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On Feb 19, 10:22 pm, "RHF" wrote:


It should be noted that IF the requirements for citizenship are met,
then the child is automatically a US citizen from birth. It's not an
option that they can choose to take if they wish.

It is, in Ecuador. Or, at least, questionable. In the 70's and 80's, upon
becoming a citizen at 18, the age of majority, any "dual national" (a
concept not then recognized there) had to sign an act by which they
renounced any other allegiances. Given that "swearing an oath" to another
naiton or "renouncing" U.S. citizenship were even prohibited in the
introduction to each US passport at the time, there is weven a grey area in
US law (it is still, in modified form, parts 2 and 4 of "Loss of
Citizenship" in my 1997 passport).

As mentioned, many Latin American countries consider children to age 18 to
be nationals but not citizens. Citizenship is generally conferred at the age
of majority, usually 18.

Q # 2. Or - Was her Mother 'other-than' an American ?
Q # 2a Is she now over the Age of 21 Years ?
IIRC -if- she 'never' exercised the Privilege-of-America-Citizenship
before or upon turning the Age of 21 years - - - She may have 'lost'
that "Privilege" {Option}.

There is no requirement to exercise US citizenship by the age of 21 in
order to keep it.

The age of majority in Ecuador is 18, and to become a citizen (which one is
not up to 18, no matter who the parents are) one had to renounce all other
allegiances, as I said above. Such constitutes both an oath to Ecuador and a
renunciation of other citizenships...

While US law may be more tolerant, Ecuadorian law at the time was not. Thus,
we have a dichotomy: The US may consider the person a citizen and a dual
national , while Ecuador does not. This may be an example of how one nation
allows dual nationals and another does not... for the same person!

There was, prior to 1978, a requirement for a US
citizen born abroad of US parentage to move to the US and live there
for at least five years by age 28, in order to preserve their US
citizenship. But that law was repealed in 1978. It wouldn't have
affected anyone who didn't reach their 28th birthday by then.