Citizenship for son of US citizen

Everything depends on your situation and that of the children's mother. Where a US citizen has children born abroad (after 11/1986), that parent transmits US citizenship to the children automatically if he or she has lived in the US for at least 5 years prior to the children's birth.  Of those 5 years, at least 2 need to be after the parent turned age 14.  If both parents are citizens, their physical presence in the US before the children's birth is not relevant.  If you do not fit within either of the patterns mentioned above, then you would have to immigrate the children and upon entering the US as permanent residents, they would automatically acquire US citizenship as long as it was prior to them turning 18. If you don't meet the above mentioned transmission requirements but either of your parents does (I.e., he or she is a US citizen and lived here more than 5 years) your children may be able to acquire citizenship through the grandparent.  It gets a little more complicated, but it works.  If you would like to discuss this in more detail, please feel free to call my office and set something up.  Jan Joseph Bejar, Esq. (619) 291-1112.