Sponsors (2)
The bill streamlines and makes proof of citizenship more affordable for eligible adoptees by providing automatic citizenship and a required certificate process, but it excludes those with certain criminal histories and creates verification burdens and added administrative costs.
Adopted noncitizen children and youth who meet the statute's criteria automatically become U.S. citizens 120 days after enactment, removing the need for a separate naturalization process.
Applicants (and their families) gain a clear administrative path to documentary proof of status because the Secretary is required to issue a certificate of citizenship upon a satisfactory application.
Families pay less to obtain proof of citizenship because the application fee is capped at no more than half the standard Form N-600 fee, lowering the cost barrier for many adoptees.
Adopted individuals with certain criminal convictions (e.g., gang-related, domestic violence, sexual offenses, burglary, or specified inadmissibility/deportable grounds) are excluded from automatic citizenship, leaving these people without the long-term stability citizenship provides.
Applicants may face burdens and risk denial because the government can require clear and convincing evidence about an applicant's belief in their own citizenship, potentially prolonging adjudication and creating contested cases.
Implementation will create additional administrative workload for DHS and immigration adjudicators, likely causing processing delays and additional costs borne by taxpayers and federal employees.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Automatically grants U.S. citizenship 120 days after enactment to certain foreign-born adoptees already present in the U.S., with limited criminal and inadmissibility exceptions.
Official title: Provide for the acquisition of United States citizenship for certain individuals who were internationally adopted, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 30, 2026 by Mike Lee · Last progress July 30, 2026
Grants automatic U.S. citizenship to certain foreign-born individuals who were adopted by U.S. citizens and who meet specified eligibility conditions, including lawful admission for adoption, final U.S. legal adoption and physical custody before age 18, and qualifying adopted-child status under existing immigration law. Eligible individuals who were physically present in the United States on the day the law is enacted automatically acquire citizenship 120 days after enactment and may receive a certificate of citizenship upon application; limited criminal and inadmissibility exceptions apply. Sets standards for proof when the government contests a person's claim to citizenship, caps the application fee at no more than half the current N-600 fee, defines criminal-gang-related terms and specified disqualifying offenses, and updates the Immigration and Nationality Act table of contents to include the new provision.