sorry to hear you went through the appeals rather than just doing DNA and that this delayed it beyond your deadline. FYI, I needed to do a DNA test for my child in a similar situation to get them a passport when I naturalized, even though the birth certificate was adequate to get them a green card it wasn’t good enough for DOS because it was more than a year from the birth. I haven’t read through your denial letter but if it was dna I don’t see any other avenue than applying again and this time doing the dna test when they ask - as I recall for this purpose you need to use a DOS case number linked to your passport application at an approved DNA testing center, so you can’t do it in advance and send it with the application.
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Thank you for the response! I was actually going to do a DNA test back in May just to get it over with. But I decided to check in with my State Rep just to see if they could do something about it first. Little did I know it would take months for them to do anything about it. I guess I’ll just go through the process again, but this time not pay for the expedited application.
 
Hi, just saw your post. Currently in the same boat as you were.

I applied for my son's us passport (he was born in the philippines too, he came to the states when he was 3 and now his 13yr old this year) They sent me a letter/email for additional information and i sent back my son's US school transcript, his baptismal record in the philippines. US medical records and some photos showing he stayed with with me.

Now they sent me again the same letter asking for additional information. All the documentdls i can think of (no dna test yest) are already submitted. I'm thinking of doing the DNA test as my last resort.
 
D92154 said:
Hi, just saw your post. Currently in the same boat as you were.

I applied for my son's us passport (he was born in the philippines too, he came to the states when he was 3 and now his 13yr old this year) They sent me a letter/email for additional information and i sent back my son's US school transcript, his baptismal record in the philippines. US medical records and some photos showing he stayed with with me.

Now they sent me again the same letter asking for additional information. All the documentdls i can think of (no dna test yest) are already submitted. I'm thinking of doing the DNA test as my last resort.
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You can’t do a DNA test by yourself for citizenship purposes. If they want one, they will send you an RFE for one with a case number and that will be used for the path lab to send the results directly to USCIS. Did they send this yet?

Are you trying to prove he resided with you,that he is your biological child, or both? If resided with you, do any of the documents you submitted show he was at the same address as you?
 
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Update.

I finally received my passport with the passport card. I applied in April fully expecting them to send me a request for additional information or DNA test. I took the DNA test with my mom and had the lab submit the result in early May.

The status on the State Dept updated to show they received the results and I just waited. And waited. And waited. In July I messaged one of my senators instead of my house rep. They messaged the State Dept and was told my application was under review.

August rolled around without an update so I messaged the Senator’s office once again for an update and vented my frustration. They responded that I need to be a little bit more patient and these things can take time. Fine. I’ve been busy with a new job so I can wait.

A few nights ago I was in bed on my phone when I got a email notification from USPS that I had a package being sent to me. I checked the tracking number and it said it was coming from the Chicago Passport office! I go and check the State Dept’s website and sure enough they updated my status to shipped. It came in the mail today!

Took a year and a half but I finally got it. Thank you to everyone for their advice. :)
 
SusieQQQ said:
You can’t do a DNA test by yourself for citizenship purposes. If they want one, they will send you an RFE for one with a case number and that will be used for the path lab to send the results directly to USCIS. Did they send this yet?

Are you trying to prove he resided with you,that he is your biological child, or both? If resided with you, do any of the documents you submitted show he was at the same address as you?
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I don’t remember them sending me an RFE. In the letter/email they sent requesting more information or DNA test it did mention that I would need to go through an AABB accredited lab and had a link of eligible labs. I went with one that was convenient for my mom and I as we live 2 hours apart. The lab needed the email I was sent and that’s all they needed.
SusieQQQ said:
You can’t do a DNA test by yourself for citizenship purposes. If they want one, they will send you an RFE for one with a case number and that will be used for the path lab to send the results directly to USCIS. Did they send this yet?

Are you trying to prove he resided with you,that he is your biological child, or both? If resided with you, do any of the documents you submitted show he was at the same address as yo
Click to expand...
 
lyricalysound said:
I don’t remember them sending me an RFE. In the letter/email they sent requesting more information or DNA test it did mention that I would need to go through an AABB accredited lab and had a link of eligible labs. I went with one that was convenient for my mom and I as we live 2 hours apart. The lab needed the email I was sent and that’s all they needed.
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The letter/email they sent “requesting more information” was the RFE. It would have had your case number on it for the lab to use.
Congratulations on finally getting a positive result.
 
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