Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322, is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application for a child who lives outside the United States to obtain citizenship and a Certificate of Citizenship under section 322 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The applicant is the child's U.S. citizen parent or, if that parent has died, a U.S. citizen grandparent or legal guardian. On this page you can fill out Form N-600K online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; USCIS publishes the form, its instructions and the filing details at uscis.gov/n-600k.
Last updated
What is N-600K?
Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322, is the USCIS form a U.S. citizen parent, grandparent or legal guardian files to obtain U.S. citizenship and a Certificate of Citizenship for a child who resides outside the United States, under INA section 322.
The form screens eligibility first. Part 1 asks whether the child is under 18, resides outside the United States and regularly lives in the legal and physical custody of a U.S. citizen parent. A "No" to any of those three questions means the child is not eligible and Form N-600K should not be filed. Later parts collect information about the child, any adoption, the U.S. citizen parent, the other parent, a grandparent or legal guardian when one applies, and the physical presence in the United States of the parent or grandparent.
Filing does not produce immediate citizenship. The USCIS instructions say the application cannot be adjudicated immediately: processing is completed in the United States, generally with an interview of the child and the applicant, the Oath of Allegiance (required for children 14 or older) and receipt of the Certificate of Citizenship. Children of U.S. armed forces members residing abroad under official orders can complete the process outside the United States.
Form N-600K is not for replacing a lost or stolen certificate; the instructions point to Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, for that.
Who needs to file N-600K?
The main filer is a U.S. citizen mother or father who has legal and physical custody of a child under 18, regularly lives outside the United States and seeks citizenship for the child under INA section 322. The child must have one of the parent-child relationships the instructions list: biological child, child of a non-genetic gestational parent who is also the legal parent, child of a spouse who was married to the genetic or gestational parent at birth, or adopted child.
Other filers, only in the cases below:
- U.S. citizen grandparent: may file within 5 years of the death of the child's qualifying U.S. citizen parent.
- U.S. citizen legal guardian: may file within five years of the qualifying parent's death and does not have to meet the physical presence requirements.
Do not file Form N-600K if:
- the child already acquired citizenship automatically under the INA, or meets the requirements of INA section 320(c) for children of armed forces members or U.S. Government employees;
- your only relationship to the child is as a stepparent, unless you adopted the child;
- you are not the child's U.S. citizen parent and that parent is still living;
- the child is 18 or older or married;
- you need to replace a lost or stolen certificate.
An attorney or accredited representative may represent you and attaches Form G-28 or G-28I.
When to file N-600K
The child must be under 18 and unmarried until USCIS administers the Oath of Allegiance, so file early enough for the interview to happen before the 18th birthday. The USCIS instructions say to file Form N-600K at least 90 days before the requested interview date, because USCIS reviews the form, schedules the interview and sends the appointment notice to the foreign address. USCIS schedules no interview until it finds the application complete, so missing information or evidence can delay it, and a request to change the designated USCIS office may also delay processing.
A grandparent or legal guardian must file within 5 years of the death of the child's qualifying U.S. citizen parent. USCIS advises waiting for the appointment notice before traveling to the United States, and notes that it cannot assist in obtaining a visa. Part 9 of the form asks for a preferred USCIS office and a date range that is at least 90 days after filing and before the child's 18th birthday.
Documents you need
- Two identical recent color passport-style photographs of the child: 2 by 2 inches, full face frontal view, white to off-white background, glossy thin paper, unmounted and unretouched, with the child's name and A-Number (if any) lightly printed on the back.
- The child's birth certificate or record, issued and certified by a civil authority in the country of birth.
- The U.S. citizen parent's birth certificate or record, issued and certified by a civil authority in the country of birth.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship of the qualifying parent (and grandparent if applicable), such as a U.S. birth certificate, Form N-550, Form N-560, Form FS-240 or a valid unexpired U.S. passport.
- Proof of the required physical presence in the United States of the U.S. citizen parent (or grandparent, if the parent does not meet it), such as school, employment or military records, deeds or leases, or passport copies.
- Marriage certificates of the U.S. citizen parent or child, if applicable, and documents showing termination of a marriage (certified divorce decree, death certificate or annulment document).
- Proof of the U.S. citizen parent's death, if applicable; required for applications by a grandparent or legal guardian to show the death occurred within the preceding five years.
