• Follow us on -
Immigration into USA

US Citizenship

The Immigration and Nationality Act sets out the circumstances under which person may be deemed a US citizen at birth. These include:

  • a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;
  • a person born in the United States to a member of an Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian, or other aboriginal tribe: Provided, That the granting of citizenship under this subsection shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of such person to tribal or other property;
  • a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person;
  • a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the birth of such person, and the other of whom is a national, but not a citizen of the United States;
  • a person born in an outlying possession of the United States of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period
  • a person of unknown parentage found in the United States while under the age of five years, until shown, prior to his attaining the age of twenty-one years, not to have been born in the United States;
  • a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years: Provided, That any periods of honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or periods of employment with the United States Government or with an international organization as that term is defined in section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act (59 Stat. 669; 22 U.S.C. 288) by such citizen parent, or any periods during which such citizen parent is physically present abroad as the dependent unmarried son or daughter and a member of the household of a person honorably serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, or
    • employed by the United States Government or an international organization as defined in section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act, may be included in order to satisfy the physical-presence requirement of this paragraph. This proviso shall be applicable to persons born on or after December 24, 1952, to the same extent as if it had become effective in its present form on that date; and
    • a person born before noon (Eastern Standard Time) May 24, 1934, outside the limits and jurisdiction of the United States of an alien father and a mother who is a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, had resided in the United States.
  • In cases where proof of a parents’ residency is required, the applicant will be required to submit documentation of his/her parent’s physical presence in the United States-such as school records, church records and/or record of employment in the United States.Children of US citizens who did not automatically acquire citizenship at birth abroad or derive it through naturalization of their parent(s) may still obtain a certificate of citizenship upon the application of the US citizen parent if:
    • one parent is a US citizen,
    • child is physically present in the U.S. pursuant to lawful admission
    • the child is under 18 and in legal custody of the US citizen parent who has been in the U.S. five years, two of which were after her 14th birthday.If the child is adopted, the child must have been adopted prior to 16 and meet all the requirements for an adopted child or orphan.

      A citizen parent who has not been physically present in the U.S.. for five years, two of which were after her 14th birthday, may also obtain a certificate for her child if:

      • the child is under 18, is presently in the U.S. pursuant to lawful admission and is a landed permanent resident; or
      • the child is under 18, is present in the U.S. pursuant to a lawful admission, and a grandparent (parent of the US citizen parent) has been physically present in the United States for five years, two of which is after the grandparent’s 14th birthday