How To Info How to info
Citizenship Through U.S. Parents
There are two general ways to obtain citizenship through U.S. citizen parents: at birth, and after birth but before the age of 18. Congress has enacted laws that determine how citizenship is conveyed by a U.S. citizen parent (or parents) to children born outside of the United States.
Who May Qualify for Acquisition of Citizenship
The law in effect at the time of birth determines whether someone born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent (or parents) is a U.S. citizen at birth. In general, these laws require that at least one parent was a U.S. citizen, and the U.S. citizen parent had lived in the United States for a period of time.
In addition, children born abroad may become U.S. citizens after birth. For information and eligibility requirements for specific time periods, see the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part H, Children of U.S. Citizens.
In general, a child for citizenship and naturalization provisions is an unmarried person who is:
For more information, see the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part H, Children of U.S. Citizens.
Children residing outside of the United States may obtain citizenship under Section 322 of the INA. A child who regularly resides outside of the United States is eligible for naturalization if all of the following conditions have been met:
Note: Children of U.S. citizen military members residing outside the United States may complete the entire process from abroad. For more information, see our Military Citizenship for Family Members page.
For more information, see the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part H, Children of U.S. Citizens.
To apply for citizenship under INA 322, see our Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 and read the instructions carefully to ensure that you qualify.