- Proof of legitimation, if the child was born out of wedlock and the U.S. citizen parent is the father.
- Certified evidence of legal guardianship, if the applicant is a legal guardian.
- Proof of legal and physical custody of the child in cases of divorce, legal separation or adoption.
- Form I-94 copy, if available, or the passport or travel document the child used to travel to the United States, even if expired. Not required in the armed forces process abroad.
- For an adopted child: a copy of the full, final and complete adoption decree plus the Form I-600 or I-800 approval notice, IR-3/IR-4/IH-3/IH-4 visa evidence, or evidence of adoption before age 16 and two years of legal custody and joint residence.
- Court documents showing any legal name or date of birth change of the child, if applicable.
- For any document in a foreign language: a full English translation with the translator's signed certification of accuracy and competence, name, date and contact information.
- If a required document is unavailable: a typed or printed explanation plus secondary evidence such as a baptismal certificate, school record, census record or, if none exist, two sworn affidavits.
How to fill out N-600K
Answer the Part 1 eligibility questions
Enter the child's A-Number if any, then answer Item Numbers 1. through 8. about age, residence outside the United States, custody, lawful permanent resident status and any parent in the armed forces or U.S. Government employment abroad. If you answer "No" to Items 1. through 3., do not file.
Identify who is filing in Part 2
Select U.S. Citizen Parent, U.S. Citizen Grandparent or U.S. Citizen Legal Guardian. A grandparent or legal guardian may file only if the child's U.S. citizen parent died during the last five years.
Enter the child's information in Part 3
Select the child's relationship to the U.S. citizen parent, then give the legal name (no nicknames), other names used, date of birth as mm/dd/yyyy, countries of birth and citizenship, sex, height and marital status. Answer Item 11 on prior passport or certificate applications.
Provide the child's addresses
In Item Number 12. enter the mailing address; in Item Number 13. enter the physical address only if different. Do not use a PO Box in Item 13 unless it is the only address, and enter 00000 if there is no ZIP or Postal Code.
Complete adoption details in Part 4
Answer whether the child was adopted. If Yes, give the place and date of the full, final and complete adoption, and, if the orphan (Form I-600) or Hague (Form I-800) process was not used, the date legal custody began and the dates of joint residence.
Describe the U.S. citizen parent in Part 5
Enter your own legal name, date and country of birth, physical address and whether the parents were married. If the citizen parent is an unmarried father, list where he and the child have lived (Item 6), say how the parent became a citizen, and give an A-Number if any. Explain any loss of citizenship in Part 13.
Enter the other parent in Part 6
Provide the other parent's legal name, date and country of birth, country of citizenship or nationality and physical address if different from the citizen parent's.
Fill in Part 7 if it applies
If you are the grandparent or legal guardian, or the parent relying on the grandparent's physical presence, give your name, birth details, address, how citizenship was acquired and any loss of citizenship. Legal guardians also complete Items 8. through 10. Otherwise skip to Part 8.
List physical presence in Part 8
Select whether the information relates to the U.S. citizen parent or grandparent, then list every From and Until period (mm/dd/yyyy) of presence in the United States from birth to the present, including time before becoming a citizen. Use Part 13 if you need more space.
Choose the interview location and dates
In Part 9, enter the preferred USCIS office city and state and a date range that begins at least 90 days after filing and ends before the child's 18th birthday.
Add contact details and sign Part 10
Enter your daytime and mobile telephone numbers and email address, then sign and date Item 4. in handwriting.
Complete Parts 11, 12 and 13 if needed
An interpreter completes and signs Part 11; a preparer other than the applicant completes and signs Part 12. Use Part 13 for extra answers, citing page, part and item numbers. Leave Parts 14 and 15 blank.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Check every part against your evidence, that no box is double-marked in Part 1, and that N/A or None is entered where required. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, then assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit N-600K
USCIS accepts Form N-600K online or by mail (paper). Filing online requires a USCIS online account, which also lets you pay the filing fee, submit passport-style photos, check case status and respond to requests for evidence.
- Online: create a USCIS online account and file through it. Fee waiver requests are not processed online; send a paper form by mail if you request one.
