Filling
Out the Application for Certificate of Citizenship
Do I need to do this?
If your adoption was finalized in the foreign country and your child came home on an IR-3 visa, then do you not need to file any additional forms. Your child should receive a Certificate of Citizenship within 45 days of arriving home.
IR-3 visas are typical for
adoptions from
Children adopted from
If you’re not sure which type of visa your child has, you can check their foreign passport. It will be stamped either with an “IR-3” or “IR-4”, thus telling you which group you belong in.
Why am I being given this form when there are already
instructions attached to the N-600 form?
The N-600 form does have an official instruction sheet, and you are welcome to refer to that either in addition or instead of this document. These additional instructions are intended to clarify what is or is not required in particular for parents applying on behalf of their minor child.
Will I need to do anything after I send in this form?
Once your application for a Certificate of Citizenship is reviewed and approved, you will get a letter asking you to send in the original (not a copy) green card. Then once the green card is received, they will issue you the Certificate of Citizenship.
If you have lost or destroyed the original green card, you need to send a letter explaining why you don’t have it to send in.
I have changed my child’s name when I re-adopted him in
the
In some cases (e.g., for some Guatemalan adoptions), your child’s name may be wrong on the Certificate of Citizenship that you receive. If this happens, then you will need request a new Certificate of Citizenship under the correct name using form N-565. Instructions for filling out the N-565 are included at the end of this document.
How long does it take to get a Certificate of
Citizenship?
As of January 2007, it is taking around 10 months to process these forms.
What you’ll need
· Form N-600, the Application for Citizenship
o Extra copies can be downloaded from the USCIS website at http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/N-600.pdf
· 2 Passport-type Photographs of your child
o Take your child to a place that does passport photos (Photo Express, Walgreens, Walmart, etc.) within 30 days of sending in the form.
o Tell the photographer that you need a passport photo.
o Note that as of September, 2004, full-frontal photographs are required.
§ This is different from the ľ frontal view specified in the instructions for the N-600.
§ These new requirements are listed on the USCIS website, and were confirmed by Orphan Petition Officer Andy Lambrecht as of 4/15/05.
o Also note that you only need to submit 2 pictures (not 3)
§ The new requirement was communicated to Children and Families First on 4/15/05 by the Orphan Petition Officer Andy Lambrecht.
· Identifying documents for your child
o
A copy of your
o
Evidence of any legal name changes (if
applicable). This could be the
o In theory, you should not have to submit any documents if the USCIS already has a copy of them from your child’s immigration file. However, just to be safe, it’s best to also include:
§ A copy of your child’s birth certificate from the foreign country
§ A copy of your child’s green card, if you have one
o Copies do not need to be notarized.
· The filing fee of $255
o Note that the N-600 instructions are out of date and show an incorrect fee amount.
o You can pay either by check or money order made out to United States Citizenship and Immigration Service.
To start with:
· Please print clearly or type your answers using CAPITAL letters in each box.
· Use black or blue ink.
· Persons who became citizens under several very different sections of law use this form. Only those sections of this form that are relevant to the eligibility of your child need to be completed.
· If a question does not apply to you, write N/A (meaning “Not Applicable”) in the space provided.
· If you need extra space to answer any item:
o Attach a separate sheet of paper (or more sheets of needed);
o Write your child’s name, your child’s “A” number, and N-600 at the top right corner of the sheet; and
o Write the number of each question for which you are providing additional information.
Part 1. Information About You.
Here, “you” means the applicant, or your child. Just fill in the information about your child:
Give your child’s “A” number from his/her permanent resident card (formerly known as the “Green” card) in the space indicated in the top right hand corner. If your child does not have a Permanent Resident Card, use the INS “A” number reflected on the Service-issued travel document. If the “A” number has less than 9 numbers, place enough zeros before the first number to make a total of 9 numbers on the application. For example, write card number A1234567 as A001234567, or write card number A12345678 as A012345678.
A: Current legal name of your child (after
your final adoption in the
B: Name from the Permanent Resident Card (or “green” card).
C: Here, put your child’s birth name, and any other names used between then and the final adoption.
D. Put your child’s social security number, if he or she has one. If he or she doesn’t have one, write “N/A”.
E. Put your child’s date of birth. For the date, use a full, 4-digit year: e.g., 03/10/2005.
F. Put your child’s country of birth.
G. This is usually your child’s country of birth. If your child was a citizen of multiple countries before you brought them home, refer to the official Instructions.
H. Indicate whether your child is a male or female.
I. Give your child’s height in feet and inches.
Part 2. Information About Your Eligibility
Check C: I am a
Part 3. Additional Information About You.
