In its continuing efforts to promote more efficiency in its processes, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that applicants now have the ability to file Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship and Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 online.
L. Francis Cissna, director of USCIS, noted that traditional paper filing of petitions often creates a burden on those seeking an immigration benefit and those who are adjudicating petitions. He also noted that “this addition to our online capabilities is yet another positive advancement toward a more efficient and convenient filing experience for everyone involved.” In addition to Forms N-600 and N-600K, USCIS allows for electronic filing of Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card; Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a decision in Naturalization Proceedings; Form N-400, Application for Naturalization; and Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document.
Applicants can file Form N-600 for themselves or their minor children if they were born abroad and are claiming U.S. citizenship at birth through their parents or automatically became a U.S. citizen after birth, but before they turned 18 years old. Applicants are eligible to file Form N-600K if they regularly reside outside of the U.S. and wish to claim citizenship based on their parents’ citizenship. It is essential that applicants secure lawful admission to the U.S. in order to complete processing for Form N-660K. It should be noted that children of U.S. service members have separate requirements for naturalization. Military service members do not pay a filing fee when submitting Form N-600 on their own behalf, so currently, they cannot file this application online.
Now, applicants or their attorneys can complete the above forms, submit accompanying evidence, upload passport-style photos, pay the filing fee, respond to USCIS requests for evidence, monitor the status of applications, and manage their contact information all electronically. Paper filings are still accepted, but USCIS hopes this is another step in the right direction towards increasing efficiency.
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