N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship
Asks USCIS to certify that someone already acquired or derived U.S. citizenship - at birth abroad to a citizen parent, or automatically after a parent naturalised while the child was under 18 and a permanent resident in that parent's custody. It documents citizenship that already exists rather than granting it.
- Fee
- $1,385 paper, $1,335 online. $0 for a current or former member of the U.S. armed forces requesting a certificate for themselves, and $0 for a person who was the subject of a final adoption and meets the definition of child under INA 101(b)(1)(E), (F), or (G).
- Fee waiver
- Available (Form I-912)
- Who files
- People who acquired citizenship at birth abroad or derived it through a parent, or a parent filing for a child under 18.
- Where to file
- Online through a USCIS account, or by mail to the lockbox named in the instructions.
- Processing time
- 5.5 months (FY 2026 national median through June 30, 2026)
Usually filed with
Part of these processes
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- Children of service members do not get the military fee exemption; only the service member does. Many people in this position simply apply for a U.S. passport instead, which is cheaper and proves the same thing.
Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/n-600. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.