I am an American woman and I gave birth outside the USA after receiving an implanted ovum. Is my child an American citizen?
I am an American woman and I gave birth outside the USA after receiving an implanted ovum. Is my child an American citizen?
Answer
In cases of assisted reproductive technology and same-sex marriages, the US State Department has recently (October 2014) changed its policy on this matter. It now recognizes that the "natural mother" and/or "natural father" can be either the genetic or the gestational parent. (Previously, it applied a strict basic rule of a blood relationship for recognizing US citizenship of children born abroad.) However, as this new interpretation has only recently come into force, it remains to be seen how it will be applied in individual cases.