Obtaining U.S. Citizenship For Your Parents

If you were born outside of the U.S. and both of your parents are U.S. citizens, it is possible that you are a U.S. citizen and are missing the paperwork to prove it.

If you were born outside of the U.S. and one of your parents is a U.S. citizen, then the issue becomes more complex. In this situation, it is said that the child derived citizenship as a minor through their parent(s).

In order for a child to qualify to derive U.S. citizenship through their parent(s), they must first meet the following criteria:

1. Be under the statutory age depending on the time period that the last action took place;

2. Have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence; and

3. The parent(s) naturalized.

If eligible, they must then complete and file the form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322. The form N-600K is for children who regularly reside outside the United States may use Form N-600K to apply for citizenship based on a U.S. citizen parent.

For either issue, we recommend meeting with a knowledgeable immigration attorney to determine your options and navigate the citizenship process. 

If you are in removal (deportation) proceedings and believe that you can prove that you are a U.S. citizen despite being born outside of the United States, please let your immigration attorney know immediately.