|
Certificate of Citizenship |
|
To contact us: |
|
HELPING PEOPLE HELP THEMSELVES |
|
~~~celebrating our 13th year 1996—2009~~~ |
|
Legal-Eaze™ Legal Form Preparation Without a Lawyer International Adoption Specialists and Business Couriers www.Legal-Eaze.com |
|
© 1996-2009 Legal-Eaze International Adoption Specialists LLC All Rights Reserved. Revised 02/04/09 |
|
Paperwork...and more...and more...and more...and more... The Certificate of Citizenship is the only PERMANENT proof of U.S. citizenship. Do NOT rely on a U.S. Passport alone. IR3 vs. IR4 Visa · IR3 visa means that the child has been classified as an immediate relative (hence “IR”) and was physically seen by all of his/her parents before the adoption took place. The child becomes an automatic U.S. citizen upon immigration into the U.S. · IR4 visa means that the child was not physically seen by all of his/her parents before the adoption took place; therefore, the adoption is not full and final under USCIS law and the child must be readopted in order to be granted U.S. citizenship. Effective January 20, 2004, all children entering the U.S. on a IR-3 visa will automatically be mailed a Certificate of Citizenship within approximately four (4) weeks after immigration. This does not apply to children entering the U.S. under an IR-4 visa, or for children who entered the U.S. before January 20, 2004. For children entering under an IR-4 visa, you must still apply for a Certificate of Citizenship AFTER readoption requirements are met. For ALL children who entered the U.S. before January 20, 2004, you must still apply for a Certificate of Citizenship for your child. Read about the Ethica Certificate of Citizenship Project.
Certificate of Citizenship All foreign-born adopted children should have a Certificate of Citizenship issue by the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, formerly BCIS and INS) even if they already have a U.S. Passport. Do not rely on a U.S. Passport for proof of citizenship. ALWAYS obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child. Click here to read the reasons why!
Complimentary Citizenship “DO-IT-YOURSELF” Packet We’ve put together a complimentary packet of letters and forms to help you obtain your child’s Certificate of Citizenship. Click here to print the Citizenship Packet. The correct form to use to file for Citizenship on Behalf of Adopted Child is now N-600 (revised 10/15/07). This replaces N-643. If you live OUTSIDE the U.S., then you should use N-600K. Effective July 30, 2007, the filing fee for an adopted child is $420. The money order must be made payable to “Department of Homeland Security” and do not use any initials on your money order. For more information, visit the USCIS Website.
How to Change a Name on a Certificate of Citizenship Now that Certificates of Citizenship are being automatically issued for children immigrating on IR3 visas, one problem that exists is that the COC is often times issued in the incorrect name. To apply for a name amendment on your child’s COC, you should file USCIS Form N-565. Effective July 30, 2007, the fee is $380. Click here for the link to USCIS Form N-565. Effective October 1, 2006, if filing Form N-565, “Application for Replacement Citizenship Document”, mail the application along with the filing fee to: If you reside in AK, AZ, CA, CO, Guam, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, MN, NE, NV, ND, OH, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI or WY, send to: DHS/USCIS Nebraska Service Center P.O. Box 87565 Lincoln, NE 68501-7565
If you reside in AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OK, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, Virgin Islands, VT, Washington DC, or WV, send to: DHS/USCIS Texas Service Center P.O. Box 851182 Mesquite, TX 75185-1182
Examples of Why Certificate of Citizenship is Necessary Some examples of why the Certificate of Citizenship is necessary for all foreign-born adopted children: 1. When applying for scholarships for college when one of the requirements is that the student must be a U.S. citizenship. Scholarship boards do not accept U.S. passports as proof of citizenship. They will only accept a COC. 2. When, as an adult, the adoptee is offered a job overseas. The U.S. passport will enable them to travel to the foreign country; HOWEVER, they will not be issued a work visa unless a COC is provided. 3. Entrance into government jobs such as police, fire, etc. The applicant must provide a COC, and not a US passport, in order to gain entrance into the training academies to prove U.S. citizenship when asked for proof. 4. The COC is the property of the child. It is the parent's duty to obtain if for him or her. The parent should not be making a decision about whether or not they want to get one for the child, but, rather, doing everything in their power to secure what legally and rightfully belongs to the child. We hear every day from adult adoptees who are frantically trying to obtain their COCs because their parents did not get it for them when they were children. Once the child reaches the age of 18, it becomes a much more complex issue to obtain the COC. Parents argue this topic all the time because they don't want to spend the money or do the work to obtain the COC because some lawyer or adoption agency incorrectly tells them it is not necessary if the child has a U.S. passport. This information is antiquated in this era of higher security scrutiny. The reality is that the COC is the single most important document for a foreign born adopted child.
Questions? Contact us by phone or email. |
