How to Apply for a Certificate of Citizenship via Form N-600

The first section of the application asks whether you are a biological child of a U.S. citizen parent, adopted child of a U.S. citizen parent, child of a surrogate, or "Other," fully explaining your eligibility.

Section 2 should be filled out about you or, if you are applying for a minor, about your child.

• Personal details, USCIS/Social Security numbers, admission documents
• Indicate the type of travel document you used to be admitted into the country
  • Lawful Permanent Resident, Nonimmigrant, refugee/asylee, or other. If you obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status via an adjustment of status, indicate the date this happened and the location in Question 15D.
  • If you previously applied for a Certificate of Citizenship or U.S. passport, you need to explain in the space provided.
• Include adoption information if applicable.
• Biographic information (Ethnicity, race, height, weight, eye color, and hair color)

Complete Section 3 if you are claiming citizenship through your biological U.S. citizen parents. Should you be a U.S. citizen father applying on behalf of your child, then answer the questions about yourself regarding name, date of birth, country of birth, citizenship/nationality, physical address, and marital history.

Complete Section 4 if you are claiming citizenship through your adopted U.S. citizen parents. If you are a U.S. citizen mother applying on behalf of your child, then answer the questions about yourself regarding name, date of birth, country of birth, citizenship/nationality, physical address, and marital history.

Complete Section 5 only if a legal guardian (not a biological parent) is filing Form N-600 for a minor child.

Section 6 asks about specific dates your U.S. citizen parent(s) were physically present in the United States since they were born up until your birth. This only applies to applicants born outside the U.S. who are claiming to be U.S. citizens.

If this applies to your case, you need to write the dates of military service your mother or father had and the type of discharge, whether honorable, dishonorable, or other than honorable.

The section asks you to certify that you can read and understand English (or have an interpreter you will name in Section 9 to answer the questions). Sign and certify that the documents you provide as evidence are unaltered, exact photocopies or originals, and that you authorize the release of this form information to immigration enforcement agencies when necessary.

If an interpreter aided in completing Form N-600, list their full name, mailing address, and contact information in Section 9. They will also need to certify under penalty of perjury that they are fluent in English and the applicant's native language.

If you used a preparer (like a lawyer or accredited representative) to complete the Certificate of Citizenship form, list their full name, mailing address, and contact information. In addition, they will all need to certify and sign that they prepared the application at the applicant's request.

This space is provided to elaborate on answers to previous questions.

Do not complete this section unless you have been instructed to during your interview. Not all applicants will be required to have an interview with USCIS. The decision for an affidavit is made on a case-by-case basis according to the information in your application and supporting documents. For reasons including this one, it is always advised to have an immigration professional prepare and review your immigration documents to ensure the best case for approval of your certificate requests.

The USCIS officer will complete this section based on the documents, records, and testimony you provide. Therefore, do not write anything in this area.

You can receive a replacement Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization by filing Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document.

You will need to file Form I-912 to apply for the fee waiver.  To qualify for an N-600 fee waiver, you must demonstrate one of the following conditions:

• You or your spouse is the head of household and currently receiving a means-tested benefit (i.e., Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, housing benefits, employment allowance, Supplemental Security Income, etc.)
• Your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines at the time of filing.
• You are facing a proven financial hardship, such as unexpected medical expenses.

Since USCIS filing fees sometimes change, you should always check the USCIS website for the correct amount before making out your check.

Instructions to pay the filing fee according to USCIS:

Your check or money order must be drawn on a bank or other financial institution located in the United States and must be payable in U.S. currency. Make the check or money order payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security. NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do not use the initials “USDHS” or “DHS.” If you live outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate for instructions on the method of payment.

Failure to pay the appropriate N-600 fee will result in a rejection. If you feel you can not afford the fee and have a legitimate financial hardship, apply for an N-600 fee waiver using Form I-912.

Form N-600 is designed for U.S. citizens who do not have evidence of their citizenship to obtain a citizenship certificate. Form N-400 is for green card holders to apply to become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

So if one or both of your parents is a U.S. citizen or went through the naturalization process before you turned 18 years old, you are likely already a U.S. citizen and should use Form N-600 if you need proof of citizenship and do not have a birth certificate. However, if you have already become a naturalized citizen, your Certificate of Naturalization serves as your evidence, and you should not file Form N-400.

It is currently taking around 3 months for an N-600 to get approved.

This requirement is determined on a case-by-case basis, so not all applicants will be required to have an in-person interview with USCIS. In some instances, USCIS may also require you to provide fingerprints, photos, or signatures to verify your identity.

If your child was born in the United States, they automatically have U.S. citizenship, and their birth certificate serves as proof of their citizenship. However, if your child was born abroad to a U.S. citizen mother or father (or green card holder parents), then the legal guardian can file Form N-600 to acquire proof of the child's U.S. citizenship. The same goes for an adoptive parent who is a U.S. citizen.

Yes, in most cases, a deceased U.S. parent will not affect your ability to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship if you were eligible for citizenship based on birth, or before your parent's death. However, if you were not eligible for citizenship before your citizen parent died, that would affect your ability to get the certificate unless you can qualify based on Section 322 of the Immigration and Nationality Act requirements. 

An N-600 can be denied if USCIS determines that the application is incomplete or lacks sufficient proof. For example, if the U.S. citizen parent did not meet the physical presence requirements before the child's birth abroad, then the application could be denied.

No, Form N-600 is not required to get a U.S. passport.

No, you cannot file N-400 and N-600 together. These forms serve two different purposes, where the N-400 applies to individuals who are not U.S. citizens, and the N-600 applies to individuals who are already U.S. citizens by law.

After USCIS notifies you that they have received your application, you will be given a  13-digit receipt number. Use this receipt number on the USCIS Case Status Tool to check the processing updates. If you filed online using your USCIS account, you could also check there for status updates.