Citizenship Through Parents
A complete guide for children born abroad to U.S. citizen parents, including Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), USCIS Form N-600, and the citizenship rules that determine whether you automatically qualify.
Important: Citizenship and a passport are two separate processes. You must establish citizenship first, then come to us to speed up the passport application. Courier services do not process citizenship applications.
Citizenship Scenarios
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) defines who automatically acquires citizenship at birth abroad. The rules depend on your specific situation, when you were born, and which parent is the U.S. citizen.
If you were born outside the U.S. to at least one U.S. citizen parent, you may have automatically acquired U.S. citizenship at birth under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The rules depend on the parent's physical presence in the U.S. before your birth, which parent is the citizen, and your birth date.
The U.S. citizen parent must have lived in the U.S. for a required number of years before the child's birth
For children born after Nov 14, 1986, if one parent is a U.S. citizen, they must have been physically present for 5 years, 2 of which after age 14
For children born before 1986, different rules apply depending on the parent's gender and marital status
If both parents are U.S. citizens, only one needs to have lived in the U.S. before the birth
The rules are different for children born abroad to unmarried U.S. citizen fathers. Under INA Section 301(g), the father must have been physically present in the U.S. for 5 years (2 after age 14), and there must be evidence of a blood relationship, plus a written agreement to support the child until age 18.
Father must acknowledge paternity or be established by court order
Written agreement to provide financial support until the child turns 18
The child must be legitimated before age 18 (if applicable in your jurisdiction)
These rules vary by the child's birth date — different laws applied before Nov 14, 1986
Children born abroad to unmarried U.S. citizen mothers generally acquire citizenship if the mother was physically present in the U.S. for a continuous period of 1 year at any point before the child's birth. This is one of the more straightforward paths.
Mother must have been physically present in the U.S. for 1 continuous year before birth
The law was updated in 2017 to apply equal standards to both mothers and fathers
No legitimation requirement applies to unmarried U.S. citizen mothers
Older cases may have different rules depending on the birth date
If a child born abroad did not automatically acquire citizenship at birth, the parent may petition for the child to become a U.S. citizen through USCIS. This requires filing Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship) or in some cases the parent may file for naturalization on behalf of the child.
File Form N-600 with USCIS to request a Certificate of Citizenship
The child must be under 18 and living in the U.S. under the parent's legal custody
The parent must already be a U.S. citizen (by birth or naturalization)
This process can take 12–24 months and is separate from any passport application
Note: Immigration and nationality law is complex and has changed multiple times. The rules that apply to your case depend on your birth date and the specific circumstances. Always consult the official USCIS guidance or speak with an immigration attorney for advice specific to your situation.
Step 1: CRBA
The CRBA (Form FS-240) is the equivalent of a U.S. birth certificate for children born abroad. It is the primary document used to prove U.S. citizenship at birth for passport applications. You cannot skip this step and go straight to a passport.
You must apply at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where the child was born. You cannot get a CRBA from the U.S. State Department office in the U.S. — it is an overseas process. Book an appointment through the specific embassy's website.
The child's birth certificate (foreign, original), proof of the U.S. citizen parent's citizenship (passport, naturalization certificate, or birth certificate), proof of the parent's physical presence in the U.S. (school records, tax returns, employment records, medical records), photos of the child, and the DS-2029 application form. Each embassy may have slightly different requirements.
CRBA processing typically takes 4–8 weeks from the embassy appointment, depending on the location. Some embassies are faster than others. The document will be mailed to you from the Department of State's Vital Records office in the U.S.
You cannot apply for a CRBA from inside the U.S. You cannot get a CRBA at a passport acceptance facility, a post office, or through a courier service. You must go through the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country of birth. Courier companies do not handle CRBA applications.
Where to Go
Getting citizenship and then a passport involves three separate government agencies. Understanding which agency handles what step is critical to avoiding delays and confusion.
For CRBA (Form FS-240)
The only place to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. You must visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where the child was born. Bring all required documents, photos, and the DS-2029 form.
State Dept. CRBA InfoFor Form N-600 (Certificate of Citizenship)
If the child did not automatically acquire citizenship at birth, you may need to file Form N-600 with USCIS. This is an in-country process that takes 12–24 months. The result is a Certificate of Citizenship, which can then be used for a passport application.
USCIS Form N-600For the Passport (after citizenship is confirmed)
Once you have a CRBA or Certificate of Citizenship, you can apply for a U.S. passport. This is done through a passport acceptance facility or a registered courier service. This is the step where Fast Passport Center can help speed things up to 2–3 business days.
State Dept. Passport InfoEstablish Citizenship
Get a CRBA at the embassy (if born abroad) or file Form N-600 with USCIS. This confirms the child is a U.S. citizen.
Gather Documents
Collect the CRBA or Certificate of Citizenship, passport photos, ID, and complete Form DS-11.
Get the Passport
Visit an acceptance facility for DS-11, then use a courier to get the passport in 2–3 business days.
