United States of America (USA): Whether an individual born in California to an American mother and a Nigerian father is an American citizen, and if so, whether he/she would lose his/her American citizenship by being taken to Nigeria at age 6 where he/she lived until age 24, and whether he/she can obtain a birth certificate when he/she does not know the name of his/her mother nor the place where he/she was born in California
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | USA29161.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, United States of America (USA): Whether an individual born in California to an American mother and a Nigerian father is an American citizen, and if so, whether he/she would lose his/her American citizenship by being taken to Nigeria at age 6 where he/she lived until age 24, and whether he/she can obtain a birth certificate when he/she does not know the name of his/her mother nor the place where he/she was born in California, 1 April 1998, USA29161.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aca24.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided by an Immigration Officer of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service in Buffalo during a 31 March 1998 telephone interview.
An individual born in the USA to a American mother is an American citizen. The fact of living abroad for a long time does not deprive the holder of American citizenship.
It would be difficult for someone to obtain his/her birth certificate without knowing both the city where he/she was born and the names (family and maiden) of his/her mother. It is important to recall that in the USA, each city keeps its own births registry, the Vital Statistics Office, and there are neither links nor co-ordination between those offices at the national level. However, the claimant could make a request to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) based at 2101 Wilson Bld., Suite 550, Arlington, V A 22201-3077. He/she would include in the request all particulars about his/her current situation such as family history, father's names, date of birth, and basically everything which can be helpful for the NCMEC research. The request could also be addressed to Freedom of Information/Privacy Act (FOIA) of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service at 130 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, N\Y 14202.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
US Immigration and Naturalization Service, Buffalo. 31 March 1998. Telephone interview with an Immigration Officer.