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Page | 49 this proof is obtained, the member whose citizenship is questionable will have his/her income eand all of his/her resources considered available to any remaining household members. Proof may be obtained via SVES request. Citizenship verified for TANF purposes is considered verified for SNAP. Birth, naturalization or deprivation from parent(s) normally acquires U.S. citizenship.

3322 CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH

Persons born in the United States (U.S.) are U.S. citizens. This principle applies even to children of parents who are present in the U.S. illegally. For this purpose, the U.S. is defined as the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Non-citizen nationals are individuals who were born in American Samoa and Swain's Island (outlying possessions of the U.S.) and are treated just like U.S. citizens. For all manual references, non-citizen nationals will be included in the U.S. citizen group and not identified separately.

3323 CHILD UNDER 18 BORN TO U.S. PARENT OR ADOPTED BY U.S. PARENT

Automatic citizenship is granted to children born in a foreign county upon entry to the U.S. if the child is under 18 years of age, admitted to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident, and is in the legal and physical custody of at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen.

Automatic citizenship is granted to children whose adoption is completed abroad by a U.S. parent(s) upon entry to the U.S. if the child is less than 18 years of age, admitted to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident, and is in the legal and physical custody of at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen. Automatic citizenship is not granted if the adoption is not finalized prior to the child entering the U.S. If that occurs the child must be meet other alien status criteria until the adoption is finalized. Once finalized, the child will receive automatic citizenship.

Because automatic citizenship is granted to children who meet the above criteria, they should be coded as citizens.

Children of unknown parentage found in the U.S. before the age of 5 years are assumed to have been born in this country. Such foundlings are considered U.S. citizens for life unless it is proved before the child reaches age 21 that he/she was born in another country.

3324 CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION

Individuals who are not U.S. citizens may acquire citizenship through the courts by naturalization. Aliens do not become citizens simply by marrying a U.S. citizen. Spouses, however, can apply for naturalization and, if eligible, become citizens through the court.

In some instances, alien children become U.S. citizens when a parent is naturalized. These children might have their own separate naturalization records or papers. If so, their citizenship can be verified, if necessary, the same as an adult; if not, the situation should be referred through channels for determination of citizenship.

3325 VERIFICATION OF CITIZENSHIP

If questionable, citizenship may be verified by birth, hospital, or baptismal certificates, U.S. passports, USCIS certificates of citizenship or naturalization, ID cards for the use of resident citizens in the U.S. (USCIS Forms I-179 or I-197), or similar documents. Citizenship may also be verified via SVES.