New Jersey Immigration Lawyer Discusses How to Prove Your Child is a Citizen
As a experienced New Jersey Immigration Lawyer, I’m often ask by clients about proving their child is a citizen of the US. Many times, clients will come to our office before they transfer abroad, specifically a US citizen. They always want to know, “I’m planning a family. What if I have one or more children abroad? How can I prove that they’re citizens? “ That’s a great question. There is a form that the embassy produces if you apply for it. It’s called the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). They give you one original, and it’s very, very hard to get a replacement.
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That form is proof of identification and citizenship. It is also very important that you get your child a passport, a US passport. You can accomplish that at the same time at the US Embassy. As an accomplished New Jersey Immigration Lawyer, I also recommend that anyone with a US citizen child born abroad applies for a Certificate of Citizenship. It looks like a naturalization certificate with a photo, and it can be used for I.D. and also to obtain a passport if you’re in this country.
However, it’s different than a Certificate of Citizenship, a Certificate of Naturalization. A Naturalization Certificate shows that you were born abroad and you became a citizen later on. A Certificate of Citizenship shows that you were born as a US citizen or derived US citizenship.
Have you found it difficult to prove your child is a citizen because they were born abroad? Contact our professional New Jersey Immigration Lawyer for advice.
This educational blog was brought to you by Susan Scheer, an experienced New Jersey Immigration Lawyer.