Form N-644 Application for Posthumous Citizenship

OMB No. 1615-0059; Expires 06/30/07

N-644, Application for
Posthumous Citizenship

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Instructions
Complete only Part 1 of this application. Do not write in Parts II, III or IV.

General Information.
Public Law 101-249, as amended, provides that an alien or
non-citizen national of the United States who dies as a result
of injury or disease incurred by active duty with the U.S.
Armed Forces during specified periods of military hostilities
may be granted U.S. citizenship.
If the application is approved, a Certificate of Citizenship
(N-645) will be issued in the name of the decedent (the
deceased veteran).
The certificate establishes that the decedent is considered a
citizen of the United States as of the date of his or her death.
Posthumous citizenship is an honorary status commemorating
the bravery and sacrifices of the veteran; it conveys no
benefit under the immigration and nationality laws to any
relative of the decedent.

2. Died because of injury or disease incurred in or
aggravated by that service; and
3. Met one of the following enlistment requirements:
a. Was enlisted, reenlisted, or inducted in the United States,
Panama Canal Zone, American Samoa or Swain's Island;
or
b. Was admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent
resident at any time; or
c. If a person described in (1)(f) above, entered the United
States, Panama Canal Zone, American Samoa or Swain's
Island pursuant to military orders at some time during
such service.

When Must the Application Be Filed?
The application must be filed no later than:

Who Is Eligible for Posthumous Citizenship?
To qualify for Posthumous Citizenship, the decendent must
have been an alien or non-citizen national of the United
States who:
1. Served honorably in an active-duty status in the military,
air or naval forces of the United States during:

Two years after the date of the decedent's death.

Who Can File?
You may file this form only if your relationship to the
decedent was:

a. 04/06/1917- 11/11/1918 (World War I); or

a. Spouse; or

b. 09/01/1939 - 12/31/1946 (World War II); or

b. Father/Mother; or

c. 06/25/1950 - 07/01/1955 (Korean Hostilities); or

c. Son/Daughter; or

d. 02/28/1961 - 10/15/1978 (Vietnam Hostilities); or

d. Brother/Sister; or

e. 08/02/1990 - 04/11/1991 (Pershian Gulf Conflict); or

You are the decedent's representative, defined as:

f. From 09/11/2001 until terminated by Executive Order of
the President (Iraq Hostilities); or

e. Executor or Administrator of decedent's estate; or

g. Any other period of military hostilities designated by
Executive Order of the President for the purpose of
naturalization benefits; or
h. A period of at least five years following enlistment or
reenlistment in the U.S. Army under the Lodge Act of
June 30, 1950: and who:

f. Guardian, Conservator, or Committee of decedent's nextof-kin; or
g. Service organization recognized by the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
NOTE: Once a certificate of Posthumous Citizenship has
been issued for a veteran, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) will not approve any later application on
his or her behalf, except in the case of an application to
replace a certificate that was lost, mutilated or destroyed.

Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 01/16/07)N

What Documents Need to Be Submitted?

b. Type or print legibly in black ink.

Authorization documents:

c. Please read and follow all instructions carefully so that it
will not necessitate the return of your application.

a. Unless you are the spouse of the decedent or the executor
or administrator of the decedent's estate, you must obtain
authorization from all living next-of-kin above you in the
order of succession.

d. Answer all questions fully and accurately. If any items
does not apply to the decedent, write "N/A" (meaning
"Not Applicable") or "None," as the case requires.

For example, if you are the decedent's brother, you would
have to obtain authorization from all living relatives in
classes (a), (b) and (c) in the Who Can File? section on
Page 1 of these instructions.
The authorization must be in the form of an affidavit
stating the affiant's name, address and relationship to the
decedent and authorizing you to apply for posthumous
U.S. Citizenship on behalf of the decedent. If the affidavit
is in a language other than English, it must be
accompanied by a certified English translator.
b. If you are in category (e) or (f) of the section, Who Can
File?, you must submit a certified copy of your letter of
appointment as the executor or administrator of the
decedent's estate, or as the guardian, conservator or
committee of the decedent's next-of-kin.
c. If you are in group (g) of the section, Who Can File?, you
must submit evidence of recognition of your organization
by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Documentation of the decedent's service and death:
To facilitate certification of the decedent's military service
and service-connected death by the executive departments,
you should submit a legible copy of each of the following
documents, if available:
d. Form DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from
Active Duty; or
e. Form DD 1300, Report of Casualty/Military Death
Certificate; or
f. Any other military or state issued certificate of the
decedent's death.
Failure to submit any of these documents may not
automatically result in the denial of your application, but will
delay the certification process.

