Have you read several articles claiming you are an American citizen, but you are not sure if you are? This short article aims to help you see things more clearly. In particular, it will allow you to understand under what circumstances the United States considers you a US citizen. For a more detailed opinion or a specific situation, we suggest that you consult one of our specialists.<\/p>\n\n
First, the classic situation: you were born to American parents. You automatically have US citizenship if one of your parents was a resident of the United States before you were born.<\/p>\n\n
The frequently observed situation: you were born in the United States to parents who were not American citizens. With some very specific exceptions, you normally have US citizenship from birth.<\/p>\n\n
The rarer situation: you were born outside of the United States and its territories, but one of your parents has American citizenship. More work is needed to determine if you have US citizenship or not! You will first need to analyze the number of years spent in the United States and the status of your other relative (resident or foreigner). Sometimes it will be necessary to go back to the grandparents to validate whether a person acquired American citizenship at birth.<\/p>\n\n
Finally, a permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) can also apply for US citizenship (naturalization) by completing Form N-400, but they will first need to meet several criteria to be eligible.<\/p>\n\n