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Obtaining
a U.S. Passport for an Adopted Child
As of February 2004 the
U.S. Department of State has instituted a
requirement that all minors (under the age of
14) applying for U.S. passports must personally
appear at the passport office. Scroll to the bottom
of this page for the complete message.
A United States passport is proof of American
citizenship. Aside from being necessary for travel
outside the country, it can document citizenship
for many purposes.
Families of adopted children who have become citizens
automatically under the Child Citizenship Act
of 2000 do not have to wait until they receive
certificates of citizenship from the INS in order
to obtain passports for their children. In fact,
Joint Council recommends that such families obtain
passports for their children as soon as possible
and use the passport until they receive certificates,
for such purposes as changing the children's status
with Social Security.
To obtain a passport for an adopted child who
does not have proof of citizenship:
1. Verify that your child qualifies for
automatic citizenship.
A U.S. passport will not be given unless the child
is a citizen. Remember that, to qualify, a child
must:
- Have been under age 18 on February 27, 2001.
- Be in the custody of at least one parent
who is a U.S. citizen.
- Have had a full and final adoption. According
to the INS regulations, if the child was seen
by all relevant parents prior to an overseas
adoption and traveled home on an IR-3 visa,
the foreign adoption is considered final.
Readoption, though desirable, is not mandatory,
and automatic citizenship applies as soon
as the child enters the U.S. If, however,
a child was not seen by all relevant parents
prior to an overseas adoption, or was brought
to the U.S. for adoption here, and traveled
on an IR-4 visa, the child must be adopted/readopted
in the U.S. before automatic citizenship applies.
- Have entered the U.S. lawfully, on a permanent
resident visa.
2. Collect all of the following documents:
- The child's green card or the child's foreign
passport with the visa stamp.
- A certified copy of the child's adoption
decree (foreign or domestic). Remember that,
if the child's American name is not on the
child's foreign paperwork and if you have
not gone through a readoption and/or legal
change of name in the U.S., the passport will
be issued in the foreign name.
- Proof of a parent's identity.
- Proof of a parent's U.S. citizenship.
3. Determine where your closest application
site is, by going to the website of the
U.S.
Passport Office. You will have to appear in
person at a site in order to obtain the passport
for your child.
- If there is a U.S. Passport Agency in your
area, this is the best option. However, remember
that many Passport Agency sites will NOT accept
walk-ins unless a person has proof that he/she
will be traveling outside the U.S. in the
next 14 days. Check the listing on the website
before you go to be sure that your in-person
application will be accepted.
- There are many satellite office locations,
such as libraries, courthouses, and post offices,
which can receive passport applications. However,
if you apply at such a location, you WILL
need to hand over your child's documents for
sending to the U.S. Passport Agency; they
will be returned. While use of an overnight
delivery service does not guarantee safe arrival
of documents, some parents prefer to request
this higher-cost option, in the belief that
the distinctive envelope is more visible and
easily tracked.
- You may wish to call the site first to ensure
that personnel are familiar with the Child
Citizenship Act of 2000 and automatic citizenship.
If they are not, and this may be the case
in an occasional satellite location, you could
experience unnecessary difficulties.
- If you experience difficulties, and speaking
with a supervisor does not resolve the problem,
try another passport site or consult your
Joint Council member adoption agency. Your
agency, with the assistance of Joint Council,
may be able to contact a regional Passport
Agency official who can help.
Important Notice
U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Passport Services
New U.S. Passport Requirement
All Minors Must Appear in Person
To enhance the accurate identification of passport
applicants and aid in the prevention of international
child abduction and trafficking, the Department
of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has
begun requiring the personal appearance of all
minors applying for U.S. passports.
This applies to all regular, official and diplomatic
passports for children under the age of 14, even
if the child has previously been issued a passport.
Prior to the introduction of this requirement,
parents were not routinely required to bring a
child under the age of 14 with them when they
applied on the child’s behalf. Now, when
applying for a passport on behalf of a minor under
the age of 14, parents are required to have their
child present and submit documentation of parental
relationship and consent, as well as comply with
all other documentation requirements for the issuance
of a passport.
The personal appearance requirement for all minors
is a further step towards ensuring the integrity
of the passport application process. This change
will help to verify the identity of minor applicants
and aid in the prevention of international child
abduction and trafficking.
For additional information about passport application
requirements, please visit the Passport Information
page at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/
or call the National Passport Information Center.
National Passport Information Center
Toll-free: 1-877-487-2778
Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern
Time
npic@state.gov
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All information on this page has been reprinted
with permission from JCICS,
of which the Alliance For Children is a member
agency.
For additional information about passport application
requirements, please visit the Passport Information page or call the National Passport Information Center.
National Passport Information Center
Toll-free: 1-877-487-2778
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., EST
npic@state.gov
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