# How to get US documentation within the US for a baby born abroad?



## canadiannephew (Feb 1, 2021)

A friend of mine asked me this question.

His child was born while on a work assignment in Western Canada. His wife and him had their first child in February 2020, in Canada. Soon after Covid lockdowns began, he was recalled back to the US. He never registered his child with the consulate there.

He tried applying for a Social Security Number for the baby, but they refused because he does not have any proof of the baby's US citizenship.

The only option he found is getting a Certificate of Citizenship (n600 Form) but this costs $1170. Quite a price!

Does anyone know of another way he can prove his baby's status without going to the consulate in Calgary? (which is impossible now)

Thanks!


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Do the parents have a Canadian birth certificate for the child? Or can they get one? (Usually by applying to the appropriate registry for the place where the child was born.) Ideally they would need a "long form" birth certificate that gives the names of both parents, along with their nationalities.

They may want to look at this page regarding fee waivers: Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
or, if he was recalled to the US by his employer before they were able to register the child, he may want to ask the employer to assist him in either dealing with the US Consulate in Canada or in picking up part or all of the filing fees if the Certificate is their only option.


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

I assume the desire for an SSN for the child is to be able to claim them as a dependent on the 2020 tax return to gain EIP etc for the child.
If that is the case, then they can delay filing until as late as 15 December which gives you some breathing rule

Otherwise, the two options are Consular Report of Birth Abroad or apply for a passport for the child in lieu of a CRBA (which may also require a visit and thus be no better)

He may want to check with the consulate to see what the alternatives are in the circumstances.






Child and Family Matters


The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa and our U.S. consulates can help with the following child and family matters:




ca.usembassy.gov


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## canadiannephew (Feb 1, 2021)

Bevdeforges said:


> Do the parents have a Canadian birth certificate for the child? Or can they get one? (Usually by applying to the appropriate registry for the place where the child was born.) Ideally they would need a "long form" birth certificate that gives the names of both parents, along with their nationalities.
> 
> They may want to look at this page regarding fee waivers: Additional Information on Filing a Fee Waiver
> or, if he was recalled to the US by his employer before they were able to register the child, he may want to ask the employer to assist him in either dealing with the US Consulate in Canada or in picking up part or all of the filing fees if the Certificate is their only option.


They do have a Canadian long-form birth certificate (the child is Canadian - yipee!) but how does that help?

I'd never known about the fee-waiver form. That is interesting. Not sure it will help them since he's a well paid mining engineer, but I will suggest it nonetheless


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## canadiannephew (Feb 1, 2021)

Moulard said:


> I assume the desire for an SSN for the child is to be able to claim them as a dependent on the 2020 tax return to gain EIP etc for the child.
> If that is the case, then they can delay filing until as late as 15 December which gives you some breathing rule
> 
> Otherwise, the two options are Consular Report of Birth Abroad or apply for a passport for the child in lieu of a CRBA (which may also require a visit and thus be no better)
> ...


You can file a 2020 tax return up to December 2021? I didn't know that.
Yes applying for passport doesn't seem to help. They don't have any of the accepted documents necessary to do it from within the US



> You must submit one of the following U.S. citizenship documents for your child. Your evidence must be an *original or certified, physical copy*. Photocopies and notarized copies are not acceptable.
> 
> 
> Fully-valid, undamaged U.S. passport (may be expired)
> ...


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

canadiannephew said:


> They do have a Canadian long-form birth certificate (the child is Canadian - yipee!) but how does that help?


Assuming the long-form birth certificate lists both parents and their nationalities, that provides the basic "evidence" that the child is indeed a US citizen at birth. There may need to be proof that at least one of the US citizen parents fulfills the requirement about having lived in the US for a certain number of years after the age of 14 in order to be able to pass on their US nationality to a child.


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## Moulard (Feb 3, 2017)

canadiannephew said:


> You can file a 2020 tax return up to December 2021? I didn't know that.


Yep.. Phil Hodgen has a whole blog post about what you need to do and when you need to do it. 
Its a few years old, but is still relevant as far as I am aware






File an Income Tax Return Extension to December 15, 2018


If you are an American living abroad, you may be able to qualify for a further extension of time for filing your tax return — to December 15, 2018. Discover more!




hodgen.com


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