What Is the Fee?
No fee is collected for this application.

Will You Have to Appear for an Interview?
No. However, if the application is approved and you reside
outside the United States, you will be required to appear at
the nearest American Embassy or Consulate to sign for the
Certificate of Citizenship (N-645).

Where Should You File the Application?
Submit your Form N-644 to the following address:
USCIS California Service Center
P.O. Box 10360
Laguna Niguel, CA 92607

What Are the Penalties for
Submitting False Information?
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, states whoever
willfully and knowingly falsifies a material fact, makes a
false statement or makes use of a false document will be
fined up to $10,000 or imprisoned up to five years or both.

What Is the Authority for
Collecting This Information?
We request information on this form to carry out the
immigration laws contained in Title 8, United States Code
1225. We need this information to determine your eligibility
to file this application, and the decedent's eligibility for
posthumous citizenship. The information you provide may
also be disclosed to other federal agencies as part of the
adjudication of this application. You do not have to give this
information. However, if you refuse, your application may be
denied.

How Should You Prepare This Form?
a. Complete only Part I of this application. Do not write in
Parts II, III or IV, which are reserved for the use of the
executive departments.

Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 01/16/07) N Page 2

USCIS Forms and Information.
To order USCIS forms call our toll-free forms line at
1-800-870-3676. You can also get USCIS forms and
information on immigration laws, regulations and procedures
by telephoning our National Customer Service Center at
1-800-375-5283 or visiting our internet website at www.uscis.
gov.

Use InfoPass for Appointments.
As an alternative to waiting in line for assistance at your local
USCIS office, you can now schedule an appointment through
our internet-based system, InfoPass. To access the system,
visit our website at www.uscis.gov. Use the InfoPass
appointment scheduler and follow the screen prompts to set
up your appointment. InfoPass generates an electronic
appointment notice that appears on the screen. Print the notice
and take it with you to your appointment. The notice gives the
time and date of your appointment, along with the address of
USCIS office.

What Is the Reporting Burden?
A person is not required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a current valid OMB control
number. This collection of information is estimated to
average 1 hour and 50 minutes per response, including the
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect
of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services,Regulatory Management Division, 111
Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.,3rd Floor, Suite 3008,
Washington, DC 20529; OMB No.1615-0059. Do not mail
your completed application to this address.

Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 01/16/07) N Page 3

OMB No. 1615-0059; Expires 06/30/07

N-644, Application for
Posthumous Citizenship

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For USCIS Only
Fee Stamp

Part 1.

Information about the Applicant. (To be completed by the Applicant only.)

1. Name (Last/First/Middle)

6. Your Relationship to Decedent at time of his/her death (Check one.)

Next-of-Kin
2. Address (Street Name and Number)

(Town/City, State/Country, Zip/Postal Code)

3. If abroad, City/Country of nearest American Embassy or Consulate

4. Telephone Number (Include Area/Country Code)

(

)

5. Total Number of Authorization Affidavits Attached (See instructions.)

a.

Spouse

b.

Parent

c.

Son/Daughter

d.

Brother/Sister

Representative
e.

Executor or Administrator of Decedent's Estate

f.

Guardian, Conservator or Committee of Decedent's Next-of-Kin

g.

VA Recognized Service Organization (Name below.)
(Name of Service Organization)

B. Information about the Decedent.
1. Name Used During Active Service (Last/First/Middle)

10. Father's Full Name

a.

Living

b.

Deceased

a.

Living

b.

Deceased

a.

Married

b.

Widowed

c.

Divorced

d.

Single

2. Other Names Used
11. Mother's Maiden Name
3. Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)

4. Place of Birth (City/State/Country)
12. Marital Status at Time of Death

5. Date of Death (mm/dd/yyyy)

6. Place of Death (City/State/Country)

7. Immigration Status at Time of Death (Permanent Resident, Student,

13. Military Service Serial Number (If different from Social Security #.)
Visitor, etc.)
14. Date of Entered Active Duty Service (mm/dd/yyyy)
8. Alien Registration Number or Other USCIS File Number

9. U.S. Social Security Number (If any.)

15. Place Entered Active Duty Service (City/State/Country)

Form N-644 (Rev. 01/16/07) N

16. Date Released From Active Duty Service (mm/dd/yyyy)

24. Total Number of Brothers and Sisters (If none, write None.)

17. Branch of Service

25. Complete the following for each Brother and Sister.

18. Type of Discharge

Name (Last/First/Middle)
19. Military Rank at Time of Discharge

Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)

20. Retired From Military?
Yes

a.

Living

b.

Deceased

a.

Living

b.

Deceased

a.

Living

b.

Deceased

No

21. VA Claim Number (If any.)

22. Total Number of Children (If none, write None.)

Certificate of Applicant.

23. Complete the following for each Child.
Name (Last/First/Middle)

I certify, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States
of America, that the information in Part I is true and correct.

Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)
a.

Living

b.

Deceased

a.

Living

b.

Deceased

a.

Living

b.

Deceased

Signature

Date

Name (Print or Type)

Address (Street Number and Name, City/Town, State/Province, Country, ZipPostal Code

Part II. To be completed by the applicable Executive Department.
1.

No Active Duty Records Found for This Individual

2.

No Casualty Records Found for This Individual

3.

Name of Decedent Correctly Shown

4.

Name of Decedent Different in Records

d. Service Number

e. Date Released From Service (mm/dd/yyyy)

f. Honorable Service During a Period of Hostilities

(List name shown in records)
by

5.

Active Duty Service Records Found
(Complete a through f)

No

6. Individual Entered Service Under the Lodge Act?
No

Yes
7.

a. Branch of Service

Yes

Unable to Determine

Record of Death Found
(Complete a and b
a. Date of Death (mm/dd/yyyy)

b. Date Entered Active Duty
b. Death resulted from injury or disease incurred in or aggravated
by active duty service during a period of military hostilities
specified by law?
c. Place Entered Active Duty Service (City/State/Country)
Yes

No

Unable to Determine

Form N-644 (Rev. 01/16/07) N Page 2

8.

Certification.

Signature

Date

I certify the information given here concerning the
(Check one or both, as appropriate.)
Title
Service

Death

of the individual named on this form is correct according to the
records of the (Name below)
(Specify Executive Department)

Part III. To be completed by the Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services,
Directorate for Information Operations and Reports.
B. Unable to Certify.

A. Certification.

Based on the information received from the Department
of Veterans Affairs concerning the death of the
individual named on this form, I am unable to certify that
the individual died as a result of injury or disease
incurred in or aggravated by service during a period of
hostilities specified by law.

Based on the information received from the Department
of Veterans Affairs concerning the death of the
individual named on this form, I certify that the
individual died on:

Signature

Date (mm/dd/yyyy)
as a result of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated
by service during a period of hostilities specified by law.
Signature

Date

Title

Date

Title

NOTE: Space below (Part IV) for use by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (Only.)
Part IV. To be completed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Applicant Authorized Next-of-Kin or Representative

Action Block

Positive Certification Military Service
Positive Certification Service Connected Death
Place of Enlistment Qualifies Under INA Section 329 (a)(1)
Decedent Admitted for Lawful Permanent Residence

Cert. #

Date Mailed

A#

Reg. Mail #

Initial Receipt

Resubmitted

Relocated
Rec'd

Sent

Completed
App'd Denied

Ret'd

Form N-644 (Rev. 01/16/07)N Page 3