It may be your lifelong dream to reside in the United States of America. But you may deem this dream not worth executing if it means that you must separate from your children. Well, you may rest easier knowing that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have implemented laws that may help keep your family together. Namely, there is the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. Continue reading to learn how the Child Citizenship Act may impact immigrant family units and how an experienced family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI, at Sesini Law Group, S.C., can help apply this to your child.
What is the Child Citizenship Act of 2000?
As the name suggests, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 is a federal law that concerns the acquisition of citizenship by foreign-born, biological, and adopted children of United States citizens. More specifically, this Act applies to children who did not acquire United States citizenship at birth, but still meet other requirements before they turn 18. These other requirements read as follows:
- A child must have at least one parent who is a United States citizen by birth or naturalization.
- A child must be admitted to the United States as an immigrant for lawful permanent residence.
- A child must reside in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the parent with citizenship.
- If applicable, a child’s adoption must be legally complete and fully recognized by the United States state where they reside.
With that being said, a child younger than 18 on February 27, 2001 (i.e., born on or after February 28, 1983) may automatically acquire United States citizenship if they also meet the requirements above.
How does the Child Citizenship Act impact immigrant family units?
Essentially, the Child Citizenship Act aims to reunify children with their parents and prevent them from being unnecessarily separated in the first place. This may be accomplished by the numerous provisions set out in the Act.
For example, one provision states that a lawful permanent resident may reclassify their spouse, children, and their spouse’s children as immediate relatives. On top of this, an increase has been placed on the per-country annual caps for such family-sponsored immigrant visas. This is all to get an immigrant family unit to reunify sooner rather than later.
Secondly, another provision states that the definition of a “child” in immigration law may be extended to the “permanent partners” of children (i.e., through marriages and legal partnerships alike). Again, this is so a child of a United States citizen does not have to leave behind their partner in their home country.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of how this Act can benefit your child. So if you require immediate legal representation, look no further than a skilled family immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, WI. Someone at Sesini Law Group, S.C. will be happy to serve you.