Do you need a US passport? Applying for a US passport can be confusing. At Rush Passport™ we make getting a passport easy. US citizens can apply for a first time passport or passport renewal at our NY passport agency. There are certainly situations in which getting a passport is not so easy.
When a person is not a US citizen, they must first become a citizen before they can receive a passport. One complicated situation occurs when a child applies for citizenship through a parent. This is known as derivative citizenship. In this case, citizenship through a parent is generally granted automatically. However, derivative citizens usually want proof of citizenship. Two commons forms of proof of citizenship are US passports or Certificates of Citizenship.
There are two sets of rules that apply to derivative citizenship. There is one set of rules for children who are not yet 18 years of age as of February 27, 2001. There is another set of rules for people who have already turned 18 years old as of February 27, 2001.
For children who are not 18 years old as of February 27, 2001, holds derivative US citizenship if:
- A parent was a United States citizen when the child became a permanent resident or when the parent was naturalized prior to the child’s 18th birthday.
- The child became a permanent resident prior to turning 18 years old.
- The child was single (unmarried).
A person who was already 18 years old or older as of February 27, 2001 holds derivative US citizenship upon the naturalization of a parent if:
- The other parent was or became a US citizen prior to the child turning 18 years of age.
- The child was born to unmarried parents and the naturalized parent was the mother.
- The child’s other parent was no longer alive.
The child’s parents were divorced or separated and the parent being naturalized maintained legal custody of the child after the divorce/separation.
After reading this passport blog, if you feel convinced that you are a derivative US citizen then you should get a passport to prove citizenship.
Getting a US passport is less expensive than getting a Certificate of Citizenship. Also, passport officials are less difficult to deal with than the US Citizenship and Immigration Services when it comes to deciding whether a person derived US citizenship.
If you are interested in getting a US passport, if you need a visa or if you would like a US passport card, contact the passport professionals at Rush Passport™. Rush Passport™ New York City passport office specializes in passport expediting services.
Give us a call at (212) 643-9305. Rush Passport™ Official US Passport Expeditors, serving Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, Westchester County, Nassau County & Suffolk County, Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
