Citizenship Claims
U.S. Citizenship
A citizen of the United States is a native-born, foreign-born, or naturalized person who owes allegiance to the United States and who is entitled to its protection. In addition to the naturalization process, the United States recognizes the U.S. citizenship of individuals according to two fundamental principles: jus soli, or right of birthplace, and jus sanguinis, or right of blood.
To determine whether you acquired citizen by jus soli (being born in the United States), consult section 101(a) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act.
To determine whether you acquired citizenship from one of your parents (jus sanguinis), or whether you can pass your U.S. citizenship to your own children, see Transmission Requirements.
- If you are trying to determine your own citizenship claim, consider yourself as the applicant, and use your U.S. citizen parent’s physical presence history in the U.S. in your calculations.
- If you are trying to determine whether you can transmit citizenship to your children, consider your child as the applicant, and use your physical presence history in the U.S. in your calculations.
For more information about the Naturalization Process, Restoration of Citizenship, or Posthumous Citizenship, please see the website for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
If you have questions, please contact the Consular Section during normal business hours, Sunday - Thursday, 9:00 and 16:00. We can be reached via email (usconsulbaghdad@state.gov), or phone (07901-168-383 or 240-553-0584 x5635).