Fill Out USCIS Form N-600 Online

What is Form N-600 used for

The application asks USCIS to issue a Certificate of Citizenship, an official document recognizing that the applicant is a U.S. citizen. It does not make anyone a citizen; it documents citizenship that already exists under the law based on the facts of birth and parentage.

The certificate never expires and serves as lifelong proof of citizenship for jobs, benefits, and passport applications. A U.S. passport is alternative proof of citizenship, and some people obtain both since each document serves different practical purposes.

Who files Form N-600

Typical applicants are people born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent who met the physical presence requirements, and people who automatically derived citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 when they were lawful permanent residents under 18 living with a U.S. citizen parent.

An adult applies for themselves, and a U.S. citizen parent or legal guardian can file on behalf of a minor child. People who became citizens through their own naturalization use their naturalization certificate instead and do not need this form.

How to fill out Form N-600

The legal analysis depends on the law in effect on specific dates, so exact dates for births, marriages, naturalizations, and residence periods are the backbone of the application.

• Identify the applicant with biographic details, immigration history, and current or claimed citizenship basis.
• Complete the sections about the U.S. citizen parent or parents, including how and when they became citizens and their time physically present in the United States.
• Document the applicant's admission as a lawful permanent resident and custody arrangements where derivation through a parent's naturalization is claimed.
• Attach evidence such as birth certificates, the parent's naturalization certificate or U.S. birth record, marriage records, and proof of the parent's physical presence in the United States.
• Sign the application; a parent or guardian signs for a young child.

Filing tips

Form N-600 can be filed online through a USCIS account or by mail. Use the current edition listed on the USCIS N-600 page and check the current filing fee with the USCIS fee calculator; certain military-related applicants may have different fee rules described in the instructions.

Citizenship transmission rules changed several times over the decades, and the version that applies is the one in force on the relevant date, usually the applicant's birth. If your family history involves divorce, adoption, legitimation, or a parent's uncertain physical presence history, an immigration attorney or accredited representative can help you match the evidence to the right legal test.