[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 10, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47690-47692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23033]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Immigration and Naturalization Service

8 CFR Part 322

[INS No. 1712-95]
RIN 1115-AE07


Children Born Outside the United States; Application for 
Certificate of Citizenship

AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Immigration and Naturalization Service (the Service) is 
proposing to amend its regulations relating to the naturalization of 
children born to or adopted by United States citizens abroad. This 
rulemaking is necessary to incorporate changes to the citizenship 
transmission requirements

[[Page 47691]]

under section 322 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before November 12, 
1996.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments, in triplicate, to the 
Director, Policy Directives and Instructions Branch, Immigration and 
Naturalization Service, 425 I Street, NW., Room 5307, Washington, DC 
20536. To ensure proper handling, please reference INS number 1712-95 
on your correspondence. Comments are available for public inspection at 
the above address by calling (202) 514-3048 to arrange for an 
appointment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jane Barker or Pearl B. Chang, Senior Adjudications Officers, 
Adjudications Division, Immigration and Naturalization Service, 425 I 
Street, NW., Room 3214, Washington, DC 20536, telephone (202) 514-5014.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Prior to October 25, 1994, a child born 
outside the United States to a United States citizen parent was not 
eligible for naturalization unless the child was residing permanently 
in the United States pursuant to a lawful admission, and was in the 
physical and legal custody of a United States citizen parent, who had 
fulfilled the residence and physical presence requirements necessary to 
transmit citizenship. As a result, a child could not become a United 
States citizen if his or her parents resided abroad or failed to meet 
the physical presence requirements.
    Congress, through the enactment of the Immigration and Nationality 
Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (INTCA), Public Law 103-416, October 
25, 1994, section 102, established new criteria for expeditious 
naturalization of children born abroad. The revised conditions of 
eligibility are as follows:
    (1) At least one parent is a citizen of the United States, whether 
by birth or naturalization;
    (2) The child is physically present in the United States pursuant 
to a lawful admission;
    (3) The child is under the age of 18 years and in the legal custody 
of the citizen parent;
    (4) If the citizen parent is an adoptive parent of the child, the 
child was adopted by the citizen parent before the child reached the 
age of 16 years and the child meets the requirements for being a child 
under subparagraph (E) or (F) of section 101(b)(1) of the Act;
    (5) If the citizen parent has not been physically present in the 
United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods 
totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after 
attaining the age of fourteen years, then:
    (A) The child is residing permanently in the United States with the 
citizen parent, pursuant to a lawful admission for permanent resident, 
or
    (B) A citizen parent of the citizen parent has been physically 
present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period 
or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which 
were after attaining the age of fourteen years.
    If these requirements are met, then the child is eligible for 
expedited naturalization. An eligible child shall be considered a 
United States citizen upon approval of the application and 
administration of the oath of allegiance, unless the oath is waived in 
accordance with section 337(a) of the Act.
    On July 7, 1995, and December 22, 1995, the Service issued wires to 
all field offices providing instructions for processing applications 
under section 322 filed by a United States citizen for a child born 
outside the United States. The Service also provided instructions for 
issuance of Certificates of Citizenship to children who qualified for 
expedited naturalization under this section.
    For expedited naturalization, a United States citizen parent, not a 
citizen grandparent, must file Form N-600, Application for Certificate 
of Citizenship, or, in the case of an adopted child, Form N-643, 
Application for Certificate of Citizenship for an Adopted Child. A 
separate application is required for each child. The application must 
be filed with the required fee, currently $100 for Form N-600 and $80 
for Form N-643, as specified in 8 CFR 103.7(b)(1) and accompanied by a 
Form N-600/N-643 Supplement A, Physical Presence of Grandparent. The 
application should be completed in accordance with the instructions and 
accompanied by the initial evidence described on the forms. For 
applications based on a United States citizen grandparent's physical 
presence in the United States, the grandparent may be living or 
deceased when the application is filed.
    If the applicant and child reside outside the United States, the 
applicant should include a request with the N-600 form noting preferred 
interview dates. The applicant should allow sufficient time to enable 
the Service office to preliminarily adjudicate the application, 
schedule the interview, and send the appointment notice to the foreign 
address. A stateside interview will be scheduled and the applicant will 
be instructed in the procedures to apply for a visitor's visa, unless 
eligible under the Visa Waiver Pilot Program. In keeping with 
congressional intent, field offices will make every effort to expedite 
the interview process.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, in 
accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605(b)), has 
reviewed this regulation and, by approving it, certifies that the rule 
will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities. This proposed rule establishes procedures for United 
States citizen parents to apply for the expeditious naturalization of 
their children born outside the United States. The affected parties are 
not small entities, and the impact of the regulation is not an economic 
one.

