Baltimore Citizenship Services for Aspiring U.S. Citizens

Other Pathways to Citizenship

More than one route is available to U.S. citizenship, depending on your circumstances. 

These include:

BECOMING A U.S. CITIZEN THROUGH BIRTH

Citizenship by birth is one of the most common ways to become a citizen of the United States. Any person birthed in the United States automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. This law also applies to persons born in Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Members of sovereign Native American tribes and children birthed by parents who are foreign diplomats are exempted from this law.

BECOMING A U.S. CITIZEN THROUGH ACQUISITION

Children can automatically become citizens of the United States, even if they were born outside of the country. However, at least one of the following factors must be met for a child to "acquire" citizenship.

ACQUISITION THROUGH A PARENT

This factor requires that one parent is a U.S. citizen at birth and that the child was born on or after November 14, 1986. Additionally, the parent who is a U.S. citizen must have been physically present in the United States or its territories and stayed at least five years before the child’s birth. Two of these five years must be before or after the parent's 14th birthday.

ACQUISITION THROUGH BOTH PARENTS

A child can become a U.S. citizen if both parents were citizens, one or both parents lived in the United States or its territories before the child's birth, and both parents were married when the child was born.

ONE PARENT WAS A U.S. CITIZEN

This condition is for children born between 1952 and 1986, specifically before November 14, 1986, but after October 10, 1952. One or both parents must have been physically present in the United States or its territories for at least 10 years, five of which must be before or after their 14th birthday. Also, both parents must have been married when the child was born.

BECOMING A CITIZEN THROUGH DERIVATION

This citizenship path applies to children of parents who obtained citizenship through naturalization. Children under 18 living with their parents at the time of naturalization can automatically "derive" citizenship, provided they are permanent residents.

The child doesn't have to undergo naturalization in cases like this. 

Foreign-born children under the age of 18 will automatically derive U.S. citizenship if the three requirements below are satisfied:

• At least one parent is a U.S. citizen
• The child is a green card holder, that is, a permanent resident in the United States
• The child must be in the physical and legal custody of their U.S. parent and must be living in the United States

Citizenship through derivation cannot be implemented with step-parents. Additionally, the laws regarding the automatic naturalization of children have changed over the years. To determine if a specific law applies to you or your child, you must look at whether or not the law existed when the parent was naturalized as a U.S. citizen.