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IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR CHILD'S CITIZENSHIPWe want to share important information with you regarding your child's citizenship. As you may recall, the Automatic Citizenship Bill went into effect in February of 2001. This bill automatically makes a child a US citizen at the time his/her adoption is finalized. At the time that this bill went into effect, no one realized that the child would still retain immigrant status with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The information contained here is important for all children who have been adopted since February of 2001. It is also important for all children who were adopted prior to 2001 if you have never filed for a Certificate of Citizenship with INS on behalf of your child. This certificate is an important paper for your child to have. It will also serve as proof of citizenship to Social Security and other governmental agencies. If your child was adopted from Korea, or if your child was adopted from another country and only one parent traveled to the country to complete the adoption, you must do this to ensure that your child is always looked upon as a citizen. USCIS will issue this proof of your child's citizenship through your citizenship. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you file for a Certificate of Citizenship immediately. If both parents traveled to a country other than Korea and adopted the child there, you should automatically receive this certificate in the mail. In order to file for a Certificate of Citizenship, you must file an N-600 with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. This must be accompanied by a variety of documents (send only COPIES) and a check for the amount stated on the form. If you are an Arizona resident, the form and supporting documents should be sent to the office nearest to your home. In Phoenix, the address is: USCIS, 2035 North Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004. In Tucson, the address is: 6431 South Country Club Road, Tucson, AZ 85706. You may need to appear for an interview after they have processed your form. Current wait time is approximately one year. If you are now living out of state, you must apply to the CIS office nearest to your home. FILLING OUT THE N-600 FOR CITIZENSHIPBefore filling out the N-600 collect the following documents:
If child was adopted from a country other than Korea, you will need the child's Final Adoption Decree from that country and the child's passport from that country. You can download the N-600 form from www.uscis.gov. Below are some details on specific parts of the form. Not all sections are listed below; but please fill out the form in its entirety. Page 1: In the right hand box is a place for your child’s "A number" – this is the number on your child’s green card or Permanent Residence Card. Fill the 9 digit number in.
Page 2: This is your current home address. You only need to fill in "B" if you use a P.O. box for a mailing address, otherwise put "n/a"
Page 3: Part 3, Sections "G" and "H" will differ depending on the country your child was adopted from:
Page 4: Continued information about Adoptive Father until Part "H" – this is information on Adoptive Mother. Page 5: Information on Adoptive mother. Part "I" is information on adoptive Father.
The following items need to accompany the N-600 form: ALL DOCUMENTS CAN BE COPIES OF CERTIFIED OR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
Please read over the instructions that come with the N-600 form for details on what needs to be included with your N-600, specifics on the picture requirements, and where to send it. You can download those instructions and a new form if needed at www.uscis.gov Thanks to Dillon International in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the above information. If YOU WANT TO APPLY FOR A PASSPORT:For complete instructions on how to apply for a passport, go to: www.travel.state.gov/passport and click on "Minors under Age 14" You will need the following form(s) which can be obtained online (hotlinks below) or at the office of Clerk of the Superior Court. Application for Passport DS-11 Application must be submitted in person with minor child present. If only one parent appears, you will also need Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 14, completed and signed by the other parent and it must be notarized! Form DS-3053 In addition to these forms, you will need the following:
The clerk will send the original documents (birth certificate, adoption decree, resident alien card)with the application, however, you will get them back with the passport. SOCIAL SECURITY REQUIREMENTS: For an adoptee meeting the requirements for automatic citizenship, whose parents have already obtained a social security number for him/her:
PLEASE NOTE: Your child does not need to have either a passport or Certificate of Citizenship to become a citizen. If your child was not already a citizen, he or she automatically became one on February 27, 2001. However, at this time, Social Security is requiring either a passport or Certificate of Citizenship as proof of citizenship. It is likely that it will become necessary at some other point to show proof of citizenship to someone. Therefore, Dillon Southwest strongly recommends that parents obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for their child. Many parents also choose to obtain a passport for their child, too.
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