Do I Need to File Form N-600 for My Child?

You are not required to file Form N-600 for your child. If your child already meets the legal conditions for U.S. citizenship through you, they are a citizen whether or not you ever file anything. Filing Form N-600 for your child asks USCIS to issue a Certificate of Citizenship, which is permanent, government-issued proof of a status your child already has by law.¹

So the real question is whether your child qualifies, and whether you want the certificate on top of (or instead of) a U.S. passport.

Is Your Child Already a U.S. Citizen?

Most children who need an N-600 acquired citizenship automatically after birth under Section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, a child born outside the United States becomes a citizen by operation of law the moment all four of these conditions are true at the same time, before the child turns 18:²

The child is under 18.
At least one parent is a U.S. citizen, by birth or naturalization (adoptive parents count).
The child is a lawful permanent resident.
The child lives in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent.

No ceremony, oath, or paperwork is needed for the citizenship itself to take effect. If the four boxes overlapped before your child’s 18th birthday, your child is already a citizen.

A separate path applies to children born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent who acquired citizenship at birth under INA 301 or 309. Those rules turn on the parent’s physical presence in the U.S. before the child’s birth, and for children born out of wedlock to a citizen father, on formal acknowledgment of paternity and a written agreement to support the child until age 18.³⁴ A child in that category is also a citizen and can be the subject of an N-600.

The Custody Question

Legal and physical custody is where INA 320 cases most often get complicated. Physical custody means the child actually lives with the citizen parent. Legal custody means the citizen parent has the legal right to make decisions for the child. If parents were never married and no court has ruled on custody, USCIS treats a parent with actual, uncontested custody as having legal custody for citizenship purposes.⁵

You only need to submit proof of legal custody if the citizen parent is divorced or legally separated, or if the child was adopted or legitimated. For adopted children, the adoption order usually does the job.¹

Why File If It’s Optional?

A U.S. passport also proves citizenship, and it’s cheaper and faster to get. So why bother with the certificate?

The certificate never expires. A passport must be renewed every five or ten years. The Certificate of Citizenship is issued directly by USCIS as primary proof that your child acquired or derived citizenship, and it’s a lifelong record accepted by federal, state, and local agencies. For families with complicated immigration histories, having that document in a drawer can save years of grief later when your child applies for a job, benefits, or federal clearances.¹

There’s also no deadline. A parent or legal guardian can file for a child under 18, and an adult who acquired citizenship before turning 18 can file for themselves at any age.¹

When N-600 Is the Wrong Form

Form N-600 assumes the child is in the United States and already has citizenship through a parent. Two related forms handle different situations.

N-600K is for children living outside the United States who have not automatically acquired citizenship. It’s filed under INA 322 and requires the child to be under 18, unmarried, in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent, and temporarily present in the U.S. in lawful status at the time USCIS approves the application. The citizen parent (or grandparent, if the parent is deceased) must have five years of U.S. physical presence with at least two years after age 14. Children of U.S. armed forces members stationed abroad on official orders are exempt from the temporary presence and lawful admission requirements.⁶

N-565 is what you file if a Certificate of Citizenship was already issued and is now lost, stolen, or damaged. You do not refile the N-600 in that situation.⁷

Adopted Children

Adopted children can acquire citizenship under INA 320 like biological children, but the timing depends on the visa the child entered on. Children admitted on an IR-3 or IH-3 visa (adoption finalized abroad) who meet the INA 320 conditions have received a Certificate of Citizenship automatically by mail since January 1, 2004. Children admitted on an IR-4 or IH-4 visa (adoption to be completed in the U.S.) get a Green Card first, and become citizens once the domestic adoption is complete and the other INA 320 conditions are met before age 18. The family can then file N-600 for the certificate. The filing fee is waived for adopted children who meet the legal definition of child under certain INA provisions.⁸

How to File

You can file online through a USCIS account or by mail. Online filing costs $50 less and lets you upload documents, pay fees, check status, and respond to evidence requests in one place. You cannot file online if you’re applying from outside the United States, requesting a fee waiver, or filing as a military member seeking a fee exemption; those go by mail.⁹

Fees

The filing fee is $1,385 by mail and $1,335 online. There is no fee for current or former U.S. military members filing for their own certificate. The military fee exemption does not extend to service members’ children.¹⁰

USCIS generally no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper filings. Pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, or by electronic funds transfer from a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650. There’s an exemption from electronic payment if you lack access to banking or electronic payment services.¹¹

If the fee is out of reach, submit Form I-912 to request a waiver. Eligibility is based on household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For 2026, a household of four in the 48 contiguous states qualifies at $49,500 or less; a single-person household at $23,940 or less. Alaska and Hawaii thresholds are higher.¹²

Documents to Gather

The specific list depends on whether you’re claiming citizenship at birth or automatic acquisition after birth, but the core evidence is similar:¹

The child’s birth certificate, issued by a civil authority in the country of birth.
The citizen parent’s birth certificate.
Proof of the parent’s U.S. citizenship: U.S. birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization (N-550), Certificate of Citizenship (N-560), Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240), or a valid U.S. passport.
A copy of the child’s Green Card or I-551 stamp, if you’re claiming citizenship after birth under INA 320.
Proof of legal custody, only if the parents are divorced or legally separated, or if the child was adopted. Court custody orders, divorce decrees, or adoption orders satisfy this.
Certified copies of divorce, death, or annulment records if the citizen parent’s earlier marriage ended.

Any non-English document needs a full English translation with the translator’s signed certification that the translation is complete and accurate and that they’re competent to translate. Any competent bilingual person can do it; a professional service isn’t required.

If you live outside the United States, include two identical 2-by-2-inch color photos on glossy paper with a white or off-white background. If you live in the U.S., USCIS may schedule an Application Support Center appointment to take the photo instead.¹

After You File

USCIS mails a receipt notice (Form I-797C) with a case number you can use to track status online. Processing typically runs 3 to 14 months.

USCIS may schedule a biometrics appointment for fingerprints, a photo, and a signature. Not every applicant is called in; the agency decides case by case.

An in-person interview isn’t automatic either. If your documents clearly establish the citizenship claim, USCIS may approve the application on the record. When an interview is required and the applicant is under 18, the child must appear with the citizen parent unless USCIS waives that.¹³

Children under 14 are automatically waived from the oath of allegiance. When the oath is waived, USCIS issues the Certificate of Citizenship once the officer approves the application.²

If USCIS Denies the Application

You have 30 days from the decision date to file an appeal or a motion to reopen or reconsider using Form I-290B. The filing fee is $675. Miss that window and you cannot simply file a new N-600; USCIS will reject it. Form I-290B (motion to reopen or reconsider) becomes your only remaining route.¹³

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Form N-600, Instructions for Application for Certificate of Citizenship
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Automatic Acquisition of Citizenship After Birth (INA 320)
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 3 – U.S. Citizens at Birth (INA 301 and 309)
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1409 – Children Born Out of Wedlock
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Updates Guidance on Determining Custody for Children Acquiring U.S. Citizenship
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form N-600K, Instructions for Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. U.S. Citizenship for an Adopted Child
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship
10
USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
12
USCIS. Poverty Guidelines
13
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship Frequently Asked Questions