Us Passport...

[geo]

The facts:

I have lived in Thailand for about 8 years.

I am legally married to a Thai woman.

I have legally adopted my Thai wife's 6-year-old daughter according to Thailand laws. Everything is above board.

I am an American.

Questions:

Can my adopted daughter now acquire an American passport?

If so how?

Is this good or bad my daughter having an American passport instead of a Thai passport?

Problems:

The US Thailand embassy website is rather vague.

Searched TV, but found nothing specific to this problem.

Thanks for the response.

[lopburi3]

Not until she becomes an American citizen. That could be automatic under current law if you moved to live in the US but living overseas she will have to apply for citizenship and go through the normal naturalization process as per below from US State Department web site:

Another section of this new law provides that children (biological and adopted) of U.S. citizens who are born and reside abroad (that is, they do not enter the U.S. as permanent residents) and who don’t become U.S. citizens at birth can apply to INS for a certificate of citizenship if the following conditions are met:

At least one parent of the child is a U.S. citizen, whether by birth or naturalization.

The U.S. citizen parent has been physically present in the U.S. for a total of at least five years, at least two of which are were after the age of 14. If the child's U.S. citizen parent cannot meet this requirement, it is enough if one of the child's U.S. citizen grandparents can meet it.

The child is under the age of eighteen.

The child resides abroad in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent and has been lawfully admitted into the United States as a nonimmigrant.

Children who acquire citizenship under this new provision do not acquire citizenship automatically; rather, they must/must apply to INS for a certificate of citizenship and go through the naturalization process.

[qsxd]

Here is more information about naturalization process.

1. You need to invite your adopted daughter to America. Of course, you will need to live in America.

2. Once your daughter legally immigrate to America, she becomes a permanent resident (Green card holder) as soon as she arrives in America.

3. After you daughter live in America for 5 years, she can apply for American citizenship.

All information you need can be found in USCIS website.

http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

Edited February 5, 2006 by qsxd