Once you become a citizen of the United States, you are issued a Certificate of Citizenship which serves as proof of your status. This certificate can be acquired through several pathways. However, losing your certificate or any change in your biographic information due to certain life circumstances will require you to replace the certificate.
The Certificate of Citizenship by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is for a person who has acquired or derived US citizenship through a US citizen parent. You can request this document by filing Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship.
You can only request a replacement if you have been issued this certificate before. You can request a replacement if your certificate has been lost, stolen or otherwise destroyed. Legally changing your name, birth date or gender will also require you to replace the Certificate of Citizenship.
How to Replace the Certificate of Citizenship?
The process of replacement is quite simple. However, one must stress not making minor mistakes to avoid denial of the application. To start the process, you will be required to submit Form N-565, Application for Replacement of Naturalization/Citizenship Document, to the USCIS.
You can not file Form N-565 if you are a permanent resident applying for US citizenship since you require Form N-600, Application for Certification of Citizenship.
What Are the Reasons for Replacing the Certificate of Citizenship?
To request a replacement, your Certificate of Citizenship must:
Lost, Stolen or Destroyed:
If your certificate was lost, stolen, or for some reason destroyed, then you can file Form N-565 for replacement. You will be required to provide evidence for such a situation. For example, if your certificate was lost, then you must submit evidence of loss.
Generally, you need to inform the USCIS of the circumstances of when it was lost and certain evidence backing your statements like a police report or a sworn statement. The replacement form will require you to provide information such as the certificate number, date and place of issuance.
