USCIS Defines Six Parental Statuses for US Citizenship

The Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has outlined six categories of parental status that grant automatic American citizenship at birth for children born in the United States, as established by Executive Order 14160. The categories include: 1) US citizens and nationals, 2) Native Americans born in Canada who entered the US under Section 289 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA 289), 3) Asylees, 4) Conditional Permanent Residents, 5) Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR), and 6) Refugees.

If the mother does not hold any of these statuses at the time of the child's birth, the father's status becomes relevant, allowing citizenship under the 14th Amendment only if he is a US national or a Lawful Permanent Resident. This new framework emphasizes parental status over mere birthplace in determining citizenship eligibility.