Are You Automatically a US Citizen If One Parent Is a US Citizen

It depends.

You are not automatically a U.S. citizen just because one of your parents is a U.S. citizen.
Whether you automatically gain U.S. citizenship depends on several factors, including:

• Where and when were you born
• The citizenship status of your parents at the time of your birth
• How long has your U.S. citizen parent lived in the U.S. before your birth?

If you were born inside the United States, you generally acquire citizenship automatically, regardless of your parents’ citizenship (with few exceptions).

If you were born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent, you may acquire U.S. citizenship at birth, but your U.S. citizen parent must usually meet specific physical presence requirements in the U.S. before your birth.

Each case is unique, so it’s important to check the U.S. nationality laws that applied at the time of your birth.