Executive Order 12866

    This rule is not considered by the Department of Justice, 
Immigration and Naturalization Service, to be a ``significant 
regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866, section 3(f), 
Regulatory Planning and Review, and the Office of Management and Budget 
has waived its review process under section 6(a)(3)(A).

Executive Order 12612

    This regulation will not have substantial direct effects on the 
States, on the relationship between the National Government and the 
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the 
various levels of government. Therefore, in accordance with Executive 
Order 12612, it is determined that this rule does not have sufficient 
federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism 
Assessment.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The information collection requirements contained in this rule have 
been cleared by the Office of Management and Budget under the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act. Clearance numbers for these 
collections are contained in 8 CFR 299.5, Display of Control Numbers. 
The information collection requirement (Form N-600/N-643 Supplement A, 
Physical Presence of Grandparent) contained in this rule is being 
developed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. In accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Service will publish a notice in 
the Federal Register notifying the public of the new information 
collection (Form NN-600/N-643 Supplement A).

[[Page 47692]]

List of Subjects in 8 CFR Part 322

    Citizenship and naturalization, Infants and children, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.

    Accordingly, part 322 of chapter I of title 8 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations is proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 322--CHILD BORN OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES; APPLICATION FOR 
CERTIFICATE OF CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS

    1. The title of part 322 is revised as set forth above.
    2. The authority citation for part 322 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1103, 1433, 1443, 1448.

    3. Section 322.2 is amended by removing paragraph (c) and revising 
paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec. 322.2  Eligibility.

    (a) General. To be eligible for naturalization under section 322 of 
the Act, a child on whose behalf an application for naturalization has 
been filed by a parent who is, at the time of filing, a citizen of the 
United States, must:
    (1) Comply with the requirements as provided in section 322 of the 
Act;
    (2) Be readopted in the United States, in the case of an adopted 
child, if the foreign adoption was not full and final, or if the 
unmarried parent or United States citizen parent and spouse jointly did 
not see and observe the child in person prior to or during the foreign 
adoption proceedings; readoption requirements may be waived if the 
state of the United States citizen parent(s) residence does not allow 
readoption and recognizes the foreign adoption as full and final under 
that state's adoption laws;
    (3) Be a person of good moral character, attached to the principles 
of the Constitution of the United States, and favorably disposed toward 
the good order and happiness of the United States; a child under the 
age of 14 will generally be presumed to satisfy this requirement; and
    (4) Comply with all other requirements for naturalization as 
provided in the Act and in part 316 of this chapter, including the 
disqualifications contained in sections 313, 314, 315, and 318 of the 
Act, except:
    (i) The child is not required to satisfy the residence requirements 
under 8 CFR 316.2(a)(3), (a)(4), (a)(5), or (a)(6); and
    (ii) The child is exempt from the literacy and knowledge 
requirements under section 312 of the Act.
* * * * *
    4. Section 322.3 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 322.3  Jurisdiction for filing application.

    The Forms N-600 and N-643, applications for naturalization under 
section 322(a) of the Act, must be filed with the appropriate office of 
the Service as provided in the instructions on the application.
    5. Section 322.4 is amended by revising paragraphs (a), (b), and 
(c) to read as follows:


Sec. 322.4  Application and examination on the application.

    (a) An application for naturalization under this section on behalf 
of a child shall be submitted on Form N-600 by the citizen parent or, 
in the case of an adoptive citizen parent, Form N-643. The application 
must be filed with the filing fee required in Sec. 103.7(b)(1), Form N-
600/N-643 Supplement A, Physical Presence of Grandparent, Form FD-258, 
Fingerprint Chart (for children over the age of 14), and the initial 
evidence required by the instructions on the forms.
    (b) An application for naturalization under this section in behalf 
of a child should be handled expeditiously by the Service and, in the 
case of an application filed from abroad, a stateside interview shall 
be scheduled after a preliminary adjudication of the application has 
been made.
    (c) The child and the citizen parent must both appear at the 
stateside interview.
* * * * *
    Dated: July 1, 1996.
Doris Meissner,
Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service.
[FR Doc. 96-23033 Filed 9-9-96; 8:45 am]
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