Application for Posthumous Citizenship

DRAFT - Not For Production
Instructions for N-644, Application
OMB No. 1615-0059; Expires 09/30/2010

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

for Posthumous Citizenship
Instructions

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, the decedent's name, and Alien Registration Number(s) (A-Number), 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?
The purpose of Form N-644 is to obtain a posthumous
Certificate of Citizenship for qualifying members of the
Armed Forces who died while on active duty. Section 329A of
the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, provides
that an alien or non-citizen national of the United States who
dies as a result of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated
by active-duty service with the U.S. Armed Forces during
specified periods of military hostilities may be granted United
States citizenship. If the application is approved, a Certificate
of Citizenship will be issued in the name of the deceased
veteran.
The certificate establishes that the deceased veteran is
considered a citizen of the United States as of the date of his or
her death.
Posthumous citizenship commemorates the bravery and
sacrifices of the deceased veteran. It also provides for certain
immigration benefits to qualifying family members of the
deceased veteran.
For more information about immigration benefits for family
members of deceased Armed Forces members, refer to U. S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) pamphlet,
Survivor Benefits for Non-Citizen Relatives of Military
Personnel (M-601) or visit www.uscis.gov/military.

When Should I Use Form N-644?
The application must be filed by the decedent's next-of-kin or
representative within 2 years of the decedent's death.

You may also file this form if you are the decedent's
representative, defined as:
e. Executor or administrator of decedent's estate;
f. Guardian, conservator, or committee of decedent's nextof-kin;
g. Service organization recognized by the Department of
Veterans Affairs; or
h. The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary's designee
with USCIS after a request by the next-of-kin.
NOTE: After a Certificate of Citizenship has been issued for a
veteran, USCIS will not approve a subsequently filed N-644
application on the decedent's behalf, except in the case of an
application to replace a certificate that was lost, mutilated, or
destroyed.

General Instructions
Step 1. Fill Out 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. Write your name and Alien Registration
Number (A-Number), if any, at the top of each sheet of
paper.
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 and USCIS.

Who May File Form N-644?
You may file this form only if your relationship to the
decedent was:
a. Spouse;
b. Father/Mother;
c. Son/Daughter; or
d. Brother/Sister;

Step 2. General Requirements
To qualify for posthumous citizenship, the decedent must
have been an alien or noncitizen 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:
A. From 09/11/2001 until terminated by Executive Order
of the President; or
Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 07/09/10) Y

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B. Any other period of military hostilities designated by
Executive Order of the President for the purpose of
naturalization benefits.
2. Died because of injury or disease incurred in or aggravated
by that service; and
3. Met one of the following enlistment requirements:
A. Entered or 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 after enlistment or induction.
Note: The application must be filed by the decedent's next-ofkin or representative within 2 years of the decedent's death.

Evidence

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 a foreign language submitted to
USCIS must 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.

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 Form
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 translation.
If you are in category (e) or (f) of the section "Who May
File Form 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,
submit a legible copy of each of the following documents,
if available:
1. Form DD214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from
Active Duty;

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.

Address Changes
If you change your address and you have an application or
petition pending with USCIS, you may change your address
online at www.uscis.gov. Click on "online Change of
Address" 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

2. Form DD1300, Report of Casualty/Military Death
Certificate; or

Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 07/09/10) Y Page 2

DRAFT - Not For Production
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

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 Web site. 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.

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

Initial processing
Once Form N-644 has been received, it will be checked for
completeness, 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 USCIS may reject your Form N-644.

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 your 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
Will Someone Have to Appear for an Interview? No.
However, if the application is approved and the person
applying for the Certificate of Citizenship on behalf of the
deceased veteran resides outside the United States, the person
will be required to appear at the nearest U.S. Embassy or
consulate to obtain the Certificate of Citizenship.

Decision
The decision whether the deceased veteran qualifies for
posthumous citizenship will be issued in writing. If the
application is approved, a Certificate of Citizenship in the
name of the deceased veteran will be mailed to the address
contained on the Form N-644. If the address listed on the
Form N-644 is outside the United States, the decision will
contain instructions about how to obtain the Certificate of
Citizenship at the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate.

USCIS Forms and Information
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 Web site at www.uscis.gov.

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,
and 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 Products Division, 111 Massachusetts Avenue,
N.W., 3rd Floor, Suite 3008, Washington, DC 20529-2210.
OMB No. 1615-0059. Do not mail your application to this
address.

Form N-644 Instructions (Rev. 07/09/10) Y Page 3