This is information from a friend of mine. I am seeing if I can help them in any way.
The situation:
I came to USA and was raised here. My biological mother and I originated from the Philippines were I was born. My mother met my (then) stepfather who was in the US Navy military and at some point they married in the Philippines and later remarried in USA after or upon our arrival coming in 1979. My mother became a naturalized citizen in 03/1986, received her citizen certificate, etc.. making her now a citizen of the USA which in turn would have allowed or enabled me to also become a citizen.
Present day: My mom is 65 yrs old. I am now 41-yrs old. Long story short... all my and our lives we have resided here in USA- California and have never returned to Philippines or traveled outside of USA. No particular or special reason ... just never had desire.
My problem is that I found recently that my mom who became a citizen in 1986 NEVER APPLIED or sent in application request for my own personal certificate of citizenship, N-600.
I never thought there to be any issue or problem, or never thought to question my citizenship status until recently when I took a job offer to work for a corporation, nationally recognized. Granted I have worked since 1989 and have the social security earnings to prove such. However, I have always worked for smaller, business owned employers and thus my I-9 work verification was never an issue. Well now it is and now what my mom did not do way back when has come to affect me.
I went to US-CIS and they advised that I was in the system and was technically a citizen and gave me the N-600 form to complete and send in along with a $600.00 payment fee. I mailed the application in along with relative, corresponding documentation... sent certified mail to the local US-CIS center. I received my application back in mail 2-days later instructing me to send/ forward application to address in ARIZONA, CA.
My problem is in the meantime because of the 9/11 event, every employer will ask for the I-9 verification process and I will continue to face the same problem of not having proper documentation to verify my work authorization. I have a valid CA-Driver license, and only copies of green card, passport, both with no expiration dates and both with pictures of myself as a child.. which look nothing like me as an adult.
I have a copy of a birth certificate from the Philippines, but it does not read ¨Birth from abroad", therefore document is unacceptable to employers. I cannot get a passport, nor a replacement SSN card because both need proper identification and immigration status paperwork.
US-CIS states it will take approximately 6-months or more to process my N-600 application, which worries me because I need to work and maintain employment to survive and most important provide and raise my daughter, who fortunately is in fact a US citizen.
If there is any suggestion or feedback anyone may have on my situation, or ideas how to deal with the I-9 work authorization process I would greatly appreciate and welcome your advice.

