Do you have a newborn child born in the US? Well, a child born in the US is automatically eligible for US citizenship. Lakhs of Indians holding an H1B Visa and working in the US strive hard to get US citizenship. Until then, they wait in green card queues. Meanwhile, the newly born kids of those Indians feel eventually happy as they will become citizens of the US. On the other hand, there are a few people who still want their newly born child to have Indian citizenship. Even if your child is an Indian origin, but was born in the United States, that particular kid can still get an Indian passport for US born child. The process of applying for an Indian passport for a US born child might sound cumbersome but it is a simple procedure. Get to know more details about the US newborn baby passport application, required documents, eligibility conditions, renewal process, etc., explained in this article. Check it out!
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How to Apply Indian Passport for US Born Child?
A separate passport will be issued to the child born in the US being an Indian origin. An individual can easily apply for an Indian passport for the child through the official website. There is no facility for the child’s name to be added to the parent’s passport. For a child below 18 years, the Indian passport for US born child will be valid for 5 years from the issuance date. The US born kid is considered a US Citizen. Indian Embassy provides a provision of obtaining an Indian Passport for that specific child. Once the child is born, the concerned authorities in the US will issue a birth certificate to that kid in the US. Without much paperwork, the child born in the US will become a US citizen automatically.
However, the kid has the right to decide his/her citizenship once they turn 18 years of age. The parent of the kid cannot deny the child’s US Citizenship. The facility of incorporating the child’s name in the parent’s passport isn’t available to the people. The procedure of obtaining Indian citizenship for a US born child is simple if you don’t apply for a US passport after the child’s birth in the US. In case, the child has already obtained his/her US passport then, the procedure is slightly different. There are two different ways for an individual for US newborn baby passport application in person and through the mail. Follow the simple steps given below to understand how to apply passport for US born child. Check it out!
Key Steps:
- At first, the applicant must register the birth of the kid at the Indian Mission in the US.
- The individual can apply for a passport online.
- Select the application for the ‘Passport for Children up to 18 years of age’ option.
- Applicants can apply for a passport for US born child in two different ways – in person and by mail.
1. Applying in Person
Check the detailed guide to understand the easy procedure to apply for an Indian Passport for a US-born child in person.
- At first, go to the official website of the Passport Seva portal from your device.
- On the official website, you can find the application form.
- Fill in the crucial details in the application form.
- Take a printout of the application form and preserve it to carry it on the day of verification.
- Applicants must make an appointment with the application center online.
- Visit the Consular Officer at the Passport Seva Kendra by carrying all the supporting documents alongside the application form.
- Both parents must be present at the PSK. If in case, one of the parents couldn’t visit the office due to some reason, they must provide an authority letter or consent letter. In such a case, the granting authority will consider the application submitted by the other parent.
- The parent must submit the original printout of the application form at the application center.
- After the consular officer verifies and crosschecks your documents and the application form, he/she will issue the passport to the US-born child.
2. Applying by Mail
Follow the simple steps given below to apply for an Indian passport for US born child by mail.
- At first, download the application form for Indian Passport online. Fill in the passport application form and enclose it with other relevant documents. Send all the documents to the consular office.
- Regardless of the date of appointment, the applicant can send the mail.
- The applicant needs to make sure that he/she sends the application through certified mail that generates a return receipt. You can even send the application through express mail or private courier. The Indian passport application center doesn’t have a provision to acknowledge applications received through post. Hence, the authorities accept the applications received by mail and in person.
- In the case of mail applications, the concerned authorities will treat all the applications equally.
- The Consulate Office doesn’t take any sort of responsibility in case your application or enclosed documents are lost, misplaced, or damaged by a third party or the travel agent.
- Once the passport is approved, it will be sent to the address mentioned in the application form.
- In case of an address change, the applicant must mention a new address with the United States Postal Service. The applicant must fill another form stating the change of address. Further, the mail will be forwarded to the new address of the applicant.
These are the two simple ways for an individual to understand how to apply passport for US born child.
Who Can Apply?
There are a few eligibility guidelines for an individual to apply for an Indian passport for US born child. Check the eligibility rules furnished below:
- The birth of the child must be registered at the Indian Embassy or Mission in the United States.
- The child must be born in the United States with parents having Indian origin.
- The child shouldn’t have a US Passport.
- The age of the child should be below 18 years.
Documents Required to US Born Child for India Passport
Here is a list of the required documents that the parents must submit for the US newborn baby passport application. Check it out!
- Notarized Birth Certificate Copy
- Duly filled and notarized application form
- Birth Register Extract issued by the Indian Embassy in the United States
- In case the child is on Adjustment Status, a copy of the parents EAD is required alongside the I-485 receipt of the child
1. For Proof of Residence
- State ID of the Applicant
- Address Proof in the name of the parent
2. Required Documents from the Parents
- Notarized Photocopies of Valid VISA of both parents
- Notarized photocopies of the first and last pages of both parents’ passports
- In the case of divorced parents, a photocopy of the divorce certificate and a custodianship order issued by the court must be submitted
- Affidavit or Notarized No Objection Certificate from both parents
- In the case of a deceased parent, the other parent can submit the deceased person’s photocopy of the death certificate
Child’s Name Endorsed on Parent’s Passport
If the name of your child is already printed or endorsed on your passport, you need to apply for a separate passport. For that, you need to submit the following documents:
- An original passport of the parent with the name of the child endorsed on it.
- A notarized photocopy of the endorsement page – Must include the first 5 and last 2 pages of the passport
- If you submit the aforementioned documents, the child’s name will be deleted from the parent’s passport. A new passport will be issued in the name of the child.
Passport Renewal
If you apply for an Indian Passport for a US born child, there will be a necessity to renew the passport. The child’s passport comes with validity only for 5 years from the date of issue. Hence, the parents must renew the child’s passport once the validity is expired. Once the child turns 18 years, the applicant must request an application for a change of appearance.
- The applicant must submit a recent photo as an important document.
- If the child’s passport is lost or stolen, the individuals can apply for the renewal of the passport only in person. In this case, the provision of sending the application by mail isn’t available.
US Born Child Visit to India
The Indian parents can take their US born child to India with a valid Indian Passport. At the immigration in India, the concerned authorities will legally stamp the entry stamp. The kid has a provision to stay in India as long as they have an Indian Passport with them. During this period, the child need not register with the Indian Police Station. Once the child acquires 18 years of age, he/she has the right to decide whether to have US citizenship or not. The kid who turns an adult can renounce US citizenship in the US consulate in India legally.
For more accurate information, one can visit the Indian Mission in the US to lessen the processing time for the US newborn baby passport application. This is everything you need to know about the procedure to apply for an Indian passport for US born child. We assume this guide has given complete information on how to apply passport for US born child. Still, if you have any doubts or queries on this topic, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments section. Stay in touch with our website to learn more about the types of passports, processing time, application procedures, and more.