You might be a U.S. Citizen and not even know it
Citizenship Series Part 1
In today’s uncertain immigration landscape – marked by shifting policies and heightened concerns – it’s no wonder many individuals with Lawful Permanent Residency (Green Card holders) are thinking seriously about pursuing U.S. citizenship. For those of you who have had green cards since childhood, but your parents are U.S. Citizens, your own citizenship may be closer than expected.
If both of your parents were born U.S. citizens, lived in the U.S. for any amount of time, and were married at the time of your birth, then you have what is called Automatic Acquired Citizenship at birth regardless of where you were born. However, depending on your specific circumstances, you may still have Acquired Citizenship through your parents if you meet all of the criteria below on or after February 27, 2001.
- One or both of your parents is a U.S. citizen;
- Your parent(s) was a U.S. citizen before your 18th birthday;
- You are a Lawful Permanent Resident; AND
- You lived in the U.S. with that U.S. citizen parent before your 18th birthday.
If ALL of these conditions were met before your 18th birthday, then you may already have Acquired Citizenship. These rules were set forth in the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. If you do not meet these exact criteria, there is still a chance that you may have Derived Citizenship, which we will discuss in Part 3 of our Citizenship Series.
What’s Next?
In Part 2 of our Citizenship Series, we’ll break down how exactly these requirements must be met according to USCIS guidelines and what documents or evidence you’ll need to confirm your citizenship.
If you believe you meet these criteria and wish to file an N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship), or if you simply have questions about naturalization, call U.S. Immigration Lawyer Sean D. Hummel to schedule a consultation.
