Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

 

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is a formal document certifying the acquisition of United States citizenship at birth for a person born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). United States non-citizen nationals are also eligible for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, using the non-citizen option.

CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. We recommend that parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply, your child must have been born in Paraguay and you must travel to Asuncion-Paraguay for the in-person interview.

To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online, you MUST answer all the following criteria with YES.

  1. Was the child born in Paraguay?
  2. Is the child under the age of 18?
  3. Was at least one parent a U.S. citizen or U.S. non-citizen national when the child was born?
  4. Are you a biological parent of a child born abroad who is applying for that child?

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you MUST apply by completing a paper application (DS-2029).

How to ApplyView Page

You can now apply for a CRBA electronically at Consular Section Asunción, Paraguay! This new online feature allows U.S. citizen parents to complete a CRBA application online, upload all required documents, and submit payment prior to the in-person interview.

  1. To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov.  MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal. Watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVgRyLQd3jA&t=4s) to learn more about creating your account.
  2. Once you have created a MyTravelGov account you can access eCRBA and submit your application online. The easy-to-use online process provides applicants with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application. You may review the necessary documents for the CRBA application in advance by reviewing this checklist https://py.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/274/CRBA-Checklist.pdf
  3. Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you will then need to send an email to schedule your appointment at ParaguayACS@state.gov. Please send the email to schedule your appointment at least 72 hours after payment submission. This provides time for your payment to be processed prior to your CRBA interview. Please Note: Do NOT make another (or duplicate) payment for a CRBA ($100) at the Embassy.
  4. Attend you scheduled in-person interview with your original documents and their photocopies (single-sided). Original documents will be returned to you after reviewing your application. You must provide English translations for all foreign language documents. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents also need to attend the interview.

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 Other Important Information

Passport applications application must be completed and submitted separately.

Please note that an application for a Social Security Number can only be submitted after receiving the original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport. To obtain a Social Security Number for your child, you will need to email FBU.Argentina@state.gov to receive instructions for the same.

Appointments for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and Adult Derivative Citizenship applications at U.S. Embassy Asuncion are scheduled by email to ParaguayACS@state.gov.  This process reduces the wait time and helps families prepare for the citizenship appointment at the Embassy.  Please follow the instruction below to prepare for and schedule a CRBA appointment.

  1. Print and read the CRBA checklist.
  2. Gather your required documents, including the required application forms.
  3. Send ONE email with the subject “CRBA APPOINTMENT” in the same email you must include the scanned documents in PDF format of the following items to ParaguayACS@state.gov:
    1. Signed CRBA checklist
    2. DS-2029 application form (not signed)
    3. Supporting documents identified by the checklist
    4. Email address
    5. Paraguayan phone number where you can be reached

CRBA applications must be sent to the Embassy by email.  Drop off requests at the Embassy will not be accepted.

  1. The ACS Unit will schedule an appointment for you within 15 business days of receiving your application. Once your packet is received in ACS, our staff will email you the date and time of your citizenship appointment and a list of items you are missing.

Citizenship appointments are in high demand and appointments can be rescheduled for emergencies only on a case by case basis.  Applicants who fail to show up for their scheduled appointments must start the appointment request process from the beginning.

  1. The child must be present at the interview. Both parents are strongly encouraged to accompany the child.
  2. Arrive 30 minutes before your appointment time.
  3. Bring your original documents, photos, ID, and fee with you on the day of your appointment! Please refer to the CRBA checklist for details on required items.  If your application is incomplete on the day of your appointment, you may be asked to schedule a new appointment.  This will require that you start the appointment request process from the beginning.

To start the process of scheduling a citizenship appointment, download the application forms and gather the documents listed on the CRBA checklist.

U.S. citizens must satisfy certain conditions to transmit U.S. Citizenship to a child:

  1. At the time of birth, one or both of the parents must be a U.S. Citizen.
  2. The transmitting parent (U.S. Citizen) must have a minimum time of physical presence inside the United States or its outlying possession.  Most cases require five years of physical presence, two of them after the age of 14, however the law that applies on each case may be different.  For detailed information regarding physical presence requirements, please read: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Acquisition-US-Citizenship-Child-Born-Abroad.html.
  3. The transmitting U.S. citizen must be the biological parent of the child.  For information on the effect of assistive reproductive technology on the transmission of U.S. citizenship, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Assisted-Reproductive-Technology-ART-Surrogacy-Abroad.html.
  4. There must be a legal relationship between the transmitting U.S. citizen parent and the child.