citizenship for minor Son

[sbg]

Hi,

me, my wife and our 7-year old India-borned Son have all completed 5-year of green card stay in US few months ago.

Question # 1:
Is it possible to apply for US citizenship only for myself and my Son?
Or do both parents need to get US citizenship and then only a minor child can get US citizenship?

Question # 2:
Do I need to wait for parent(s)'s US citizenship procedure to be completed before filing for minor's certificate of citizenship (form N-600)
OR minor's application can be filed along with parents' N-400 application?

Thanks,
-SB

[BigJoe5]

Complete the N-400 process first

Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA), your child will become a citizen at the same time as his first qualified parent.

You have indicated that you and the child(ren)'s mother are married and presumably you all live together and you all have greencards. That means that as long as your situation remains the same, your child will automatically acquire citizenship when the first one of you parents naturalizes.

So, as soon as the parent has their Naturalization Certificate (don't forget to sign it) make copies for any LPR children's (unmarried and under 18 when you naturalize) N-600 Applications.

Don't send any originals to USCIS (they can check it, they made the certificate after all).

Your child's file probably won't have all the documents that were previously submitted in the immigration process. They will be in one or both of the parents' files. Make sure you have all the evidence and it should simply be a matter of a short time and the certificate will be delivered.

Some offices like to have special Citizenship Celebrations for the kids others would rather just mail you the certificate. Since he's 7, it could go either way. He is old enough to appreciate the excitement of big special day but he is young enough that USCIS doesn't need him to sign anything.

If you have a preference, certificate by mail or wait for Children's Citizenship Ceremony. Write a cover letter explaining your preference. Smaller Offices (I don't know where you live?) Might have such Celebrations less frequently, some wait for school break times.

Since these types of easy N-600 cases are so easily handled by mail, it might be adjudicated at a Service Center and they would prefer to just mail it out. However, some local offices demand that the files be sent so that they can have Children's Ceremonies, again, make your preference known. You could ask your local USCIS Office what they normally do.

BYE.