Again, “you” means the applicant, or your child. Fill in the information from your child’s perspective.
A. Your current home address. Do not write a P.O. box address.
B. Your current mailing address, if different from your home address. If it’s the same as your home address, write “Same”
C. Telephone numbers are optional, but providing them may help the USCIS contact you if they have any questions.
D. Check “Single, Never Married”
E. Information about your child’s entry
into the
1.
Write the name of the city and state where (you and)
your child went through customs when arriving to the
2.
Indicate which document your child used to enter the
3. Check that your child entered as “An Immigrant”
4. Indicate “N/A”
F. If you already have a passport for your child, or have applied for either a passport or a certificate of citizenship, check “Yes” and attach a separate sheet of paper indicating what happened with the application and whether a certificate or passport was issued.
G. Check “Yes”. If there was an adoption proceeding in your
child’s country of birth, you will provide information here about your child’s
foreign adoption. If there was no official
foreign adoption, then put the date and place of the final adoption in the
·
Indicate the date of the foreign adoption (if
there was one). If there was not a
foreign adoption, enter the date of the
·
Indicate the place of the foreign adoption (if
there was one). If there was no foreign
adoption, enter the place of the
· For “Date Legal Custody Began”, put down the date that you took legal custody of your child. Use a full, 4-digit year, e.g., 03/10/2005. Depending on your type & country of adoption, the date legal custody began could be:
o The date the adoption was final in the foreign country; or
o
The date of your final adoption in the
· For “Date Physical Custody Began”, put down the date that your child was handed over to you. For the date, use a full, 4-digit year: e.g., 03/10/2005. Depending on your type & country of adoption, the date physical custody began could be:
o The first date that you had your child with you in the foreign country. (This is if you traveled abroad to pick up your child.)
o
The first date that your child arrived home to
you as a foster child (e.g., from
o The first date that your child arrived home to you after being escorted from their home country.
Note that in many cases, the date that physical
custody began will be different from the date that legal custody began. In some cases, where the adoption was
finalized overseas, the legal custody may have started before physical custody
began. In others, as in adoptions from
H. Check “Yes”. Here, provide information about your child’s re-adoption in the United States.:
·
Indicate the date of the final
·
Indicate the place of the final
·
For “Date Legal Custody Began”, put down the
date that the adoption was final in the foreign country, if the adoption was
finalized abroad. If there was no
foreign adoption, then put the date of the
· For “Date Physical Custody Began”, put down the date that your child was handed over to you. For the date, use a full, 4-digit year: e.g., 03/10/2005. Depending on your type & country of adoption, the date physical custody began could be:
o The first date that you had your child with you in the foreign country. (This is if you traveled abroad to pick up your child.)
o
The first date that your child arrived home to
you as a foster child (e.g., from
o The first date that your child arrived home to you after being escorted from their home country.
I. If you and your spouse were married to each other at the time of the adoption, then check “Yes”. If you are a single parent adopting a child, then write “No”. If you adopted as a single person but since the adoption have gotten married, still check “No”.
J. Write “N/A”
Part 4. Information about the Adoptive Father
Complete this part if the adoptive father is a
A. Current legal name of the adoptive father.
B. Date & Country of birth for the adoptive father. For the date, use a full, 4-digit year: e.g., 03/10/1970.
C. Country where the adoptive father was born.
D. Home address for the adoptive father. Do not put P.O. Box numbers here.
(note that here the USCIS form has a typo, leaving off a field indicating your country of nationality)
F. Indicate how the adoptive father
obtained citizenship. If he was born
here, check “Birth in the
G. Most people here will check “No”. If the adoptive father ever lost
H. If the adoptive father was born in the
H/I. (note here another typo repeats the letter “H” as a section header)
1. Write the number of times that the adoptive father has been married.
2. Provide information about the adoptive father’s current spouse. Please write dates in the format MM/DD/YYYY, with a full, 4-digit year. Check the appropriate box to indicate whether the spouse is a citizen or not. If you are a single adoptive father, write “N/A”.
