Some U.S. citizens who reside in Trinidad and Tobago have been instructed to request letters from the U.S. Embassy to verify their U.S. citizenship.The U.S. Embassy does not provide letters verifying U.S. citizenship. The U.S. Government recognizes a valid U.S. passport as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship and prohibits Embassies and Consulates from providing letters or other documents in lieu of passports or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (for children who are born abroad and qualified for U.S. citizenship at birth) to affirm citizenship.
The U.S. Embassy also does not maintain records on when U.S. citizens acquired their citizenship. The only documents issued by a U.S. Embassy or Consulate are passports and Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The Embassy advises U.S.-born citizens to obtain certified birth certificates from the city, county or state where they were born.
- Please visit this U.S. Government website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm to request Birth/Death/Marriage certificates and Divorce documents directly from the city, county or state in the U.S.
- Replacements of Consular Reports of Birth Abroad must be requested in writing from the Department of State in Washington, DC.Please call (202) 955-0307 or visit this website click here.
- Citizens who naturalized may demonstrate when they acquired citizenship by presenting their Certificate of Naturalization. If they have lost their certificate, they may request a new Certificate of Naturalization by submitting an “Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document” (Form N-565) to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Form N-565 can be downloaded at www.uscis.gov and submitted by mail directly to the USCIS address below, along with the appropriate fee. As of March 2010, the fee was U.S.$380. Please call 1-800-375-5283 to request updated fee information.
The following are external links to other U.S. Government agencies: