Certificate of Citizenship vs. Certificate of Naturalization Explained
Published March 29, 2023
As soon as you become an adult, the need to obtain certain documents increases significantly.
After all, a lot of transactions you’ll be making would require at least one identification document, be it a passport or a driver’s license. The problem is it’s often difficult to get these kinds of documents.
At the very least, you need a birth certificate, and it’s relatively easy to get one since you can order birth certificate online. However, in some cases, you may also need to prove your US residence.
There are several ways to do so, one of which is to provide the document proving you’re a citizen of the United States, which is either a Certificate of Citizenship or a Certificate of Naturalization.
So, what’s the difference between the two if they serve roughly the same purpose?
In this blog post, we’ll look at a Certificate of Citizenship vs. Certificate of Naturalization comparison as we go over the definition of each one. Let’s start with the definition of a Certificate of Citizenship.
What Is a Certificate of Citizenship?
A Certificate of Citizenship is a document granted by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to people outside of the country whose citizenship derives from their US citizen parents.
The Certificate of Citizenship doesn’t actually grant citizenship. If a person is eligible for this document, that means they’re already a US citizen. The certificate only serves as proof of this citizenship. That means even without the certificate, one can enjoy the benefits of US citizenship.
What Is a Certificate of Naturalization?
A Certificate of Naturalization is likewise a document granted by the USCIS that only proves an individual’s US citizenship. It doesn’t grant them that citizenship. However, rather than people with US citizen parents, only those who have gone through naturalization can get this certificate.
That means it’s not applicable to individuals who have US citizens as parents.
Instead, these individuals can obtain citizenship with the help of other relatives that are US citizens, like siblings and spouses, to name a few. In some cases, a US citizen relative may not be required.
Certificate of Citizenship vs. Certificate of Naturalization Explained
From the definition alone, it’s clear that a Certificate of Citizenship and a Certificate of Naturalization are not one and the same. However, there are only a handful of differences if we look at a Certificate of Citizenship vs. Naturalization comparison. With that in mind, here’s a look at these differences:
Timeline
To obtain a Certificate of Citizenship, you’ll have to file the application. Upon filling out your application, you may have to wait a few weeks, maybe two to four, until you receive the identification document.
On the other hand, to obtain a Certificate of Naturalization, you’ll have to wait at most 24 months.
In other words, the timeline for the naturalization process is much longer than that of getting a Certificate of Citizenship. But, of course, you can also complete the naturalization process within just a few months. It generally depends on how many of the requirements you’ve already completed.
It’s also worth noting that the application for the Certificate of Naturalization itself isn’t the problem. What takes most of the timeline is the naturalization process itself.
Eligibility
As stated earlier, only individuals who are born outside of the US but whose parents are US citizens are eligible for a Certificate of Citizenship. Meanwhile, anyone who has a different nationality but wishes to become a US citizen is eligible for a Certificate of Naturalization.
Form
When applying for a specific document, you would typically have to fill in a specific form. To apply for a Certificate of Citizenship, you need to fill in and file the N-600 Form. And to apply for a Certificate of Naturalization, you must use the N-400 Form. The fields will, of course, be different for each.
There are, of course, several other differences between the two. The process to apply for these documents, for instance, would be different from each other.
The Bottom Line
Though you can delve deeper into the differences between the two, there’s really no incentive to do so. The important thing to note is that the two are not one and the same. Each one is for specific types of individuals, and if you intend to obtain a document to prove your citizenship, it’s best if you understand which of the two you require.
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About The Author
Lenard Arceo is an experienced blogger and writer who enjoys learning to code in his spare time. His commitment to delivering factual content is what has helped him create hundred of helpful articles that have reached millions of people.
