There are a number of ways to gain citizenship status, depending on your background. For children who were born out of the country, an application for derivative citizenship may be required to receive an official certificate of citizenship. Regardless of a person’s location, whether that is in California or elsewhere, certain requirements must be met before derivative citizenship can be approved.
Derivative citizenship is defined as citizenship that is granted to children through their parents. This process can be used to gain citizenship certificates for children who are born outside of the country, either to parents who are citizens residing outside the United States, or for foreign-born adopted children who are brought to the country and whose adoptive parents are citizens. This can also be utilized by immigrants to the country who become naturalized and would like their children who are under the age of 18 to also be granted citizenship.
Depending on the specific circumstances of each case, certain conditions must be met before derivative citizenship is granted. Different qualifications exist for gaining citizenship at birth or after birth for children younger than 18. A chart giving specific details for each situation can be found through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department.
The conditions for derivative citizenship can be confusing. California residents who think their children may qualify to gain citizenship status through this procedure may require assistance to ensure all the specific requirements are met. Legal help is available to help and may prove a valuable asset when working through this process.
Source: uscis.gov, “Citizenship Through Parents“, , Sept. 12, 2014