U.S. Citizenship
U.S. Citizenship for People Born Abroad
If you or your child was born outside the United States to an American parent or grandparent, you may already be a U.S. citizen, or be able to become one. Which route applies depends on who the American relative is, when the child was born and how long that relative spent in the United States.
For more than 40 years, Michele Coven Wolgel has helped families in Israel, Canada and around the world find the right route and prove it.
Six Routes to U.S. Citizenship
1. Through a U.S.-Citizen Parent at Birth
A child born abroad to an American parent can be a citizen from birth, even if no one ever filed the paperwork. When only one parent is a citizen, that parent usually needs to have lived five years in the United States before the birth, two of which after age 14. When both parents are citizens, one of them must have resided in the United States at some point before the birth. The child’s citizenship is recorded with a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and a U.S. passport.
Real cases: Both Parents Are Already U.S. Citizens — Is the Baby Automatically One Too? · Born in Puerto Rico: Does It Count the Same for Passing Down Citizenship?
2. When the Parents Were Not Married
Different rules apply when the parents were not married at the time of the birth. An American father must take formal steps before the child turns 18, such as acknowledging paternity and agreeing in writing to support the child, but this also depends on the paternity laws in the country where the family lives. For an American mother, the rule depends on whether the child was born before or after June 12, 2017, when the Supreme Court decided Sessions v. Morales-Santana.
Real case: I’m a U.S. Citizen — So Why Can My Son Get His Papers but Not My Daughter?
3. Through a Grandparent, Before Age 18 (Form N-600K)
If the American parent never spent enough time in the United States, the child may still become a citizen through a U.S.-citizen grandparent who did. The application must be approved and completed before the child’s 18th birthday, during a short trip to the United States.
4. Adopted Children
A child adopted abroad by American parents cannot get a CRBA, because that document only records citizenship that existed from birth. Families living abroad usually apply for citizenship with Form N-600K instead.
Real case: We Adopted Our Child Abroad — Is She a U.S. Citizen?
5. IVF, Surrogacy and Same-Sex Parents
For children born through IVF or surrogacy, what matters is which parent has a genetic or gestational link to the child, and whether the parents are married. An American parent with no biological link can still pass on citizenship if the appropriate proof of family relationship is provided, as long as the usual U.S. presence rules are met.
Real case: Same-Sex Couples and Citizenship Transmission: What One Family Learned
6. Adults Who Never Documented Their Citizenship
Many adults born abroad are U.S. citizens without knowing it. The rules that apply are the ones in force on the day you were born. For births between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, the American parent generally needed ten years of physical presence in the United States, five of them after age 14. Adults usually prove their citizenship by applying for a U.S. passport, because a CRBA can only be issued before age 18.
Real cases: My Grandfather Left the U.S. as a Baby — Is Citizenship Still Possible? · My U.S.-Citizen Parent Passed Away — Can My Child Still Get Citizenship?
Why Families Come to Us
Michele Coven Wolgel has practiced U.S. immigration and citizenship law for more than 40 years and has been a member of the New York State Bar since 1985. She runs the Registering Children of American Citizens Born Abroad community on Facebook. Elie Kirshenbaum has been a member of the New York State Bar and the Israel Bar Association since 2016. Between them, they work in English, Hebrew and Spanish.
Find Out Which Route Fits Your Family
Tell us who the American relative is, where and when each person was born, and roughly how long the American relative lived in the United States. We will tell you which route fits and what proof you will need.
Thank you.
Prefer to write directly? WhatsApp +1 647 258 4721 · partner@wolgelaw.com
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Reviewed by Michele Coven Wolgel, member of the New York State Bar since 1985 · Last reviewed: October 14, 2026. Attorney Advertising. This page is general information, not legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.