An official website of the United States government
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Child Born Out of Wedlock
A June 12, 2017 ruling by the Supreme Court changed the transmission requirements for children born out of wedlock overseas to U.S. citizen parents. The new requirements took effect on the day of ruling Children born on or after June 12, 2017 must use the new transmission requirements.
Type of Claim |
Applicable Physical Presence or Residence Requirement |
U.S. citizen mother and non-citizen (or unknown) father |
5 years of physical presence in the U.S., 2 of which were after the age of 14 |
U.S. citizen father and non-citizen mother |
5 years of physical presence in the U.S., 2 of which were after the age of 14 |
U.S. citizen father and U.S. citizen mother |
Either (or both) parent(s) must have resided in the U.S. at some point prior to the child’s birth |
Type of Claim |
Applicable Physical Presence |
U.S. citizen mother and non-citizen (or unknown) father |
1 year continuous physical presence in the U.S. or overseas possession |
U.S. citizen father and non-citizen mother |
5 years of physical presence in the U.S. or possession, 2 after the age of 14 |
U.S. citizen father and U.S. citizen mother; claim through the father |
Residence of either parent in U.S. or overseas possession |
U.S. citizen father and U.S. citizen mother; claim through the mother |
1 year continuous physical presence in U.S. or overseas possession |
Notes:
Please call your nearest Consulate or Embassy:
Emergency Contact – All Locations Enroll in STEP International Parental Child Abduction Arrest of a U.S. Citizen Death of a U.S. Citizen Victims of Crime Emergency Financial Assistance