A Certificate of Loss of Nationality would have been issued and it would be available for release under a Freedom of Information Act request.
The Certificate of Loss of Nationality (CLN) is a form of the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the United States Department of State which is completed by American citizens seeking renunciation of citizenship. The form is prescribed by the Secretary of State under the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.
In order for a renunciation of citizenship to be proper, three criteria must be met:
The citizen has unequivocally admitted in writing an intent to lose U.S. citizenship.
The renunciation was made at a U.S. diplomatic office outside the U.S. and before a U.S. diplomatic officer.
The renunciation must be made voluntarily. Grounds for arguing that renunciation was not voluntary are financial hardship (e.g., the need to get a job in another country) or family pressure.
Alternatively, the State Department may argue that U.S. citizenship has been surrendered due to the person making an oath of allegiance to a foreign state voluntarily and with the intent to relinquish U.S. citizenship, such that:
The person has signed an oath of allegiance to the foreign state, renouncing allegiance to all other states.
The person is clear that they know exactly what they are doing.
CLNs are issued at a U.S. embassy and citizens who receive a CLN surrender their United States passport. In order to be successful, renunciations must meet all criteria and be sworn by official witnesses to have occurred.
Case law shows that in order to avoid legal complications it is vital to obtain a CLN and not just meet the criteria.
Can someone under 18 or 21 do one of the following:
Get issued a cert of loss of nationality?
Renounce their citizenship?
Have a parent go with them and do it at the consulate?
On that last one, how do they show they weren’t coerced by the family member/parent?
Nero germanicus,
Many thanks for that info!
Anybody try a FOIA request for these docs?
And if they did request them, what did they receive?
(If a kid could sign a renunciation.... but I concur with Mr Roberts about minors not being able to sign contracts/official docs)