- By mail from outside the U.S.: USCIS Phoenix Lockbox. USPS: USCIS Attn: NATZ, P.O. Box 20100, Phoenix, AZ 85036-0100. FedEx, UPS and DHL: USCIS Attn: NATZ (Box 20100), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806.
- By mail from inside the U.S.: USCIS Elgin Lockbox. USPS: USCIS Attn: NATZ, P.O. Box 4088, Carol Stream, IL 60197-4088. FedEx, UPS and DHL: USCIS Attn: NATZ (Box 4088), 2500 Westfield Drive, Elgin, IL 60124-7836.
A filing fee applies; the instructions refer you to Form G-1055 and the USCIS Fee Schedule for the amount. A mailed form must show the edition date and page numbers on every page, all from the same edition, or USCIS may reject it. To get an e-mail or text when a lockbox accepts your form, clip Form G-1145 to the first page. Do not send original documents unless the instructions request them. For questions, call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833). FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the USCIS channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filing Form N-600K after answering "No" to any of Part 1, Item Numbers 1. through 3.; the form says such a child is not eligible to obtain citizenship this way.
- Checking more than one box in Part 1, which USCIS says causes rejection and return of the form for correction and refiling.
- Submitting the form unsigned, or with a stamped or typewritten name instead of a handwritten signature; USCIS rejects it.
- Having a stepparent, or anyone other than the child's U.S. citizen parent while that parent is living, file the application.
- Filing after the child turns 18 or marries, or too late for the interview and Oath of Allegiance to happen before the 18th birthday.
- Leaving out evidence of the parent's or grandparent's physical presence in the United States; the instructions warn the case may be delayed or denied.
- Filling in Part 14 or Part 15; Part 14 is completed at the interview and Part 15 is for USCIS use only.
- Mailing a printed form with missing pages or pages from different editions; USCIS may reject it.
- Giving an incomplete mailing address in Part 3, Item Number 12., which can leave USCIS unable to return a rejected application and fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form N-600K used for?
Form N-600K is the USCIS application for U.S. citizenship and a Certificate of Citizenship under INA section 322 for a child who resides outside the United States. A U.S. citizen parent files it or, if that parent died, a U.S. citizen grandparent or legal guardian.
Who is eligible to file Form N-600K for a child?
The child must be under 18, unmarried, living outside the United States in the legal and physical custody of a U.S. citizen parent, and meet one of the listed parent-child relationships. The citizen parent (or grandparent) must have five years of U.S. physical presence, two after age 14.
What is the difference between Form N-600K and Form N-565?
Form N-600K applies for citizenship and a first Certificate of Citizenship under section 322. It is not for replacing a lost or stolen certificate; the USCIS instructions direct you to Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, for that purpose.
Can I file Form N-600K online?
Yes. USCIS accepts Form N-600K online with a USCIS online account or by mail. Fee waiver requests must go on a paper form by mail, because they are not processed online. On FillingPDF you can fill out the PDF and download it, but USCIS receives it only through its own channels.
Where do I mail Form N-600K?
From outside the U.S., mail to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox (USCIS Attn: NATZ, P.O. Box 20100, Phoenix, AZ 85036-0100). From inside the U.S., mail to the USCIS Elgin Lockbox (USCIS Attn: NATZ, P.O. Box 4088, Carol Stream, IL 60197-4088). Courier addresses are listed under How to submit.
How long before the interview should I file Form N-600K?
File at least 90 days before the requested interview date. USCIS will not schedule the interview until it decides the application is complete, and the child must take the Oath of Allegiance, if applicable, before turning 18.
Can a grandparent or legal guardian file Form N-600K?
Only if the child's qualifying U.S. citizen parent has died. A grandparent or legal guardian must then file within five years of the death and provide proof of it. A legal guardian does not have to meet the physical presence requirements.
What happens if I file Form N-600K without a signature?
USCIS rejects any unsigned Form N-600K and returns it, with fees, if a complete and valid mailing address was provided. A stamped or typewritten name is not accepted, though a photocopy, fax or scan of a handwritten original signature is valid for filing.
Do I need to send original documents with Form N-600K?
No. Submit legible photocopies unless the instructions ask for an original; USCIS may request an original later and will return it. Originals sent when not required may be destroyed. Foreign-language documents need a full certified English translation.
Ready to fill out N-600K?
Fill out N-600K now