How to Determine If Someone Is a U.S. Citizen

Human resources conducts an interview
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Politicians looking for re-election are not the only individuals who seek to find out the citizenship status of an individual. Human resource representatives with various governmental agencies as well as military recruiters search for this status when interviewing for employment or enlisting people in the military. Certain agencies, such as law enforcement departments, also look for citizenship status. Searching for a person's citizenship status is an easy feat if you have a few pieces of information.

Review a Birth Certificate

Ask the individual to show you a copy of his birth certificate or passport. Anyone who is a citizen of the United States will not be able to receive a passport or U.S. birth certificate without first being a citizen. This method may only be available to you if you have the assistance of the individual himself.

Searching the Voting Records

Perform a search at your local Secretary of State's voting website using the individual's name and birth date. This Web site should provide a simple way to learn if a person is a citizen and whether the person is registered to vote. You will need to know what county the person resides in before completing the search.

Contact the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Contact the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services at (800) 375-5283. Request to speak to an officer, and provide the name of the individual and her birth date to learn her citizenship status. The officer may ask why you are searching for this information. It is a good idea to have the required information available before calling, including the reason for the search. If the search is for employment, your company may perform the search via the E-Verify Web site.

Warnings

  • Not all agencies will be forthcoming with information pertaining to someone's citizenship status.

Tips

  • Many individuals are naturalized American citizens or persons who have lived within the U.S. for a number of years and have therefore become citizens due to the longevity of their stay. These individuals may not be listed in official databases as citizens. It is best to check with the individual first to inquire about his citizenship status.

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