Dad adopted my brother but why is my brother is not a US Citizen?

[Penney0356]

Dad was in the US Air Force and was stationed in Thailand back in 1970-1975. He married my Thai mom who has a 4 year old child from her first marriage and adopted him when he was 6 years old.. My brother is now 40 years old and he is not a US citizen. He only holds a permanent green card. He been living in the US for 10 years now...

[ed]

Sounds like your brother may be a US citizen. He needs to file form N-600 with CIS and submit a copy of the adoption records. If there is no legal adoption, then your brother is not a US citizen. By the way, the government doesn't wave its magic wand and make people citizens. The appropriate paperwork must be filed.

[estielmo9257]

Dad didn't file the proper paperwork way back then. Citizenship is not automatic, it must be claimed.

[GeorgeL]

Immigration law has gone through a few changes over the past 35 years or so. If he entered the US as an immigrant at the age of 30, he was too old to be a citizen automatically when he arrived. However, if he's been a legal permanent resident for the past 10 years, he can apply for citizenship whenever he likes. If he passes the test, he would become a citizen at that point.