Is the CHILD of an American Citizen automatically granted citizenship regardless of where

[cherokeeprogressive]

they're born?

[southernyankeebelle]

1. My brother was born in Italy in my mothers home. He did have dual citizenship but

when he reach 16 (I think) he made the choice to be american first. My dad didn't give him a choice. Of course after a few years my mother became an american citizen.

[jberryhill]

2. It's slightly more complicated than that

http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_5199.html

The basic idea is that the US citizen parent had to have resided in the US, so you don't get successive generations of US citizens born abroad.

[Lasher]

3. I have always thought so.

Do you know of any exceptions?

[Cleita]

4. Not exactly.

I was born in a foreign country. My father was American. I traveled on an American passport, but it was conditional. I had to do five years residency in this country before I turned 21. Since I completed my five years at the age of 16, I went before a judge and swore allegiance to the United States just like any naturalized immigrant and I was issued a Certificate of Citizenship stating I was an American since my date of birth. The thing is if I had not gone through the rituals, I would have lost my citizenship.

[Xipe Totec]

5. Depends. What kind of child? Biological? Adopted, Step? And at what age?

Biological children will be granted US natural-born citizenship retroactive to birth, if the petition occurs before their 17th birthday.

After age 17, biological children will be granted residency and eventually become naturalized US citizens.

Adopted and step children, follow the same rules before age 17, but they become Naturalized US citizens (not natural born)

After age 17, step children and adopted children are out of luck, a step-parent or adopted parent cannot petition either citizenship or residence for them.

There are some other very sucky edge cases.

[ancianita]

6. My understanding is that a child of American military personnel are citizens, no matter where born.

The example that comes to mind is John McCain being born in Panama.

If a civilian's child is born outside the USA, that child is the citizen of the country in which s/he's born. The example that comes to mind is my American stepson whose one child, born in Chicago, is a "Yank," while his other two Australian children that were born in Australia are solely Aussies.

State Department rules might have changed, but that's my understanding.

Why do you ask?

[Honeycombe8]

13. I think that was because Panama was a U.S. territory at the time, wasn't it?

I think that was it. nt

[ancianita]

15. I thought it was because all military bases are US territory, now that I more accurately recall.

Isn't the OP question one that all Americans should already know? And why don't we? Are we really not that interested? Or are State Department rules and regulations about citizenship that unclear?

[graham4anything]

7. Ted Cruz mother is American. Therefore, so is he.

[hobbit709]

8. I'm an American citizen by birth even though I was born in Austria

and my parents weren't married. But my father acknowledged paternity and filed the paperwork with the American embassy in Vienna.

[Bonobo]

9. Yeah and then they have to pay US taxes until they die no matter WHERE they live and earn $.

US is extremely rare in that respect. I think the other country that does that is one with few vowels.

[uppityperson]

11. Kyrgyzstan? First one I thought of with minimal vowels.

[Honeycombe8]

14. I thought so, too. Great minds...and all that. :) nt

[liberal N proud]

10. My brother and his wife had two children outside the US

The have US birth certificates.

[zbdent]

12. If you're referring to what I think you're referring ...

it will give the "impeachers" cannon fodder ... but drive the birthers insane for hypocrisy ... oh, wait ... they don't have to answer to hypocrisy ...