A person can become a citizen of the United States either by birth or adoption or through naturalization.  If any of your parents or grandparents was a U.S. citizen, you may be, too.  Children may become citizens in certain instances when their parents become citizens.  Find out if you already are or may be eligible to become a U.S. citizen.

Citizenship

A person who is born in the United States, in most cases, is automatically a citizen of the United States.  Additionally, a person who is born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent may also automatically be a citizen of the United States.  However, in order to show that a person born abroad is a U.S. citizen, multiple requirements must be met.  Moreover, the law that applies to citizenship for persons born abroad has changed multiple times, and the law that was in effect at the time the person was born applies to his or her case.  For a careful analysis to determine if you or someone you know may have acquired U.S. citizenship through parents, contact our office.  Our attorneys can help determine the law that applies to you.

Naturalization

Naturalization occurs when a person voluntarily applies to become a U.S. citizen. In order to naturalize, a person must be a permanent resident who has lived in the United States for a set period of time (usually three to five years).  Special rules apply to military service members. If you are a permanent resident and you are interested in becoming a U.S. citizen, please contact our office.

Child Citizenship Act

Under the Child Citizenship Act, the minor (under the age of 18) children of U.S. citizens can skip permanent residency and automatically become U.S. citizens.  The parent must apply for permanent residency for his or her child.  When the application is approved while the child is still under 18 and present in the United States, the child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen.  This applies to adopted children, as well, so long as the two-year legal and physical custody requirements have been met.  For a careful analysis to determine if the Child Citizenship Act applies to you or someone you know, please contact our office.  Our attorneys can help determine whether the law applies in the particular situation.