How to get a Social Security card and prove U.S. citizenship for a foreign-born adopted child
Parents of adopted children born outside the United States need Social
Security numbers for their children. The law recently changed and these
children "automatically" become U.S. citizens. But here's the problem.
The child does not have any proof of U.S. citizenship and Social
Security requires proof of U.S. citizenship for the child. You only have
immigration documents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
What do you do now?
Bring us the documents issued by DHS when the
child arrived in the United States. We'll assign a Social Security
number, but the record will not show the child is a U.S. citizen. Later,
when you get your child's U.S. citizenship document, bring it to us and
we'll update your child's record to show his or her U.S. citizenship.
If your child already has a Social Security number, the number does not
change when we update the record.
You can use your child's birth
certificate to prove his or her age, but you still need an identity
document for the child. Social Security must always see the original
document or a copy that is certified by the agency that issued the
original document. Documents you can use when you apply for a card for
an infant or young child include:
- The adoption record
- A United States DHS immigration document
- Doctor, clinic or hospital records
- Daycare center or school records
- Religious record (e.g., baptismal record)
In
addition, when you apply for a card for a child, we must also see proof
of your identity and that you are the proper applicant.
The Child
Citizenship Act of 2000, effective February 27, 2001 grants an adopted
child, immigrating to the United States, "automatic" citizenship. The
parent may apply for proof that the child is a U.S. citizen. If you want
the Social Security record to show that your child is a U.S. citizen,
apply for a Certificate of Citizenship from DHS or a U.S. passport from
the Department of State for your child. We can use either document as
proof of your child's U.S. citizenship.
If you want to complete the application for a Social Security number before you visit a local office, go to
Application for a Social Security Card.