H.R. 9662: Birthright Citizenship Limits for Aliens and Illegal Migrants Act of 2026

This bill would change who gets U.S. citizenship at birth under federal immigration law.

What it would change

• Limits birthright citizenship for some children born in the United States. A child born in the U.S. would not be treated as a citizen at birth if both parents are not U.S. citizens or nationals and at least one parent is either:
  • in the country unlawfully, or
  • in the country lawfully but not as a lawful permanent resident.
• Changes citizenship rules for children born outside the U.S. to certain American parents. For some children born abroad, the bill would require a U.S. citizen parent to have lived in the United States longer than current law requires before passing citizenship to the child. It would raise the required U.S. residence period from 5 years to 10 years total, with at least 4 of those years after age 14, including 3 years in the 5 years before the child’s birth.

DNA verification requirement

• If a child is born in the U.S. to a mother who is not lawfully present, and the child’s claim to citizenship depends on the father being a U.S. citizen/national or lawful permanent resident, the child would not be considered a citizen at birth until the father’s biological paternity is confirmed by a DNA test.
• The DNA test would have to be done by a lab approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, working with the Department of Homeland Security.
• The parents or legal guardians would have to pay for the test.
• Until paternity is verified, federal agencies could not issue a passport, certificate of citizenship, Social Security number, or other federal document based on citizenship for that child.

Practical effect

The bill would narrow the circumstances in which children born in or outside the United States automatically receive citizenship at birth, and it would add a DNA-based proof step in certain cases where citizenship is claimed through the father.

Relevant Companies

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