Application for Posthumous Citizenship

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

Instructions for N-644, Application
for Posthumous Citizenship

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

Instructions
Please read these instructions carefully to properly complete this form. If you need more space to complete an answer, use a
separate sheet(s) of paper. Write your name and Alien Registration Number (A #), if any, at the top of each sheet of paper
and indicate the part and number of the item to which the answer refers.

What Is the Purpose of This Form.
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.

When Should I Use Form N-644.
The application must be filed no later than two years after the
date of the decedent's death.

Who May File This N-644.
You may file this form only if your relationship to the
decedent was:
1. Spouse; or
2. Father/Mother; or
3. Son/Daughter; or
4. Brother/Sister; or

7. 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.

General Instructions.
Step 1. Fill Out the Form N-644
1. Type or print legibly in black ink.
2. If extra space is needed to complete any item, attach a
continuation sheet, indicate the item number, and date and
sign each sheet.
3. Answer all questions fully and accurately. State that an
item is not applicable with "N/A." If the answer is "none,"
write none.
4. 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.

Step 2. General requirements
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:
A. 04/06/1917- 11/11/1918 (World War I); or
B. 09/01/1939 - 12/31/1946 (World War II); or
C. 06/25/1950 - 07/01/1955 (Korean Hostilities); or

You are the decedent's representative, defined as:

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

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

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

6. Guardian, Conservator, or Committee of decedent's nextof-kin; or

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

Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 07/30/07) N

G. Any other period of military hostilities designated by
Executive Order of the President for the purpose of
naturalization benefits; or

4. If you are in group (g) of the section "Who May File This
N-644," you must submit evidence of recognition of your
organization by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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:

Documentation of the decedent's service and death:

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), entered the United
States, Panama Canal Zone, American Samoa or
Swain's Island pursuant to military orders at some time
during such service.

Evidence.
Authorization documents:
1. 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.
2. 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 May File This N-644"
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.
3. If you are in category (e) or (f) of the section "Who May
File This N-644," 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.

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:
1. Form DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from
Active Duty; or
2. Form DD 1300, Report of Casualty/Military Death
Certificate; or
3. 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.

Translations. Any document containing foreign language
submitted to the Service shall be accompanied by a full
English language translation which the translator has certified
as complete and accurate, and by the translator's certification
that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign
language into English.
Copies. Unless specifically required that an original
document be filed with an application or petition, an ordinary
legible photocopy may be submitted. Original documents
submitted when not required will remain a part of the record,
even if the submission was not required.

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

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

Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 07/30/07) N Page 2

Address Changes.
If you change your address and you have an application or
petition pending with USCIS, you may change your address
on-line at www.uscis.gov, click on "Change your address with
USCIS" and follow the prompts or by completing and mailing
Form AR-11, Alien's Change of Address Card, to:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
P.O. Box 7134
London, KY 40742-7134
For commercial overnight or fast freight services only, mail
to:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Change of Address
1084-I South Laurel Road
London, KY 40744

Processing Information.
Any Form N-644 that is not signed will be rejected with a
notice that the Form N-644 is deficient. You may correct the
deficiency and resubmit the Form N-644. An application or
petition is not considered properly filed until accepted by
USCIS.

Initial processing. Once a Form N-644 has been accepted, it
will be checked for completness, including submission of the
required initial evidence. If you do not completely fill out the
form, or file it without required initial evidence, you will not
establish a basis for eligibility and we may deny your Form
N-644.

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).

Decision. The decision on a Form N-644 involves a
determination of whether you have established eligiblity for
the requested benefit. You will be notified of the decision in
writing.

USCIS Forms and Information.

As an altenative 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. 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.

Penalties.
If you knowingly and willfully falsify or conceal a material
fact or submit a false document with this Form N-644, we will
deny the Form N-644 and may deny any other immigration
benefit.
In addition, you will face severe penalties provided by law and
may be subject to criminal prosecution.

Privacy Act Notice.
We ask for the information on this form, and associated
evidence, to determine if you have established eligibility for
the immigration benefit for which you are filing. Our legal
right to ask for this information can be found in the
Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. We may
provide this information to other government agencies. Failure
to provide this information, and any requested evidence, may
delay a final decision or result in denial of your Form N-644.

Paperwork Reduction Act.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor an information
collection and a person is not required to respond to a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
OMB control number. The public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated at 1 hour and 50
minutes per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions, completing and submitting the form. 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 application to this address.

To order USCIS forms, call our toll-free number at 1-800870-3676. 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.
Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 07/30/07) N Page 3