You may have already become a US citizen without knowing that. In that case, you do not need to apply for citizenship. Instead, you can simply apply for a Citizenship certificate, which could be much simpler and less costly than applying for Citizenship.
Many of my clients come to my office thinking that they have to qualify and apply for citizenship to become a US citizen; but in some cases, they are pleasantly surprised to find out they do not need to apply for citizenship because they already have become a citizen. In that case, all they need to do is to apply for a citizenship certificate.
Here is how you can save time and money by applying for a citizenship certificate.
You may file for a Certificate of Citizenship if you meet any one of the following requirements:
#1: You may file for a certificate of citizenship if all of the following actions occurred before your 18th birthday and prior to February 27, 2001: You regularly resided in the United States after admission as a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), and both of your parents, the parent having legal and physical custody of you, or your sole surviving parent naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
#2: If you are the natural born child of a U.S. citizen, you were born outside the United States and you are claiming citizenship by having been born to U.S. citizen parent(s), you automatically become a U.S. citizen at birth if: You were born to two U.S. citizen parents and at least one of your parents had a residence in the United States or one if its outlying possessions. This residence had to have taken place prior to your birth; or You were born to parents, one of whom is an alien and the other a U.S. citizen who, prior to your birth, had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after the age of 14 years.
#3: If you are the biological or adopted child of a U.S. citizen, you were born outside the United States, and you are claiming citizenship by action of law, you automatically become a U.S. citizen if: You have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, whether by birth or naturalization; and You regularly reside in the United States in the legal and physical custody of your U.S. citizen parent; and You have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and You have not yet reached your 18th birthday; and You are a biological child, you were legitimate, or you were legitimated while in the legal custody of your legitimating parent(s) prior to reaching your 16th birthday; or You are a biological child born out of wedlock and you have not been legitimated and your mother naturalizes as a U.S. citizen.
#4: If you are now over the age of 18 years but all of the above conditions applied to you before your 18th birthday and you were under the age of 18 on February 27, 2001.
*** Please note that the list above is by no means complete. You may also qualify for citizenship in other circumstances depending on the specific facts of your case.
Immigration Law Offices of Phillip Kim, Inc.
1320 E. Shaw Avenue, Ste 148
Fresno, CA 93710
(559) 761-1040
Attorney Phillip Kim represents his clients from the Central Valley, Southern California, and Northern California including Fresno County, Kings County, Kern County, Stanislaus County, Tulare County, Merced County, San Joaquin Valley County, Los Angeles County, and the San Francisco Bay area with cities such as Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Merced, Tulare, Visalia, Modesto, Stockton, Hanford, Lemoore, San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego.