A United States Passport is proof of U.S. citizenship for purposes of international travel.

It can also be a vehicle for obtaining United States citizenship based upon transmission of U.S. citizenship to foreign-born children and grandchildren. The rules are complex and depend upon the law in effect at the time of birth. Application can be made to USCIS for a certificate of citizenship from abroad or within the U.S., or by application for a U.S. passport.

Naturalized citizens can apply for a U.S. passport after receiving a certificate of naturalization.

U.S. citizen parents can register the birth of a child to them abroad at a U.S. Consulate and can seek a passport as proof of citizenship. Very specific rules apply to a foreign born child with only one U.S. citizen parent. A very important requirement is a period of residency within the U.S. by the one U.S. parent for a specified number of years before the birth of the child. Being able to prove residency in a community in the United States through facts that sometimes occurred long ago can be very challenging, and certain types of proof are preferred over others. One way is to request and obtain a record of Social Security earnings; another is to show filing of taxes; another, registration to vote; yet another is school records.

If you have a question about obtaining a U.S. Passport, or applying as proof of U.S. citizenship for a foreign-born person, please contact Messing Law Offices for a free seven minute telephonic consultation or to schedule an initial consultation.

With regard to employment verification, which requires employers to obtain proof of a new hire's eligibility even for citizens, an unexpired passport establishes that the holder is eligible for employment in the United States. An expired passport, as of February 2, 2009, no longer is considered valid as employment authorization. The sample below is from a 1998 version of the U.S. Passport. A more recent computer chip version exists for which no image is currently available.

At Messing Law Offices, we provide high quality legal services and expertise to families, working men and women, and businesses. If you have a concern in the areas of family based immigration, business based immigration, employment based immigration, or naturalization and you are seeking the help of an experienced immigration lawyer, call Messing Law Offices for professional Arizona immigration attorney assistance.