To get a Certificate of Citizenship for a child, file Form N-600 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services once the child meets the conditions for automatic citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act. The N-600 does not grant citizenship. It documents citizenship the child already holds by operation of law, and the certificate USCIS issues is a permanent record you can use for passports, employment verification, and federal benefits throughout the child’s life.
Whether Your Child Already Qualifies
The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 amended Section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act so that a child born outside the United States automatically becomes a U.S. citizen when four conditions overlap before the child’s 18th birthday:
- At least one parent is a U.S. citizen, by birth or naturalization. Adoptive parents count.
- The child is under 18. USCIS treats the child as under 18 even if the last condition is satisfied on the 18th birthday itself.
- The child is a lawful permanent resident (has a green card).
- The child is living in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent.
There is no required order. The instant all four are true at the same time, citizenship attaches. If a parent naturalizes while the child is already a green-card holder living with them, the child becomes a citizen at that moment. Filing the N-600 comes later, when you want the paper proof.
Who Counts as a Child
Immigration law defines “child” more narrowly than everyday usage, and misjudging this is a common reason applications are denied.
Adopted children qualify on the same terms as biological children, provided the adoption meets the requirements for an immigrant visa under federal law. Once the adopted child enters as a lawful permanent resident and lives with the citizen parent, the automatic rules apply.
Step-children cannot derive citizenship through a step-parent. The step-child definition used elsewhere in immigration law does not carry over to citizenship. The only route is legal adoption that meets the immigration requirements.
Children born out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen father need to have been legitimated under the law of the father’s or the child’s place of residence before turning 18. Without legitimation, the legal parent-child relationship does not exist for citizenship purposes and the N-600 will be denied. When the citizen parent is the mother, the child is generally recognized as hers if she is the genetic or gestational parent and is recognized as the legal parent by the relevant jurisdiction.
If Your Child Lives Abroad
The automatic rules under INA 320 require the child to be residing in the United States. If your child lives abroad with a U.S. citizen parent, you use a different form, Form N-600K, under INA Section 322. That process is not automatic citizenship. It is a naturalization application with an interview and an oath.
Under INA 322, the child must be under 18, be the biological or adopted child of a U.S. citizen parent, and be living abroad in that parent’s legal and physical custody. The citizen parent must have five years of physical presence in the United States, with at least two of those years after age 14. A U.S. citizen grandparent’s physical presence can substitute if the parent falls short and the grandparent meets the same threshold. The child must be physically in the United States when the application is approved and must take the oath here, with a narrow exception for children of active-duty military members stationed abroad on orders.
Documents to Gather Before Filing
Pulling the paperwork together first saves months. The evidence falls into a few groups.
Birth and Identity Records
You need a certified copy of the child’s foreign birth certificate, which establishes both age and the parent-child relationship. Include the child’s Permanent Resident Card as proof of green-card status. For a naturalized citizen parent, add a copy of the naturalization certificate. For a citizen parent born in the United States, a U.S. birth certificate takes its place.
Custody Documentation
If the parents are married, a marriage certificate usually handles the custody piece. If they are divorced or separated, provide the court-issued custody order or divorce decree. Joint custody is fine; sole custody is not required. A private agreement the parents wrote themselves without a court’s involvement will not satisfy USCIS. When a divorce decree is silent on custody, USCIS looks at where the child actually lives, so back up your claim with school or medical records showing the child’s residence with the citizen parent.
Foreign-Language Documents
Anything not in English needs a complete English translation. The translator must certify in writing that the translation is accurate and complete and that they are competent to translate from the original language. The certification has to include the translator’s name, signature, address, and the date. Summaries and partial translations get rejected.
Filing Form N-600
You can file online or on paper. Online filing means creating a free USCIS account, completing the form in the portal, uploading scans of your supporting documents, and paying the fee by credit card.
For paper filing, mail the form with photocopies of your evidence to one of two USCIS lockboxes. Applicants in western states, U.S. territories, and those living outside the United States send their package to the Phoenix lockbox. Everyone else mails to Elgin, Illinois. The specific street addresses differ for USPS versus private carriers like FedEx and are posted on the USCIS N-600 page.
Once USCIS receives the application, they send a receipt notice with a 13-character tracking number that lets you check case status through the USCIS online portal.
Fees, Fee Waivers, and Processing Time
The filing fee differs for online versus paper filing, and USCIS updates fees periodically. Check the current USCIS fee schedule before you file. Pay by credit card online, or by check or money order with a paper filing.
Form N-600 is eligible for a fee waiver through Form I-912. Households at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines generally qualify. For 2026, that threshold is $49,500 for a family of four in the contiguous 48 states, with higher figures for Alaska ($61,875) and Hawaii ($56,925). Receiving a means-tested benefit like SNAP or Medicaid is another way to qualify, and documented financial hardship can support a waiver even when income sits above the guideline.
As of early 2026, processing runs roughly 4.7 months from receipt to decision. Cases with requests for evidence or unusual facts run longer.
After You File
USCIS will schedule an appointment at a local Application Support Center to photograph the child. Bring the appointment notice and a valid photo ID, such as the child’s green card.
Officers then review the file to confirm every requirement is met. If something is missing or unclear, USCIS issues a request for evidence with a response deadline. Miss it and the case can be denied, so watch the mail closely during this stretch.
Once approved, USCIS schedules a separate appointment to deliver the Certificate of Citizenship. Store it with the child’s other vital records. If you then apply for a U.S. passport, the certificate is among the strongest documents you can submit.
If the application is denied, you can file a motion to reopen with new evidence, or a motion to reconsider if you believe the decision misapplied the law. Both go back to the office that issued the denial and both have filing deadlines, so talk to an immigration attorney before the clock runs out.