You can obtain US citizenship through Naturalization or by birth.
Naturalization is the process of acquiring citizenship after birth.
On fulfilling certain requirements, a foreign citizen is granted US Citizenship by the process of Naturalization.
Form N-400 is the Application for Naturalization.
If you acquire naturalization and citizenship through your parents, you may not file form N- 400 which is an Application for Naturalization.
You can file Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, if you claim to have acquired or derived citizenship through your parent.
U.
S.
citizenship through parents can be acquired by: Your birth in the United States or in any US territory such as Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam.
Through acquisition, if you were born to U.
S.
citizen parents or parent.
Through derivation, if you parents were naturalized, provided that you are below 18 years of age.
The children of US citizen parents are US citizens.
No matter where you were born, in the US or abroad, you may be an American citizen provided that both your parents were US citizens or if one of them was a US citizen, during your birth.
Certain variables taken into account are, your date of birth, whether your parents were US citizens when you were born.
If you were born in the United States, you will automatically acquire US citizenship, unless your parent was a foreign government official who was a recognized diplomat in the US.
If you were born in the US, you will never lose your citizenship unless you choose to give it up.
If one of your parents becomes a citizen through Naturalization, you can become a US citizen by the process of derivation.
In order to gain the advantages of this law, your are required to live with the naturalized parent.
Moreover, in order to gain citizenship through your parent, you must be a green card holder and must be below the age of 18, when your parent gets naturalized.
If you were not born in the United States and at least one parent was a U.
S.
citizen at the time of the your birth, you will automatically acquire US citizenship.
You are required to satisfy certain conditions to acquire citizenship and naturalization through derivation.
This is an automatic method used to obtain Citizenship and is called "Automatic Naturalization".
You need not take part in the Naturalization ceremony as you get naturalized automatically through your parent.
But certain circumstances are taken into consideration.
You must be a Green card holder or a permanent resident of the US to become a citizen by the process of derivation.
If you wish to gain Citizenship through derivation, you must be single and below 18 years of age.