Philadelphia, PA asked in Immigration Law for Pennsylvania

Q: What to do after obtaining proof of US Citizenship?

I was born on a US Military base in Okinawa Japan. I was told that my US birth certificate was missing and they reissued my Japanese birth certificate but not my US one. My mom who was a Japanese citizen divorced my US citizen father, changed our names remarried and we ended up in the US on a permanent resident greencard. If get my hands on my birth certificate to prove my US citizenship, how would I do that? I am 41. My dad never formally adopted us and my mom didn't get her US citizenship until several years ago.

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer
Peter N. Munsing
Peter N. Munsing
Answered
  • Wyomissing, PA
  • Licensed in Pennsylvania

A: you need to get your base hospital records. Your record may also have been registered with the service and /or the consulate under your dad's name. If the divorce happened when you had returned to the US, for that transit you would have had a passport, or at least a travel document. For that check with the department of state.

A good place to start may be your dad's service record. You may need to file an FOI.

Somewhere there is a support group for children of US personnel. If you can find that someone in the group has done what you are about to do.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.