Immigration Attorney N.M.Gehi Describes Basics of Obtaining US Citizenship
U.S. citizenship can be obtained in one of four ways:
-birth in the United States or its territories -birth to U.S. citizen parents -naturalization (the grant of citizenship after an application and exam), or -naturalization of one’s parents.
How can one obtain citizenship through his/her parents?
A child born with one or both parents being U.S. citizens can acquire U.S. citizenship. The law on citizenship acquired through parentage has changed over the years. Currently, for those born from November 14, 1986 to the present, the following rules apply:
If at the time of birth, both your parents were U.S. citizens and at least one had a prior residence in the United States, the child automatically acquires U.S. citizenship with no conditions for retaining it. If only one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth, that parent must have resided in the United States for at least five years, two of which must have been after the age of 14. No other act need be done to keep this type of citizenship. If one U.S. citizen parent is the father and the child was born outside of …