Children Born Abroad To Us Citizen

[citygirl]

I know the process required to register your child's birth with the US embassy in order for child to obtain citizenship and that the parent(s) must prove they spent a certain amount of time in the US. However, can anyone confirm if the child is required to spend a certain amount of time in the US as well in order to retain said citizenship?

I think no but wanted to confirm.

Thanks

 

[ArgentinaTravel.us]

NO time required in US ... it is automatic. Another slave, I mean human resource, for the machine.

 

[nicoenarg]

No children born to US citizens don't need to spend time in the US, but it is automatic only in the sense that the child has the right to be a US citizen however you have to register the birth at a US consulate/embassy.

http://travel.state..../birth_593.html

 

[ArgentinaTravel.us]

Fact is a child born outside of the US to US parents cannot enter the US on a VISA. Only a passport. There are specific reasons why the US wants all children to be ciitzens automatically.

 

[citygirl]

I'm aware of the passport - just wanted to confirm that the retention requirements were still suspended (there used to be a certain amount of time kids had to spend in the US but it got nullified). But since things always change, worth checking.

Although they eventually will have to spend time in the US I guess if someday they want to have kids and pass along their citizenship. 5 years AFAIK.

Speaking of, I need to order my college transcripts and the like to get that paperwork started so I can get them passports when they're born..

Thanks.

 

[Vagrant Violet]

Hey, Citygirl!

As you know, I'm in the same boat as you. FYI- I had called the US embassy with a random doubt that I was unable to confirm on their website. In both of our cases, we are US citizens/future moms with Argentine partners/fathers. They did in fact inform me that the father, despite not being a citizen, will have to accompany the US born mother and the child/ren to obtain the dual citizenship that you are applying for.

From what I've researched and read (quite a bit!), it's really straightforward process. It's not just because it's unlike a spousal visa, this is your blood-related direct offspring, and understandably, moreover, considering that in both of our cases, the biological mother is the US citizen, it's as simple as it can possibly get (since proving paternity for a US citizen father can be more questionable at times).

Also, the 5 yrs required for you to have legally resided in the US do NOT have to be consecutive, but 3 of the minimum 5 must have been over the age of 14 yrs.

That's all I know of for now, but for what it's worth, even though you have to set up an appointment beforehand, pay the fees, have all the documents ready and whatnot, in the event that you don't have a particular paper on you or something is not filled out correctly, etc., it's fine, the child legally has up to his/her 18th birthday to claim dual citizenship.

Un beso!

 

[Jaredberryman]

I think this is correct from what I read:

The child cannot lose citizenship once they have their passports and register at the embassy, but when your children have grandchildren, how long they were in the USA could effect whether or not their children get citizenship. But right now, I believe it would still be possible for the grands to even get a US passport even if the parents had not lived for 5 years in the US.

 

[Icabod]

The sooner you do it, the easier it will be, simply because you are going to need some documentation to demonstrate that you, as the AMCIT mother, spent the required amount of time in the US to pass along your citizenship. With the passage of time, and the loss of documents and memory, these things become harder. My advice to both of you is to make the process as simple as possible for the interviewing Consular officer at the Embassy. One of the best methods for documenting your time in the US (if you have been abroad for a long time) is to make an entry on a spreadsheet for each period that you lived in the US, where you lived, and for how long. Then try and find something document-wise to prove it. It might sound a bit over the top, but remember that the burden is on the AMCIT to prove they meet the requirements. Furthermore, the easier you make it, the faster it will go. Good luck.