United States Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti
CONSULAR REPORT OF BIRTH ABROAD ( JULY 2023)
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).
- At least one biological parent must have been a U.S. citizen when the child was born. The only exception is for a posthumous child. The U.S. citizen parent(s) must have resided or been physically present in the United States for the time required by the law in effect*** when the child was born.
- *** All U.S citizen parents must provide evidence of physical presence in the U.S. prior to the birth of the child:
- 5 years: if child was born after November 14, 1986, at least two (2) years must be after the age of 14.
- 10 years: if child was born before November 14, 1986, at least five (5) years must be after the age of 14.
- *** If the child was born abroad out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother on or after June 12, 2017, five (5) years of physical presence are required before the child’s birth, at least two (2) years must be after the parent reaches age 14.
- *** If the child was born between November 14, 1986 and June 11, 2017, to an unwed U.S. citizen mother, proof of one (1) year or 12 months of continuous physical presence in the U.S. is required prior to the birth of the child.
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 Haiti and you must travel to Tabarre, Haiti for the in-person interview.
To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online, you MUST answer all the following criteria with YES.
- Was the child born in Haiti?
- Is the child under the age of 18?
- Was at least one parent a U.S. citizen or U.S. non-citizen national when the child was born?
- Can you use an internationally accepted credit/debit card or a direct payment method from a U.S. dollar denominated bank account (also known as “ACH”) to pay online for your Consular Report of Birth Abroad application?
- 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 APPLY
You can now apply for a CRBA electronically for children born in Haiti. 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you will then be directed to schedule your appointment in Tabarre, Haiti. Please 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.
- 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 can provide English translations for all foreign language documents but the original documents are mandatory. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents also attend the interview.
NEED HELP?
We are here to help!
- You can access eCRBA 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Here
- You can view an application how-to-guide HERE
- For questions or concerns please contact acscrbapap@state.gov
THIRD PARTY ATTENDANCE AT PASSPORT AND CRBA APPOINTMENT INTERVIEWS
Generally, immediate family members may accompany passport or CRBA applicants to their appointment interviews at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and all minor children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Passport or CRBA applicants also have the option of being accompanied by an attorney at their appointment interview. Attendance by any third party, including an attorney, accompanying an applicant is subject to the following parameters designed to ensure an orderly appointment interview process and to maintain the integrity of the adjudication of the application(s):
- Given space limitations in the consular section, not more than one attendee at a time will be allowed to accompany an applicant (or the applicant’s parent or guardian if the applicant is a minor).
- Attendance by an attorney does not excuse the applicant and/or the minor applicant’s parent or guardian from attending the appointment interview in person.
- The manner in which a passport or CRBA appointment interview is conducted, and the scope and nature of the inquiry, shall at all times be at the discretion of the consular officer, following applicable Departmental guidance.
- It is expected that attorneys will provide their clients with relevant legal advice prior to, rather than at, the appointment interview, and will advise their clients prior to the appointment interview that the client will participate in the appointment interview with minimal assistance.
- Attorneys may not engage in any form of legal argumentation during the appointment interview and before the consular officer. Attendees other than a parent or guardian accompanying a minor child may not answer a consular officer’s question on behalf or in lieu of an applicant, nor may they summarize, correct, or attempt to clarify an applicant’s response, or interrupt or interfere with an applicant’s responses to a consular officer’s questions.
- To the extent that an applicant does not understand a question, s/he should seek clarification from the consular officer directly.
- The consular officer has sole discretion to determine the appropriate language(s) for communication with the applicant, based on the facility of both officer and applicant and the manner and form that best facilitate communication between the consular officer and the applicant. Attendees may not demand that communications take place in a particular language solely for the benefit of the attendee. Nor may attendees object to or insist on the participation of an interpreter in the appointment interview, to the qualifications of any interpreter, or to the manner or substance of any translation.
- No attendee may coach or instruct applicants as to how to answer a consular officer’s question.
- Attendees may not object to a consular officer’s question on any ground (including that the attendee regards the question to be inappropriate, irrelevant, or adversarial), or instruct the applicant not to answer a consular officer’s question. Attendees may not interfere in any manner with the consular officer’s ability to conduct all inquiries and fact-finding necessary to exercise his or her responsibilities to adjudicate the application.
- During a passport or CRBA appointment interview, attendees may not discuss or inquire about other applications.
- Attendees may take written notes, but may not otherwise record the appointment interviews.
- Attendees may not engage in any other conduct that materially disrupts the appointment interview. For example, they may not yell at or otherwise attempt to intimidate or abuse a consular officer or staff, and they may not engage in any conduct that threatens U.S. national security or the security of the embassy or its personnel. Attendees must follow all security policies of the Department of State and the U.S. embassy or consulate where the appointment interview takes place. Attendees may not engage in any conduct that violates this policy and/or otherwise materially disrupts the appointment interview. Failure to observe these parameters will result in a warning to the attendee and, if ignored, the attendee may be asked to leave the appointment interview and/or the premises, as appropriate. It would then be the applicant’s choice whether to continue the appointment interview without the attendee present, subject to the consular officer’s discretion to terminate the appointment interview. The safety and privacy of all applicants awaiting consular services, as well as of consular and embassy personnel, is of paramount consideration
