Oh Dear Oh Dear Oh Dear

[Casey_03]

Also, this is funny -- they asked me to list every U.S. city I've ever been in and provide dates for how long I was in each city. Every city for 22 years of my life. I don't even remember anymore. Mind you, they know I have a U.S. passport and was born in the U.S., that I am a citizen. I also have to list every vacation i've ever taken out of the country and when. They must get a lot of foreigners trying to dupe them into giving out a U.S. passport.

 

[joeylittle]

i have another appointment today at the embassy, so I'm hoping they will show me pity. But they're bureaucrats, so I doubt they will.

Well, go in there and kick ass. I mean - you are a US citizen; you just want to go home. You do have college records (and frankly, they can look at your passport record to see that you didn't leave the country on summer breaks). You have a new baby, and your employer is not working with you on that. Your grandmother is ill. You spent every last cent on a plane ticket, and really did not understand that you'd have to provide this much paperwork - which isn't their fault, of course, you can plead 'motherhood' and 'exhaustion'. You have tax records, and they can access them faster than you can.

I'm assuming you've never applied for dual citizenship - if not, you actually should bring that up as well. And tell your family to wire money. I know I'm making all this sound easier than it is, but I'm just encouraging you to pull out all the stops. You are good at defeating yourself before you give yourself a chance, sometimes. But you are smart, and determined, and not even trying to break the law. So please, take all this a cheerleading, not lecturing. Just give it all you've got. And then, whatever they do, they will do, and you'll find a way through it. :hug:

 

[Suzetig]

As far as I know, for this embassy, it's standard procedure to demand proof of residence in the U.S.

This doesn't tie up to be honest, U.S. Embassies don't pick and choose what standards apply where, they have a central process for anyone coming to the U.S. I do get the issues around taking a child back to the U.S. when they haven't been registered as born abroad but you as a citizen can't be refused entry because you have a passport. Your passport is in and of itself proof of residence. If you booked a flight tomorrow they would need to let you in because you belong to them.

It does sound like they're questioning your child's right to citizenship which is where your residence would matter because they have legal requirements to satisfy, not least that the child is yours (child trafficking being a significant issue in your part of the world) and that youre not fleeing someone there who might have parental rights. You also need to have been resident in the US for a year prior to the child's birth, which is what they're checking.

I think @joeylittle is right, you'll need to kick up stink, while also providing them with as much evidence as you can that your marriage ended before your child was conceived and that you've lived in the U.S., Id give them all the papers you have and let them figure out what counts or not - bury them in paperwork. If they won't register your child you could look at travelling on a Ukrainian passport and argue citizenship when you get State side - yes it would be complicated but what you're dealing with now is far from straightforward.

Good luck.

 

[Casey_03]

@Suzetig You're right about the embassy procedures -- I'm sure this is a rule in place at all embassies, I had just never heard of it being enforced so strictly before. But then, I was never in this situation before, so I probably just wouldn't have noticed. I'm not worried about them refusing me entry; I'm worried about being unable to get a passport for the baby. He doesn't have Ukrainian citizenship, so if they don't grant him U.S. citizenship and a U.S. passport, I am stuck here with him indefinitely, until the matter can be solved. He has no citizenship at this point; he can't leave the country until he gets it.

I met with a consular officer today and I definitely did raise a stink, tears and all. He seemed sympathetic but said it's not up to him to decide, and now they are "checking things on their end" before they can get back to me with an answer about whether or not they can make an exception for me. I wasn't given any timeframe, so I have no idea how long it will take for them to give me some clarity.
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