What Couriers Can & Cannot Do
This is the most important thing to understand before calling us. Courier services are passport specialists, not immigration lawyers or USCIS representatives.
Expedite passport processing
Once citizenship is confirmed and you have the CRBA or Certificate of Citizenship, we can hand-deliver your passport application to a State Department agency and get your passport in 2–3 business days.
Pre-review your documents
We review your passport application before submission to catch errors, missing photos, or incorrect forms that would cause delays.
Provide a personalized checklist
We tell you exactly what documents you need for the passport application based on your situation (CRBA, Certificate of Citizenship, etc.).
Overnight delivery of your passport
When the passport is ready, we overnight it directly to you. No waiting for the mail.
Guide you through the DS-11 process
If you need DS-11 (new passport), we explain what happens at the acceptance facility and what to bring.
Issue or determine citizenship
We cannot decide whether you or your child qualifies for U.S. citizenship. That is USCIS's role. We cannot process a CRBA — only embassies can do that.
Expedite CRBA processing
We have no relationship with U.S. Embassies and cannot speed up the CRBA process. Embassy processing times are fixed.
File Form N-600 with USCIS
USCIS applications are handled entirely by the federal government. We cannot submit these forms or influence their processing time.
Provide legal or immigration advice
We are not attorneys. If your citizenship situation is complex (unclear parentage, residency questions, etc.), you should consult an immigration lawyer.
Guarantee a passport without citizenship proof
The State Department will reject any passport application that lacks valid citizenship proof. We cannot submit an incomplete application.
Ready to get the passport once citizenship is confirmed?
If you already have your CRBA or Certificate of Citizenship, we can get your passport in 2–3 business days. Apply now and our team will review your documents and guide you through the courier process.
Apply for Expedited PassportCommon Questions
Answers to the most common questions we receive about citizenship through parents, CRBA, and what couriers can and cannot help with.
A CRBA (Consular Report of Birth Abroad) is proof that a child born abroad acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. It is issued by a U.S. Embassy. A U.S. passport is a travel document issued by the State Department that proves citizenship and allows international travel. You need the CRBA first, then the passport. The CRBA is the 'citizenship' document; the passport is the 'travel' document.
No. CRBA applications are handled exclusively by U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad. Registered passport couriers like Fast Passport Center have no relationship with embassies and cannot influence CRBA processing times. Embassy processing is typically 4–8 weeks, and that timeline is fixed by the Department of State.
The process is the same regardless of which country the child was born in, as long as it is outside the U.S. The key is whether the U.S. citizen parent meets the physical presence requirements in the U.S. before the child's birth. If yes, the child likely acquired citizenship at birth and you should apply for a CRBA at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, or Montreal).
If the parent does not meet the required years of physical presence in the U.S., the child may not have automatically acquired citizenship at birth. In that case, the parent may need to file Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship) with USCIS, or the child may need to go through naturalization. This process takes 12–24 months and requires a separate application. An immigration attorney can help determine the best path.
It depends on the path. If you qualify for a CRBA at the embassy, the CRBA itself takes 4–8 weeks, and then the passport (with our courier service) takes 2–3 business days after that — so roughly 5–9 weeks total. If you need to file Form N-600 with USCIS, that process alone takes 12–24 months, plus the passport time after approval. The CRBA path is much faster if you qualify.
Some U.S. Embassies allow you to apply for the child's first passport at the same appointment as the CRBA application. However, this is not always available, and the passport issued by the embassy is typically a standard processing passport. If you need the passport urgently after the CRBA is complete, Fast Passport Center can then expedite the process through our courier service for a new passport in 2–3 business days.
The U.S. citizen parent must prove they lived in the U.S. for the required number of years. Accepted documents include: U.S. school transcripts (high school, college), tax returns (W-2s, 1040s), pay stubs from U.S. employers, medical records, lease agreements, utility bills, and affidavits from family members. The more documents you can provide, the stronger your case. Each embassy may have its own specific requirements.
If the U.S. citizen parent is deceased, the child may still qualify for citizenship if the parent met the physical presence requirements before death. You will need to provide the parent's death certificate, their proof of citizenship, and evidence of their physical presence in the U.S. The process is still handled through the embassy or USCIS depending on the situation.
Generally, no. U.S. citizenship is transmitted directly from parent to child, not from grandparent to grandchild (with very limited exceptions for certain military and government service scenarios). The child must have at least one U.S. citizen parent who meets the physical presence requirements. A grandparent's citizenship alone does not make the child a U.S. citizen.
Yes, adults can apply for a CRBA if they were born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent and never received one. The process is the same as for children, but you apply as the applicant. You will need the same documentation: proof of your birth, your parent's citizenship, and your parent's physical presence in the U.S. Once the CRBA is issued, you can apply for a passport.
If you already have your CRBA, Certificate of Citizenship, or U.S. birth certificate, Fast Passport Center can get your passport in 2–3 business days. We handle the courier submission, pre-review your documents, and overnight your passport to you.