Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, speaking during a briefing at the White House says the Trump administration has unveiled new rules that will make it harder for children of some immigrants serving in the military to obtain citizenship.
He explained that children born overseas to some American parents serving in the military or working for the federal government may no longer automatically claim U.S. citizenship if their parents had to live in the United States for less than five years, according to a new federal policy
According to him, those parents must apply for citizenship on behalf of their children before they turn 18 years old.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which processes citizenship applications, said it rescinded a policy that had allowed some members of the military and government employees to easily transmit citizenship to children born overseas because it conflicted with other policies and federal law.
Acting USCIS director Ken Cuccinelli said the new policy does not affect people who were born and raised in the United States.
“This policy update does not affect who is born a U.S. citizen, period,” Cuccinelli said. “This only affects children who were born outside the United States and were not U.S. citizens. . . . This policy update does not deny citizenship to the children of U.S. government employees or members of the military born abroad.
The policy takes effect on Oct. 29 and applies only to children born afterwards, officials said.
Source: Washington post
