Q603. USA born child traveling to India with Indian passport

Question: Hi Mr. Virendar, I read the information in and found it really useful. My husband is on a H1B visa and I am on a H4 visa. We are both indian citizens. We are expecting a child and are planning on applying for an indian passport. However, we will need to travel with the child to India and back to US, since my husband is on assignment in New York. Q1. If we apply for an Indian passport for our baby, what visa will she require to travel to India? Is US birth certificate enough? Q2. Will she be considered an Indian citizen once she has an Indian passport? Q3. If we have to bring our baby back to US, will we need to apply for a US passport for her and give up her indian citizenship? Q4. If we don't bring her back to US and retain her Indian passport, will she be able to choose if she wants a US CITIZENSHIP once she becomes 18 years old? Thanks, Valerie Rodrigues

Answer: Regarding your questions: 1. If you apply for an Indian passport for your USA born child, then your child will not require a visa to travel to India as she would hold an Indian passport. 2. Once your child has an Indian passport, all benefits associated with Indian citizenship will be available to the child. 3. If your baby travels to India on an Indian passport, then to return to USA, she would require a visa, this becomes a problem as US government will not issue a visa to one of their own citizens. Every person born in the United States is a citizen of the United States and the only way to give up US citizenship is the renounce it. Babies cannot renounce their citizenship until age of majority. The only way to return would perhaps be to get a US passport, unless you can convince the US consulate in India to issue a entry visa which may not be as easy as it sounds. 4. Yes. On reaching age of majority, your daughter can decide to give up Indian citizenship and opt for a US passport. Generally the US would always consider anyone born in USA to be a US citizen until they voluntarily renounce US citizenship. Keep your child’s birth certificate safe! Note: Since the PIO card now has a lifelong validity, in the event you decide to get a US passport for your child, getting a PIO card might be an option for you to explore.

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Birth Registration of newborn children at Indian Consulates How to get Indian passport for newborn child born abroad