I am a PR over 30 yrs now. Both my parents are USC. I would like to apply for citizenship but i dont know which route to go-the N400 or the N600. My parents were married and both applied for citizenship-i was 17yrs old at this time. For whatever reason my mom recieved her citizenship first(still 17yrs old) and my dad recieved his a couple months later. I am now 18yrs old. I have been told different answers as to which route i should go-the N400 vs the N600. The N600 appears to be the easier and the shorter time to go. My brother recieved his citizenship via the N600 route 2 yrs ago because he was under 18yrs old when both my parents recieved their citizenship. I was told because i was 18 when my dad was naturalized, i could not get my citizenship that way. Anyone have an answer-which way to go. I have called USCIS and gotten different answers so i am trying this board.

quote:

Originally posted by circle:
I am a PR over 30 yrs now.

?!?

1. Your mother naturalized when you were under 18 y/o
2. and, at that time you were permanent resident?

Is the above corect?

how do you know you are not a citizen? Your mother could have petitioned you. You may want to do a foia (freedom of information act) request to see if you can obtain your mother's application.

yes-thats correct.

quote:

Originally posted by aneri:

quote:

Originally posted by circle:
I am a PR over 30 yrs now.

?!?

1. Your mother naturalized when you were under 18 y/o
2. and, at that time you were permanent resident?

Is the above corect?

yes

quote:

Originally posted by mc@usasylum.us:
how do you know you are not a citizen? Your mother could have petitioned you. You may want to do a foia (freedom of information act) request to see if you can obtain your mother's a
pplication.

My mom is alive and she remembers putting all the childrens name on the application. The problem i am told is that when my dad recieved his citizenship-i was 18yrs old and that disqualify me, because my parents were married at the time. They said if they were not married then i could qualify. .

When did your mother become US citizen? You say you are 18, so it was in a last few years?

I do not know about this in depth, but read the following:

" A child who is:
"¢ Born to a U.S. citizen who did not live in (or come to) the United States for the
required period of time prior to the child's birth, or
"¢ Born to one U.S. citizen parent and one alien parent or two alien parents who
naturalize after the child's birth, or
"¢ Adopted (stepchildren cannot derive or acquire citizenship through their stepparents)

and is permanently residing in the United States can become a U.S. citizen by action of
law on the date on which all of the following requirements have been met:
"¢ The child was lawfully admitted for permanent residence*; and
"¢ Either parent was a United States citizen by birth or naturalization**; and
"¢ The child was still under 18 years of age; and
"¢ The child was not married; and
"¢ The child was the parent's legitimate child or was legitimated by the parent before
the child's 16th birthday (children born out of wedlock who were not legitimated
before their 16th birthday do not derive United States citizenship through their
father); and
"¢ If adopted, the child met the requirements of section 101(b)(1)(E) or (F) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and has had a full and final adoption; and
"¢ The child was residing in the United States in the legal custody of the U.S. citizen
parent (this includes joint custody); and
"¢ The child was residing in the United States in the physical custody of the U.S.
citizen parent.
If you and your child meet all of these requirements, you may obtain a U.S. passport for the
child as evidence of citizenship. If the child needs further evidence of citizenship, you may
submit an "Application for Certificate of Citizenship" (Form N-600) to USCIS to obtain a
Certificate of Citizenship. (NOTE: A child who meets these requirements before his or her
18th birthday may obtain a passport or Certificate of Citizenship at any time, even after he or
she turns 18.)
*NOTE – Children who immigrated under the "IR-3" or "IR-4" categories must have had an
immigrant petition filed on their behalf before their 16th birthday; see answers to Question
26. All adoptions for any other type of immigration benefit, including naturalization, must
be completed by the child's 16th birthday, with one exception: A child adopted while under
the age of 18 years by the same parents who adopted a natural sibling who met the usual
requirements.
**NOTE - the "one U.S. citizen parent" rule applies only to children who first fulfilled the requirements for automatic citizenship (other tha at birth abroad) on or after February 27, 2001. In order to qualify for automatic citizenship (other than at birth abroad) on or before February 26, 2001, both of the child's parents must have been United States citizens either at birth or through naturalization"”both parents if the child had two parents; the surviving parent if a parent had died; the parent with legal custody if the parents were divorced or legally separated; or the mother only, if the child had been born out of wedlock and the child's paternity had not been established by legitimation.

I am now in my 40's, my parents recieved their citizenship in 1979. I read the ruling over and over and im still not clear regarding this matter. Someone i know who was in a similiar situation - came to the US as a young child-was a PR but not sure if she is a citizen -both her parents passed away. She applied for a US passport and recieved it because she was a citizen.

sorry I got all confused. When you wrote "I am a PR over 30 years now" I thought you meant "over 3 years" as you also wrote "I am now 18 yrs old". (OK I got it - you meant when your father naturalized)

You can try with N600. If you are not a citizen (I don't know the law that applied in '79), and get rejection, you can always apply on your own for citizenship. Good luck