Kinds of Citizenship
Citizenship of the United States comes in two different kinds; automatic and naturalized citizenship. Citizenship provides the person with certain rights and privileges including federal assistance. The U.S. Constitution outlines citizenship and how to achieve citizenship. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service oversees citizenship and the acquisition of citizenship.
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Born in the United States
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Children born in the United States are U.S. citizens automatically. Children born in the United States from persons other than United States citizens are also considered citizens; generally, the birth certificate is sufficient proof of their citizenship. This kind of citizenship is granted by the Constitution, but is taken away by an act of treason. A child under 5 of unknown birth parents is assumed to be a natural-born citizen until parentage is established.
Born Outside the United States
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Children of one or two U.S. citizens born outside the United States are U.S. citizens. This is the same kind of citizenship as if you were born within the United States, but you may need to provide more documentation. When the parent takes the birth certificate to the local social security office, the parent must provide proof of citizenship before the government authorizes citizenship to the child. The parent must also provide proof that he lived within the United States within five years before the child's birth, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
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Equivalent Citizenship
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A person born in American Samoa or Swains Island is a noncitizen national. The Social Security Administration functionally treats these individuals as natural-born citizens because the territory belongs to the United States. The U.S. Department of State's Foreign Affairs manual outlines citizenship including the rules that apply to noncitizen nationals.
Naturalized Citizen
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A naturalized citizen is a foreign national who has applied for citizenship in the United States and been approved after meeting all the requirements. The person wanting to attain citizenship must first have permanent residence status within the United States. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service grants this permanent residence status to foreign nationals residing in this country. Five years of lawful permanent residence status (or three years if you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen) allows you to apply for citizenship. Acceptance of a citizenship application allows you to take the citizenship test. If you pass, you take an oath of citizenship stating that you will accept the U.S. Constitution and defend the Constitution as your own.
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References
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service: Citizenship
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service: Proof of United States Citizenship
- U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs: Citizenship Manual Volume 7
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service: Naturalized Citizenship
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service: Eligibility Requirements
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service: Citizenship Through Parents
Resources
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Comments
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I am 42 my grandmother is U.S. citizen I would like become a U.S. citizen through my grandmather. I have rights to become. now can I claimed.
