Which one applies depends on two things: whether the U.S.-citizen parent passed citizenship at birth, and how old the child is now. Here is each route in full.
Start with one question: did the child acquire citizenship at the moment they were born? They did if the U.S.-citizen parent met the physical-presence test (generally 5 years in the U.S., 2 after age 14) and — if the parents were unmarried — the relevant conditions under INA 309 are satisfied.
The child only needs documentation: a CRBA if under 18, or Form N-600 at any age. A U.S. passport is a third form of proof.
Look at a grandparent (N-600K) if the child is under 18, or the immigrant-visa route that ends in citizenship via a green card.
Not sure? The pathway finder walks you through it, and Eligibility & the Law explains the tests behind each answer.
| Route | For whom | Issued by | Key form | Fee | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRBA + passport | Citizen at birth, under 18, abroad | Dept. of State (Embassy Manila) | DS-2029 + DS-11 | $100 + $100 | Proof of citizenship + passport |
| Form N-600 | Citizen at birth, any age | USCIS | N-600 | $1,385 / $1,335 online | Certificate of Citizenship |
| Form N-600K | Not yet citizen, under 18, grandparent qualifies | USCIS (interview in U.S.) | N-600K | $1,385 / $1,335 online | Grant of citizenship + certificate |
| Immigrant visa | Did not acquire at birth | USCIS + State + NVC | I-130 → DS-260 | $675 + visa fees | Green card → citizenship |
Fees per the USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055, ed. 05/29/26) and U.S. Embassy Manila. See Forms & Fees for the full table and notes.
A CRBA (Form FS-240) is the State Department’s official record that a child was a U.S. citizen at birth. It is issued only to children under 18 who were born abroad and acquired citizenship through a parent. For this scenario it is almost always the first thing to pursue, filed together with the child’s first U.S. passport.
Since November 24, 2025, Manila accepts only electronic CRBA (eCRBA) applications through the State Department’s MyTravelGov portal — paper applications are no longer accepted.
Sign in to MyTravelGov, complete the application (this generates Form DS-2029), and upload your supporting documents.
The CRBA application fee is paid through the portal.
Email proof of payment to ManilaCRBAappt@state.gov. Wait at least 72 hours after paying before requesting the slot.
Appear in person in Manila (or Cebu) with the child and, ideally, both parents. What to expect →
Bring Form DS-11 and a 2×2 photo so the child’s first U.S. passport is issued alongside the CRBA. Plan for the $100 CRBA fee, the $100 child-passport fee, and a local peso courier fee.
The CRBA must be applied for before the child’s 18th birthday. After that, citizenship is documented via Form N-600 or a passport application instead.
Sources: U.S. Embassy Manila — eCRBA · travel.state.gov — Birth Abroad.
Form N-600 asks USCIS to issue a Certificate of Citizenship — documentary proof for someone who is already a U.S. citizen, whether acquired at birth abroad or derived after birth. In the instructions’ own words: “Filing this application is NOT a request to become a U.S. citizen … it is ONLY a request to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship which recognizes that you became a citizen on a particular date.”
If the child is under 18, lives abroad, and did not acquire citizenship at birth, the parent should generally file N-600K instead — N-600 is only for those who are already citizens.
Source: USCIS — Form N-600 and its instructions.
When the father’s own U.S. presence is not enough, a child under 18 who lives abroad can still obtain citizenship under INA 322 by relying on a qualifying U.S.-citizen grandparent’s physical presence. Unlike N-600, this is an actual grant of citizenship, not just documentation.
The child typically enters on a B-2 visitor visa to attend the USCIS interview and take the Oath of Allegiance (the oath is waived for children under 14). Citizenship dates from the oath or approval.
If the U.S.-citizen parent has died, a U.S.-citizen grandparent or legal guardian may file — but only within 5 years of the parent’s death. Fee: $1,385 paper / $1,335 online; may be filed from abroad.
Source: USCIS — Form N-600K · Policy Manual Vol. 12, Pt. H, Ch. 5.
If citizenship did not pass at birth and there is no grandparent route, the U.S.-citizen parent petitions for the child as a relative. The child immigrates as a lawful permanent resident, and citizenship follows — automatically if they are a minor living with that parent, or by naturalization later.
Establishes the parent-child relationship. A U.S. citizen’s unmarried child under 21 is an Immediate Relative (IR-2) — no quota, no waiting list. Fee $675 / $625 online.
After approval, the NVC collects fees and the DS-260 visa application and civil documents, then schedules the interview at Embassy Manila (medical exam at St. Luke’s required).
Pay the $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee; the child is admitted as a lawful permanent resident.
If under 18 and living in the U.S.-citizen parent’s custody in the U.S., the child becomes a citizen automatically under the Child Citizenship Act — then files N-600 to document it. If already an adult, they naturalize with Form N-400 after meeting residence rules.
Sources: USCIS — Form I-130 · State Dept — Immigrant Visa Process.
This is the quiet hero of the immigrant route. A child born abroad automatically becomes a U.S. citizen — no application, no fee, no ceremony — the moment all of these are true before the 18th birthday:
There’s no required order — citizenship vests the instant the last condition is met. The child can then file N-600 or apply for a passport purely to document a status they already hold. This is why immigrating a minor child so often ends in automatic citizenship rather than naturalization.