3. If the adoptive father is married to the adoptive mother, check “Yes”.
Part 5. Information about the Adoptive Mother
Complete this part if the adoptive mother is a
A. Current legal name of the adoptive mother.
B. Date of birth for the adoptive mother. For the date, use a full, 4-digit year: e.g., 03/10/1970.
C. Country where the adoptive mother was born.
D. Country of nationality for the adoptive mother. This is the country in which you are currently a citizen.
E. Home address for the adoptive mother. Do not put P.O. box numbers here.
F. Indicate how the adoptive mother
obtained citizenship. If she was born
here, check “Birth in the
G. Most people here will check “No”. If the adoptive mother ever lost
H. If the adoptive mother was born in the
I. Marital History
1. Write the number of times that the adoptive mother has been married.
2. Provide information about the adoptive mother’s current spouse. Please write dates in the format MM/DD/YYYY, with a full, 4-digit year. Check the appropriate box to indicate whether the spouse is a citizen or not. If you are a single adoptive mother, write “N/A”.
3. If the adoptive mother is married to the adoptive father, check “Yes”.
Part 6. Information about Military Service
Write “N/A”
Part 7. Signature
Write “N/A”
Part 8. Signature of Person Preparing This Form Other than an Applicant
You will fill out this part of the form since you (the
parent) are filling out the application on behalf of your child. Either the adoptive mother or the adoptive
father can be the “preparer”, but the preparer should be a
Print your name, then sign it and put your phone number, date, and address on it. For “Name of Business”, put “N/A”.
Remember to sign the form!
Part 8. Affidavit
LEAVE THIS PART BLANK
Part 9. Officer Report
LEAVE THIS PART BLANK
If you receive a Certificate of Citizenship for your child and your child’s name is incorrect (reflecting an old name) or misspelled, you will need to submit an Application for a Replacement Citizenship Document (N-565). This form can be downloaded from the USCIS website. General instructions for Form N-565 include: (1) Please print clearly or type your answers, and (2) Use black ink.
What you’ll need
· Form N-565, the Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document (http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/N-565.pdf )
· The original Certificate of Citizenship that you received for your child (the one with the wrong name). You’ll need to submit the original Certificate of Citizenship along with your request for a new document.
· A copy of your Order of Adoption for your child. This shows that your child’s name was changed, and should show both the old and new name.
· 2 Passport-type Photographs of your child
o Take your child to a place that does passport photos (Photo Express, Walgreens, Walmart, etc.) within 30 days of sending in the form.
o Tell the photographer that you need a passport photo.
o Note that as of September, 2004, full-frontal photographs are required.
§ This is different from the ľ frontal view specified in the instructions for the N-565.
§ These new requirements are listed on the USCIS website.
· The filing fee of $220.00.
o
If you are applying for a new certificate
because you changed your child’s name when you did their adoption in the
o If there was an actual misspelling on the original Certificate of Citizenship, and you are asking for a correct version, then you will check block 2(d) of Part 2 and not need to submit the fee.
o You can pay either by check or money order made out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Filling Out the
N-565 Form
Part 1. Information About You.
Here, “you” means the applicant, or your child.
Name. Write your child’s current (new) last name, first name, and middle name(s)
Address - In care of:. Write your name.
Address. Write your address, including country, in appropriate fields.
Date of Birth. Write your child’s birth date, with the full 4-digit year (MM/DD/YYYY).
Country of Birth. Write your child’s country of birth.
Certificate #. Write the original Certificate of Citizenship Number Here.
A #. Write your child’s INS registration (“A number”) here. You should see it listed towards the top of the Certificate of Citizenship document.
Part 2. Type of application.
1. You are applying for: (a) a new Certificate of Citizenship.
2. Your basis for the application
o
If you have changed your child’s name in the
o If you are asking for a new certificate because of a misspelling or typo on the original form, then check (d) my certificate or declaration is incorrect.
Part 3. Processing information
Child’s Info. Indicate your child’s gender, height, and marital status (“Single”).
My last certificate was issued to me by:
Indicate where the original Cert. of Citizenship was issued, the date of issuance, the name used on the document, and other name(s) that your child has had.
Since becoming a citizen, have you lost your citizenship
in any manner?
Check “No”.
Part 4. Complete if applying for a new document because of a name change
Assuming that you are applying for a new certificate because you have changed your child’s name, you need to:
Check “Court Decree”, and supply the date of the adoption decree.
Be sure to attach a copy of the adoption decree.
If you are applying for a new certificate because of a typo in the original certificate, leave this section blank.
Part 5. Complete if applying to correct your document
If you are applying for a new certificate because you have changed your child’s name, you can put “N/A” in this section.
If you are applying for a new certificate because of a typo in the original certificate, provide an explanation of the typo, along with other documentation that proves the correct name.
Part 6. Complete if applying for a special certificate
Leave this section blank.
Part 7. Signature
Put “N/A” on this line.
Part 8. Signature of person preparing form, if other than above (sign below)
Sign your name, then print your name, then put the date.
Put “N/A” in the line for “Firm Name and Address”.