Proof of Citizenship

The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows certain foreign-born, biological, and adopted children of American citizens to acquire American citizenship automatically. These children did not acquire American citizenship at birth, but they are granted citizenship either at time of entry or at time of re-adoption in the United States.

The child must meet the following requirements to be eligible:

  1. Have at least one American citizen parent by birth or naturalization
  2. Be under 18 years of age
  3. Live in the legal and physical custody of the American Citizen parent
  4. Be admitted as an immigrant for lawful permanent residence
  5. Have the adoption full and final

Children who are 14 or older at time of immigration or at time of filing the application for the Certificate will not receive one in the mail. They will be invited to a swearing in ceremony by USCIS to receive it.  

For additional information:  https://www.uscis.gov/adoption/adult-adoptees-and-us-citizenship

Children Who Arrived On An IR-3 or IH-3 visa on or after April 1, 2004

Children who arrive home on an IR-3 visa are automatic citizens upon arrival due to the Automatic Citizenship Act that was implemented on February 27, 2001. Your child’s Certificate of Citizenship will arrive automatically in your mail 30-60 days after your trip home and will serve as proof of citizenship. If the name on the certificate is not your chosen name for your child, instructions will be enclosed with the certificate regarding how to make the change after you have a U.S. decree and birth certificate. For further information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

If you do not receive your child’s certificate within 60 days of arrival, please contact, via email the following information to ch*************@us***.gov:

  • Your child’s full name, date of birth, place of birth, and registration # on visa
  • Family address, names, and contact info (phone and email)

You may also apply for a U.S. passport as additional proof of citizenship or for travel purposes. In applying for a passport, you will need the following documents:

  • Proof of child’s relationship to the American citizen parent. For an adopted child, it is a certified copy (attested copy) of the final adoption decree (and translation if not in English).
  • The child’s foreign passport showing the USCIS 1-551 stamp or the child’s permanent resident card.
  • Proof of identity of the American Citizen parent(s).
  • Passport application, passport photographs, and fees.
  • All legal documentation received in country, i.e. birth certificates, adoption decree. These may or may not be needed.

Again, the name on the foreign passport will be used unless a name change through re-adoption has occurred and proof is provided.

Children Who Arrived On An IR-3 or IH-3 visa before April 1, 2004

Children who arrived home on an IR-3 visa but before April 1, 2004 are automatic citizens upon arrival due to the Automatic Citizenship Act that was implemented on February 27, 2001. However, the Certificate of Citizenship was not sent automatically.  At the time of your adoption, it was not universally advised that adoptees needed a Certificate of Citizenship.  In recent years, WHFC has seen that new regulations and procedures often mean that having a Certificate will make such things as college financial aide, working abroad, and studying abroad easier for your child.  Thus, we advise all families pursue a Certificate for their children.

The application for the Certificate (N-600) can be downloaded from: www.uscis.gov (Forms and Fees section)

You may also apply for a U.S. passport as additional proof of citizenship or for travel purposes. In applying for a passport, you will need the following documents:

  • Proof of child’s relationship to the American citizen parent. For an adopted child, it is a certified copy (attested copy) of the final adoption decree (and translation if not in English).
  • The child’s foreign passport showing the USCIS 1-551 stamp or the child’s permanent resident card.
  • Proof of identity of the American Citizen parent(s).
  • Passport application, passport photographs, and fees.
  • All legal documentation received in country, i.e. birth certificates, adoption decree. These may or may not be needed.

Children Who Arrived On An IR-4 or IH-4 visa

For children who arrive home on an IR-4 or IH-4 visa, the adoption must be finalized, re-finalized, or validated according to the appropriate procedures in your state. Your child will enter the United States as a legal permanent resident of the United States, and will become an automatic US citizen as a result of the Automatic Citizenship Act that was implemented on February 27, 2001 after readoption/adoption. You will likely receive a permanent resident card in the mail 30-60 days after arrival.

Please refer to the Finalization Page for information about the necessary procedures. Your child will become a citizen of the United States once this state process is complete. Once the adoption decree and new birth certificate are available, you may file for a U.S. passport and/or a Certificate of Citizenship.  However, WHFC strongly recommends families pursue the Certificate of Citizenship. Many families decide to apply for the Certificate simply because it does not expire, unlike a passport. Additionally, as years have passed, there have been changes to procedures and regulations that make applying for college financial aide, study abroad programs, and work abroad programs easier if your child has a Certificate of Citizenship.

The application for the Certificate (N-600) can be downloaded from: www.uscis.gov (Forms and Fees section)

For assistance with completing the application, please feel free to use this template for your cover letter.  The form can be filed online now, but the template can be helpful as a checklist of documents to gather if you choose the online option.

Additional Information

http://adoption.state.gov/us_visa_for_your_child/citizenship.php

You may also apply for a U.S. passport as additional proof of citizenship or for travel purposes. In applying for a passport, you will need the following documents:

  1. Proof of child’s relationship to the American citizen parent. For an adopted child, it is a certified copy (attested copy) of the final adoption decree (and translation if not in English).
  2. The child’s foreign passport showing the USCIS 1-551 stamp or the child’s permanent resident card
  3. Proof of identity of the American Citizen parent(s)
  4. Passport application, passport photographs, and fees.
  5. It is also advisable that your bring the original legal documents from your child’s birth country in case additional information is needed.

Again, the name on the foreign passport will be used unless a name change through re-adoption has occurred and proof is provided.