A Certificate of Citizenship is the document USCIS issues to prove that a person is already a US citizen through a parent, either by acquiring citizenship at birth abroad or by deriving it automatically as a child. You apply on Form N-600. It does not grant citizenship; it confirms citizenship that already exists, and it never expires.
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| Form | N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, filed with USCIS |
|---|---|
| Who can file | Anyone who acquired or derived citizenship through a parent, at any age; a parent files for a child under 18 |
| What it proves | Citizenship that already exists; it does not grant anything new |
| Child living abroad | Form N-600K under INA § 322, completed before age 18 |
| Replacement | Form N-565 for a lost, damaged or incorrect certificate |
| Attorney fee | A flat fee, agreed in writing; USCIS filing fees paid separately |
What is a Certificate of Citizenship?
A Certificate of Citizenship is a USCIS document that proves you are a US citizen through a parent. You may have gained that citizenship at birth abroad, or automatically as a child after you immigrated. Either way, you apply for it on Form N-600, the Application for Certificate of Citizenship.
The certificate does not make you a citizen. The law did that, on the date the conditions were met, and the certificate records that date. That is the central difference from naturalization, in which USCIS grants citizenship after an application and an oath.
| Certificate of Citizenship | Certificate of Naturalization | |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives it | A person who became a citizen automatically through a parent | A permanent resident who applied and took the oath |
| Form | N-600, or N-600K for a child living abroad | N-400 |
| What USCIS decides | Whether citizenship already exists, and since when | Whether to grant citizenship |
| Expiry | None | None |
Some permanent residents never became citizens through a parent. For them, the route is naturalization on Form N-400 instead.
Who can apply for a Certificate of Citizenship?
You can apply for a Certificate of Citizenship if you acquired US citizenship at birth abroad through a citizen parent. The same goes for derived citizenship, gained automatically as a child through a parent who was or became a citizen. There is no age limit for filing, as long as you met the conditions before you turned 18.
- Acquisition at birth You were born abroad to a US citizen parent. That parent met the residence or physical presence requirement of INA § 301 or § 309 on your birth date. The children born abroad page sets out those rules.
- Derivation under INA § 320 Before you turned 18, you were a lawful permanent resident with at least one US citizen parent. In addition, you lived in the United States in that parent’s legal and physical custody, as 8 U.S.C. § 1431 sets out. This applies if you were under 18 on February 27, 2001, or born after that date.
- Derivation under former INA § 321 If you were already 18 on February 27, 2001, older rules apply. They generally required both parents to naturalize. One parent was enough only in specific cases, such as the other parent’s death or a legal separation with custody.
A parent or legal guardian files the N-600 on behalf of a child under 18. However, a child who lives abroad and did not acquire citizenship at birth uses a different form. That form is the N-600K under INA § 322, and the child has to complete it before turning 18.
Do you need one if you already hold a US passport?
You do not need a Certificate of Citizenship if you hold a valid US passport. Both are full proof of citizenship, and the law requires neither. Still, many people get a certificate anyway, for practical reasons.
- It never expires You have to renew a passport, and a lapsed passport can mean proving citizenship again from the underlying records.
- It records the date The certificate states when citizenship began. That date can matter for a later petition, for a family member’s case or for benefits.
- The evidence is fresh now Parents’ records, school transcripts and custody orders are easier to collect today than in twenty years.
- It settles doubt For someone who still carries a green card from childhood, a certificate replaces uncertainty with a USCIS decision.
What evidence does an N-600 need?
An N-600 application needs evidence of your identity and your relationship to the citizen parent. It also needs proof of the parent’s citizenship and of every condition the law required on the relevant date. The exact list depends on whether you acquired or derived citizenship.
- Your birth certificate With a certified English translation if it is in another language, such as Armenian or Russian.
- The parent’s citizenship A US birth certificate, passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship. For derivation, also the date the parent became a citizen.
- Marriage and divorce records The parents’ marriage certificate and any divorce decrees, including earlier marriages on both sides.
- Physical presence records For acquisition at birth, dated school, employment and tax records. They place the citizen parent in the United States before your birth.
- Status and custody records For derivation: your green card, and any custody order if your parents divorced or separated.
- Adoption or legitimation records Where the parent-child relationship depends on an adoption decree, a paternity acknowledgment or a court order.
How does USCIS decide an N-600?
USCIS decides an N-600 on the documents, sometimes after an interview at a field office. It checks each legal condition against the law in effect on the relevant date. Then it approves the application and issues the certificate, or denies it in writing.
- Filing You file the N-600 online or by mail with the supporting evidence and the filing fee set by USCIS.
- Biometrics USCIS may schedule a fingerprint and photo appointment, depending on your age and the case.
- Request for evidence or interview USCIS may ask for more documents, or interview you and the citizen parent. It can also waive the interview when the record is already clear.
- Decision USCIS approves or denies the application in writing.
- Certificate On approval, USCIS issues the Certificate of Citizenship, often at an appointment at a local field office.
If USCIS denies the application, you can generally appeal to the Administrative Appeals Office on Form I-290B within 30 days. Alternatively, you can ask USCIS to reopen or reconsider, or file a new N-600 with better evidence. Processing times vary by office and change often.
How do you replace a lost Certificate of Citizenship?
You replace a lost, stolen, damaged or incorrect Certificate of Citizenship by filing Form N-565 with USCIS. The same form replaces a Certificate of Naturalization.
Form N-565 also covers a certificate that needs a new name after a marriage or a court-ordered name change. Likewise, it corrects a USCIS error, such as a misspelled name or a wrong date of birth.
If you need to prove citizenship while the replacement is pending, a valid US passport serves the same purpose.
What goes wrong with N-600 applications?
Most N-600 problems come from the wrong version of the law, or from a condition met a little too late. A few days on either side of an 18th birthday can decide the case.
- The green card came after 18 Derivation under § 320 requires a green card before age 18, not only a citizen parent.
- The parent naturalized after 18 If your parent’s oath came after your 18th birthday, you did not derive citizenship.
- Custody after divorce Where parents divorced, USCIS looks for legal custody in the citizen parent. That usually means a custody order, or the law of the place the custody arose.
- Adoption timing An adopted child generally qualifies only if the adoption took place before 16, with limited exceptions.
- Pre-2001 cases USCIS applies former § 321 to someone who turned 18 before February 27, 2001. Even so, many assume the newer rules apply to them.
Suppose the review shows that you did not derive citizenship. You are still a permanent resident, and you can apply to naturalize when you are eligible. Knowing that before filing avoids a denial.
What does an N-600 matter cost?
This firm quotes a Certificate of Citizenship matter as a flat fee, agreed in writing before any work begins. That covers an N-600 or an N-600K. USCIS sets the filing fee, and you pay it separately, directly to the government.
The first consultation is free and takes about thirty minutes, in person or by phone or video. Our fees and consultations page explains how we set the flat fee. For related matters, see the citizenship and naturalization overview.