Certificate of Citizenship

While most US citizens will never obtain a Certificate of Citizenship, a Certificate of Citizenship is used to prove US citizenship for individuals who acquired citizenship through their parents (rather than through the naturalization process). A Certificate of Citizenship is typically used by individuals who were born abroad. For example, a US citizen who was born abroad to a US citizen parent and a non-US citizen parent might want to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship, as might a US citizen who obtained citizenship through adoption by US citizen parents, to prove their U.S. Citizenship.

While it is possible to obtain a US passport without also obtaining a Certificate of Citizenship, it can nevertheless be advisable to obtain the Certificate of Citizenship so that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has a record of one’s citizenship. If a passport is lost or the US citizen parents die, it can be hard to get proof of citizenship years after the fact, so ensuring that USCIS has an individual recorded as a citizen can save a lot of bureaucratic hassle.

If you are interested in learning more about citizenship, contact Tanner Law Offices at (717) 731-8114 to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys.