How do I apply for 2 international adopted children as our adoption has been finalized?

by Marietta
(Union City, CA)

Question: My husband and I adopted 2 girls from the Philippines. The adoption was finalized last year, on December 7 and we're planning a vacation to the Philippines this summer. Does this mean they are automatic US Citizen and are they eligible to get a US Passport and if so what do you require from us to submit in addition to the other items needed to get a child's passport?

If they are not eligible to get a US Passport do I just continue to use their Philippine passports to travel in and out of the States? They have a US residency card and I've got the adoption orders. Will I need to show that to all agencies that I am their mother traveling with them?

Thank you for assisting me in this situation.

Answer: On February 27, 2001, the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 became effective. The aim of this law, which, among other things, amends Section 320 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), is to facilitate the automatic acquisition of U.S. citizenship for both biological and adopted children of U.S. citizens who are born abroad and who do not acquire U.S. citizenship at birth.

What documents are required to obtain a passport for a child who became a U.S. citizen under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000?

(1) Evidence of the child's relationship to a U.S. citizen parent (a certified copy of the final adoption decree); (2) the child's foreign passport with BCIS's I-551 stamp or the child's resident alien card; and (3) the parent's valid identification.

For a list of other requirements, please visit the following web page.

How to Apply for a Child's Passport