Granting Citizenship to Minor Children: A Success Story for a Naturalized Parent
A major challenge for many undocumented immigrants on their journey to naturalization—the legal process by which a non-U.S. citizen voluntarily becomes a U.S. citizen—is the risk of separation from family members or the difficulties related to keeping families together.
Challenges like these can be seriously deter those who wish to gain legal status in the United States. Our mission is to provide hope to such individuals.
This was the case for Ms. M, who retained our firm and successfully became a United States citizen. However, obtaining automatic citizenship for her adopted children proved challenging, especially as there was a shared custody arrangement involved
The Strategy
Our firm decided the best approach was to file an application for a Certificate of Citizenship for each of Ms. M’s children, called a Form N-600.
What is a Form N-600?
Form N-600, officially known as the “Application for Certificate of Citizenship,” is a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form used by individuals to apply for proof of their U.S. citizenship. This form is commonly filed by individuals who automatically acquired or derived U.S. citizenship through their parents, either at birth or after birth but before the age of 18, without going through the naturalization process themselves.
Common Situations For Filing N-600 Form
- Children Born Abroad to U.S. Citizens: A child born outside the United States to U.S. citizen parents may acquire citizenship at birth, depending on specific requirements, such as the parents’ U.S. residency.
- Children of Naturalized Parents: A child may derive U.S. citizenship when a parent naturalizes, if the child is under 18, lives in the U.S. with the parent, and meets other criteria, including legal and physical custody.
The N-600 form provides individuals with an official certificate, which serves as documented proof of their citizenship status.
Results
In Ms. M’s case, this strategy was not straightforward. The law required Ms. M to have both legal and physical custody of her children to confer automatic citizenship—and shared custody with her ex-spouse complicated the matter.
This was not a deterrent for our team. We were able to prove that, as an adoptive mother, Ms. M met the requirements after responding to a request for additional evidence, including legal documents from the children’s home country of Venezuela.
With the dedication of our team and the faithfulness of Ms. M, her children received their invitation to be sworn in as U.S. citizens!
Ready to take the next step?
Is a minor you know navigating immigration challenges in the United States? At DeMine Immigration, we’re dedicated to helping minors find the right path forward, providing experienced guidance tailored to their unique needs.
Contact us to schedule a consultation and let our team support you every step of the way.
Schedule a consultation with our experienced team .
Indera DeMine, Esq
Ms. DeMine is a resident of Southwest Florida and a solo practitioner located in downtown Fort Myers. Ms. DeMine started her immigration law career immediately after graduating Ave Maria School of Law in 2012. She began working for a local firm in Fort Myers, Florida for almost 4 years. As an immigrant herself, Ms. DeMine has always been passionate about Immigration law and welcomed the opportunity to help her clients navigate the often confusing, immigration process.
