Children born abroad to U.S. citizen parents may have a claim to U.S. citizenship. If the parent(s) lived in the U.S. long enough to transmit citizenship, a child's birth may be reported at this Embassy and a U.S. passport and social security number may be obtained for him or her.
We strongly recommend that the birth of your child be reported to this Embassy as soon as possible after the birth.
Proving Physical Presence in the United States
If only one parent is an American citizen and your child was born before November 14, 1986, the American parent must prove that he or she was physically present in the United States for a total of 10 years prior to the birth of the child, at least 5 of those years after the parent turned 14 years old.
If your child was born after November 14, 1986, the American parent must prove a total of 5 years of physical presence in the United States prior to the birth of the child, at least 2 of those years after the parent turned 14.
Documents usually accepted as primary evidence include original signed and sealed school transcripts or report cards, tax returns stamped by the IRS, or W-2 Forms. U.S. passports bearing entry and exit stamps are accepted as secondary evidence. Other types of secondary evidence include immunizations records, evidence of medical treatment or court appearance, or bank statements demonstrating checking account activity.
PLEASE NOTE:
EVEN IF YOU HAVE REGISTERED PREVIOUS CHILDREN, YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO SUBMIT THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING PROOF OF PHYSICAL PRESENCE IN THE U.S., IN ORDER TO OBTAIN CITIZENSHIP FOR YOUR CHILD. The burden of proof lies on the American citizen parent and not on Embassy staff who may adjudicate your case. If you cannot meet the physical presence requirement or cannot obtain sufficient evidence that you were in the United States, you may wish to apply for a non-immigrant visa or immigrant visa for your child, depending on the purpose of your trip.
Alternatively, if you are unable to confer citizenship to your child, your parents may be able to apply for expedited naturalization for your child if they are both American citizens. See http://www.uscis.gov for more information.
