Welcome Immigration Attorney Tanya M. Lee

Citizenship Acquired at BirthCitizenship Acquired at Birth  Born outside the U.S.  One or both parents were U.S. Citizens (USC) at the time of your birth  USC parent(s) “transmitted” citizenship to you at birth

Law in Effect Differs Over Time, With Different Requirements  Some Factors:  Whether your parents were married at the time of your birth  Whether only one or both parents were US citizens at the time of your birth  Whether the USC parent is the father or the mother  How much time the parent(s) spent in the U.S. prior to your birth, and at what age(s)

Current Law for ExampleCurrent Law for Example  If a child is born outside the US to a US citizen parent, generally speaking, the US citizen parent needed to have spent 5 years in the US before the child’s birth, with two of those years being after the age of 14.  The “physical presence” requirement does not need to be a continuous period of time; total amount of time is the key; even short visits will count.  Again, certain factors will determine the requirement (marital status of parents; mother vs. father being the US citizen parent, etc.

So I Am a U.S. Citizen, Now What?  PROVE IT! (Yes, but how?)  Collection of documents  Apply for a U.S. Passport  Apply for a Certificate of Citizenship

Which One Should I Choose?  Application for Passport  Pros  Less expensive, quicker process.  Can be applied for from within the U.S. at a passport agency and from outside the U.S. at a U.S. Embassy.  Cons  US passports do expire and need to be renewed  US passports only show issue date, not that US citizenship was acquired at birth.  N-600  Pros  Updates the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with a person’s immigration status (i.e., citizenship).  Permanent certificate – never expires.  Certificate indicates that the person was a US citizen from the date of birth.  Cons  More expensive, longer process, interview required with oath.  Must be applied for from within the U.S.

Which One Should I Choose?  Application for Passport  Pros  Less expensive, quicker process.  Can be applied for from within the U.S. at a passport agency and from outside the U.S. at a U.S. Embassy.  Cons  US passports do expire and need to be renewed  US passports only show issue date, not that US citizenship was acquired at birth.

Which One Should I Choose?  N-600  Pros  Updates the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with a person’s immigration status (i.e., citizenship).  Permanent certificate – never expires.  Certificate indicates that the person was a US citizen from the date of birth.  Cons  More expensive, longer process, interview required with oath.  Must be applied for from within the U.S.

To determine if you acquired U.S. citizenship from a parent at birth, contact the Law Office of Tanya M. Lee, PLLC  the following information to Tanya M. Lee at  Your name, your date of birth, and your country of birth  Which parent was a US citizen at the time of your birth? (Mother, Father, or Both)  Were your parents married to each other at the time of your birth?  If your parents were not married to each other at the time of your birth, did they later marry each other?

For questions, or to arrange a confidential consultation for an immigration matter, contact the Law Office of Tanya M. Lee, PLLC  at  (480)   Facebook: Law Office of Tanya M. Lee  Tanya-M-Lee-About-US-Visas/ Tanya-M-Lee-About-US-Visas/ 