Possible Red Flag for my naturalization application?

Hello,

I am a fulltime student at a community college. I recently filled out the
FAFSA (federal student aid form) and they required I show proof of
citizenship to my school. So I brought my U.S. passport and the school clerk
said that it wasn\'t sufficient proof of my citizenship. I was born in
Europe. My parents were naturalized when I was a minor and they filled out a
paper for me as well, when they applied for naturalization, but it was
returned (because i was a minor?).

The clerk suggested i have their certificate faxed, because i should be on
there, but I wasn\'t on their certificate.

I didn\'t know until now that I am not a citizen. Here\'s the problem, when
i turned 18 i registered to vote in my state and i did vote twice. Before I
turned in my registration to vote form I called my local registrar of voters
to make sure that it was o.k. for me to vote (i was confused then, because i
had both a u.s. passport and my green card). They wern\'t sure so they
called social security administration and got back to me and said it should
be alright.

So i see now on the naturalization application form they ask you if you\'ve
ever registered to vote, and then if you have voted (in any election, local
or fed).
Is my voting grounds for a denial? If I add in there that I thought that I
legitimately was a citizen via my parents?

Thank you!
Barbara

No not if you did not know what you were doing and the error was in good faith.

But I would suggest you do involved immigration legal counsel at this point, just to be sure of how to best proceed now given your details.

[tanja53]

How can you have a US passport without being a citizent.

So I believe that you are already a citizent.

I know that they ask for proof that you are an american BEFORE they issue a passport.

YOU CAN HAVE A US PASSPORT AND NOT BE A CITIZEN. THIS IS TRUE.
BUT BECAUSE YOU WHERE A MINOR, YOU VOTED WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM.

YOU ARE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE BECAUSE YOUR FOLKS ARE CITIZENS OR WERE CITIZENS WHILE YOU WERE A MINOR. WHICH ENTITLED YOU TO APPLY FOR NATURALIZATION TOO.

I SUGGEST YOU TALK TO A LAWYER. THIS ISSUE IS NOT BAD.
ITS BETTER YOUR LAWYER (IMMIGARTION) EXPLAINS THE CONFUSION TO
USCIS.

[tanja53]

Originally Posted by mAX1

YOU CAN HAVE A US PASSPORT AND NOT BE A CITIZEN. THIS IS TRUE.
BUT BECAUSE YOU WHERE A MINOR, YOU VOTED WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM.

YOU ARE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE BECAUSE YOUR FOLKS ARE CITIZENS OR WERE CITIZENS WHILE YOU WERE A MINOR. WHICH ENTITLED YOU TO APPLY FOR NATURALIZATION TOO.

I SUGGEST YOU TALK TO A LAWYER. THIS ISSUE IS NOT BAD.
ITS BETTER YOUR LAWYER (IMMIGARTION) EXPLAINS THE CONFUSION TO
USCIS.

I have no clue where you got that info.
Then just anybody could get a US passport without being a citizent.

You need a birth certificate when you apply for a first time passport to prove just that you are a citizent.

Dont belive me. Go to Welcome to Travel.State.Gov and see for your self.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hello,

I am a fulltime student at a community college. I recently filled out the
FAFSA (federal student aid form) and they required I show proof of
citizenship to my school. So I brought my U.S. passport and the school clerk
said that it wasn\'t sufficient proof of my citizenship. I was born in
Europe. My parents were naturalized when I was a minor and they filled out a
paper for me as well, when they applied for naturalization, but it was
returned (because i was a minor?).

The clerk suggested i have their certificate faxed, because i should be on
there, but I wasn\'t on their certificate.

I didn\'t know until now that I am not a citizen. Here\'s the problem, when
i turned 18 i registered to vote in my state and i did vote twice. Before I
turned in my registration to vote form I called my local registrar of voters
to make sure that it was o.k. for me to vote (i was confused then, because i
had both a u.s. passport and my green card). They wern\'t sure so they
called social security administration and got back to me and said it should
be alright.

So i see now on the naturalization application form they ask you if you\'ve
ever registered to vote, and then if you have voted (in any election, local
or fed).
Is my voting grounds for a denial? If I add in there that I thought that I
legitimately was a citizen via my parents?

Thank you!
Barbara

I am a CBP Officer (formerly know as INS Inspector), and I deal with these issues at work everyday. Your problem can be solved easily. If either one of your parents were U.S. citizens (in or out of wedlock), you can automatically derive citizenship from one or both of them as long as you were a minor (under the age of eighteen) at the time. All you have to do is to request an appointment with USCIS, and present proof that you derive citizenship. Your school counselor has no clue of what he/she is talking about. I hope this helps you solve your problem.

You are a U.S. Citizen. Because your parents obtained the U.S. citizenship while you were a minor (under 18). Under the law a US citizen parent may claim citizentship for their children under the age of 18 even if they still live abroad.