What Options Do I Have to Appeal an N-600 Rejection?

An N-600 certificate of citizenship is designed for a very specific purpose. If you’re a citizen of the United States but were born in another country, the form N-600 is a way of establishing your residency and proving it in a legal, unquestionable way. In general, this form is designed for those people who either inherit citizenship, or derive it, by being born to citizen parents; there are multiple other documents such as birth records that do prove your citizenship already, but for extra protection many people in this situation choose to file for the N-600.

Dealing with a Rejection

The problem comes in if the N-600 is rejected. This can happen for any number of reasons.

• Perhaps you provided too little documentation to prove your status, or perhaps you provided false answers inadvertently, either due to confusion or a lack of information. 
• Basically, if your application is rejected, what Immigration Services is saying to you is that you have not sufficiently proven your status as a US citizen.

Thus, your only course of action is to gather the information required. Those who are rejected will receive a form that should provide the specific reason for the rejection, ideally telling precisely what information was missing or called into question.

Information Gathering and Appealing

The person who submitted the application, whether the individual in question or a parent submitting on behalf of a child, is the only one who can appeal the decision. The appeals process is very similar to that of any rejected application for citizenship itself, and involves meeting with your local jurisdiction of Immigration Services, ideally with an immigration lawyer by your side. The lawyer isn’t strictly necessary, but chances are that he or she can help expedite your appeal by helping you file the correct paperwork and ensuring you have all the information you need. A lawyer may also be able to work with Immigration Services on your behalf should certain information not be obtainable; there may be another way to obtain it that your attorney can work out with USCIS. 

The good news is, should you be missing certain documents like, for example, a United States passport, which can prove your citizenship status, there are other documents that can prove the same thing, like a record of your birth to US citizens. So those who have to appeal a decision may have a few different ways to get around the problem if the problem involves missing documentation.

Getting Help

The best way to handle immigration issues and to appeal a denial of the N-600 form is to consult with a qualified attorney. Your lawyer can explain your options for appeal and can help you to do whatever is necessary to remain in the country and resolve your immigration issues.