Sunday, July 20, 2008
Birth to U.S. Citizen Parents
The citizenship of noth Barack Obama and John McCain have come under criticism as they were both born "outside of the United States"...
FindLaw.com has explanations of what the laws were when:
"In many circumstances, even though a child is born outside the United States, if at least one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the child's birth, the child automatically "acquires citizenship" (the legal term for this situation). When this child marries and has children, those children may also acquire U.S. citizenship at birth.
The laws governing whether or not a child born outside of the United States acquires U.S. citizenship from his or her parents have changed several times. The law that was in effect on the date of the child's birth determines whether he or she acquired U.S. citizenship from a parent or grandparent.
If there is anyone in your direct line of ancestry who may be a U.S. citizen, it is worth your time to read what the laws were on the date of your birth and his or hers. Many people are pleasantly surprised to find their quest for a green card ended by the discovery that they are already U.S. citizens.
Following is a brief history of the citizenship laws."
