Certificate of Citizenship in Salt Lake City

Form N-600 Eligibility Through a Parent

Eligibility depends on how and when citizenship was acquired. The controlling rules may be those in effect on the applicant’s birth date or when later events occurred, so current law doesn’t always resolve a historical citizenship question.

Citizenship Acquired at Birth Abroad

A person born outside the United States may have acquired citizenship at birth through one or both U.S. citizen parents. The analysis can depend on the applicant’s birth date and parentage, as well as whether a citizen parent met the residence or physical presence requirements in effect at the time.

Automatic Citizenship After Birth

Some children automatically acquire citizenship after birth. Under the Child Citizenship Act and other applicable law, relevant factors may include whether at least one parent was or became a U.S. citizen, whether the child was a lawful permanent resident, and whether the child lived in the United States in that parent’s legal and physical custody before turning 18.

Legal custody concerns a parent’s authority over the child, while physical custody concerns the child’s actual care and residence. A parent who naturalized after the applicant turned 18 may not establish automatic acquisition under rules requiring every condition to be met before that birthday.

Evidence That Can Support Your Application

The application must connect the applicant to the citizen parent and document the facts required under the applicable law. The necessary records depend on the citizenship pathway and family history.

Supporting evidence may include:

• Identity and birth records: The applicant’s birth certificate and other documents establishing identity, date of birth, and parentage.
• Proof of parental citizenship: A parent’s U.S. birth certificate, naturalization certificate, citizenship certificate, or other qualifying evidence.
• Immigration records: Evidence of the applicant’s lawful permanent resident status and relevant admission or residence history.
• Custody and residence records: Documents showing residence with the citizen parent and legal and physical custody when those facts are required.
• Family-status records: Marriage, divorce, adoption, name-change, or parentage documents explaining the legal family relationship.
• Translations: Certified English translations of supporting documents written in another language.

USCIS may request additional evidence, biometrics, or an interview before deciding the application. Applicants remain responsible for providing complete and truthful information and attending any required appointment or interview.

How Age, Custody, & Historical Rules Affect Citizenship

Divorce, separation, adoption, or a change in custody can complicate parent-based citizenship questions. Birth outside marriage and stepparent relationships may also require closer review because a family relationship alone doesn’t necessarily satisfy the applicable law.

Timing is equally important. We examine the rules in effect when relevant events occurred, including the applicant’s birth, admission as a lawful permanent resident, residence with a citizen parent, and the parent’s naturalization.