Eligibility for a CRBA

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  1. Eligibility for a CRBA
  2. Transmitting Citizenship

Application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, First U.S. Passport, and Social Security Number for Your Child

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (commonly referred to as CRBA) is a document issued by the U.S. Embassy reflecting the birth abroad of a child who acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. It is acceptable as proof of U.S. citizenship for all legal purposes.

If your child has a potential claim to U.S. citizenship, it will be necessary for the U.S. citizen parent(s) to submit an application for a “Consular Report of Birth of an American Citizen Abroad” before a consular officer.  If your child is eligible for a Report of Birth, a passport may be obtained at the same time for an additional fee.  U.S. citizens may often transmit citizenship to their children born abroad, but the transmission requirements vary depending on when the child was born and the marital status of the U.S. citizen parent.

The application (Form DS-2029) must be submitted by a U.S. citizen parent before the child’s 18th birthday. We encourage parents to document their child’s citizenship as soon as possible after the birth.  A passport application for the child may be submitted at the same time.

The child must be physically present at the appointment

If you have any questions about documents or the process, please send an email to ACSAccra@state.gov.

How to schedule a CRBA appointment:

 

Once the above steps have been completed please register for an appointment online at https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=ACC&appcode=1.

Note:Each child requiring a CRBA will need a separate appointment.

Additional Required Documents

  • One (1) original Ghanaian birth certificate from the local Birth and Death Registry of the child’s place of birth. This document must be requested within one month of the child’s date of birth;
  • Hospital records documenting the birth, prenatal records documenting doctor’s visits during the pregnancy, sonograms;
  • Photocopies of the U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by a U.S. Consulate/Embassy to your previous child(ren), if applicable.

If the U.S. parent will not be in Ghana and present at the appointment, the following are required from him/her:

  1. Statement of Consent, form DS-3053 (PDF 53 KB), notarized by a notary public in the U.S., or by a U.S. Consular Officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
  2. Copies of all the pages of the U.S. passport and clear copies of all pages of any and all passports in his/her possession.

Picking up the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and the U.S. Passport

Approved Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and U.S. passports are usually ready for pick up two weeks following the final adjudication.

Eligibility for a CRBA

The law on transmission of U.S. citizenship varies according to whether one or both biological parents are U.S. citizen, and whether the child was born in or out of wedlock.

Child born abroad to two U.S. Citizens

A child born outside of the United States or its outlying possessions to parents, both of whom are citizens of the United States, is entitled to citizenship provided one of the parents had, prior to the birth of the child, been resident in the United States or one of its outlying possessions. (No specific period of time is required.)

Child born abroad to one U.S. Citizen parent and one non U.S. Citizen

A child born on or after November 14, 1986: A child born outside of the United States to one U.S. citizen parent and one non-U.S. citizen parent may be entitled to citizenship providing the U.S. citizen parent had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five years, at least two years of which were after s/he reached the age of fourteen. This period of physical presence must have taken place prior to the birth of the child.

A child born between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986: A child born outside of the United States to one U.S. citizen parent and one non-U.S. citizen parent, may be entitled to citizenship providing the U.S. citizen parent had, prior to the birth of the child, been physically present in the United States for a period of ten years, at least five years of which were after s/he reached the age of fourteen.

A child born outside of the United States and out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother is entitled to U.S. citizenship providing the U.S. citizen mother had been physically present in the United States for a continuous period of at least one year at some time prior to the birth of her child.

Child born abroad and out of wedlock to a U.S. Citizen father

A child born outside of the United States to an U.S. citizen father where there is no marriage to the non-U.S. citizen mother is entitled to U.S. citizenship providing the U.S. citizen father had been physically present in the United States for the period of time as specified in previous paragraphs for children born in wedlock to one U.S. citizen and one non-U.S. citizen parent.

The following conditions must also be fulfilled:

  • The father must sign a sworn statement agreeing to provide financial support for the child until s/he reaches the age of 18 years; and…
  • the father provides a written statement acknowledging paternity;
  • or the child is legitimated under local law;
  • or paternity is established by a competent court before the child attains the age of 18 years;

All of these statements are made by the father using Form DS-2029, page 3, Item 28. Please download and complete DS-2029, including Item 28 before coming to the Embassy, but do not sign it. You will sign it in front of a consular officer at the Embassy. If the U.S. citizen father will not be present at the interview, he must complete all parts of Item 28 of Form DS-2029 and sign the form in front of a U.S.-commissioned notary. In some cases an applicant may choose to undergo DNA testing to verify parentage.

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