Expeditious naturalization, the so-called "grandparent clause" - If you want to confer US citizenship on your grandchildren, please refer to the following.
What is expeditious naturalization? It is a way provided by Section 322 of the INA (Immigration and Naturalization Act) for a grandchild born abroad of a U.S. citizen parent to become a naturalized U.S. citizen through a living grandparent or a grandparent who has been deceased for less than 5 years as long as the grandparent in either case meets the 5-year physical presence requirement (2 years of which are after the age of 14) of living in the U.S. The five years is cumulative - any period of time spent in the U.S. can be counted. In this case the U.S. citizen parent is unable to fulfil the requirement. The grandchild regularly resides outside of the U.S. in the legal custody of the U.S. citizen parent and must be under the age of 18 years. The whole process must be completed by the child's 18th birthday.
The application form is N-600K obtained from the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) website, which is http://www.uscis.gov. Click on the top tab "Forms" and towards the end of the long list of forms you will find "Application for Certificate of Citizenship Section 322-N-600K (or simply go directly to http://www.uscis.gov/n-600k). Click on the two links- one for downloading the 13 pages of instructions and the other for the 15 pages of the application form. The U.S. citizen parent fills out the application on behalf of the child with the necessary documentation of copies of U.S. citizenship, birth certificates and records documenting the grandparent's physical presence requirement in the U.S. and photos of the grandchild. If the U.S. citizen parent who otherwise meets the eligibility requirements of INA 322 has died, then the grandparent of the alien child of the deceased U.S. citizen parent or a U.S. legal guardian may file this application at any time within five years of the U.S. citizen parent's death.
The only N-600 Form that will be accepted must be the most recent one, currently 13 February, 2017. Fees are $1,170. There is no fee if you are a member or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, but you must prove proof of service. The form, fees and supporting documentation must be filed at one of the following address:
USCIS
P.O. Box 20100
Phoenix, AZ 85036
To submit an N-600K via express mail or courier deliveries, use the following address:
USCIS
Attn: Form N-600K
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85034
E-Notification: If you are filing your Form N-600K at one of the USCIS Lockbox facilities, you may elect to receive an email and/or text message notifying you that your application has been accepted. You must complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the first page of your application in order to receive the notification. To download a copy of Form G-1145, including the instructions, click on the link at the top of the page.
The U.S. citizen parent then receives a letter of approval from the field office giving the date for an appointment for an interview. The U.S. citizen parent and the child must come to the U.S. for the interview. The grandparent is not required to attend, but is welcome to come. An appointment may be scheduled together with a family vacation in the States by requesting such a time when the application is first mailed.
A Certificate of Citizenship issued by the Department of Justice is given directly to the grandchild at the end of the interview. (This immediate issuance may vary in different immigration offices). Then an application for a U.S. passport may be made through the State Department at a local U.S. Passport Office or abroad through an American Embassy using the certificate of citizenship as proof of the grandchild's U.S. citizenship. Please note that the USCIS does not issue passports.
Updated by Judy Furukawa, Citizenship Committee Chair
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