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The following
information summarizes key provisions of U.S. law regarding the
transmission of citizenship by a U.S. citizen parent or parents to
their child born in wedlock outside the United States (please note
that separate transmission requirements apply for children born
outside of wedlock):
The
acquisition of U.S. citizenship by birth outside the United States
is governed by Federal statutes and is based on jus sanguinis,
the right of blood. These laws on acquisition of U.S. citizenship
through a parent have always been based upon the existence of a
blood relationship between the child and parent(s) through whom
citizenship is claimed.
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If
BOTH your parents were
U.S. citizens when you were born, you may have acquired U.S.
citizenship at birth, if one parent resided in the Unites States
prior to your birth (applies to persons born anytime after 12
Noon Eastern Time, 5/24/34).
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If you were
born on or after 11/14/86, and ONE of your
parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of your birth, you may
have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen parent
was physically present in the USA for periods totaling 5 years
prior to your birth, at least 2 of which were after their 14th
birthday.
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If you were
born on or after 12/24/52 and before 11/14/86,
and ONE of your parents
was a U.S. citizen at the time of your birth, you may have
acquired U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the United States for periods totaling 10
years prior to your birth, at least 5 of which were after their 14th
birthday.
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If you were
born on or after 1/13/41 and before 12/24/52, and
ONE of your parents was a
U.S. citizen at the time of your birth, you may have acquired
U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen parent resided in
the United States for periods totaling 10 years prior to your birth,
at least 5 of which were after their 16th birthday.
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If you were
born after 12 Noon Eastern Time 5/24/34 and before
1/13/41, and ONE of
your parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of your birth, you
may have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen
parent resided in the United States prior to your birth.
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If you were
born before 12 Noon Eastern Time 5/24/34,
and ONE of your parents was a U.S. citizen at the
time of your birth, you may have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth
if the U.S. citizen parent resided in the United States prior
to your birth.
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