TN 9 (04-97)

A. INTRODUCTION

There is evidence that individuals who moved to the Soviet Union and were not Soviet citizens were required, or asked, to give up their citizenship in other countries.

B. POLICY - GENERAL

Absent information to the contrary, SSA assumes that an individual born in Armenia is an Armenian citizen.

Proof of current citizenship must be secured for any individual who:

• moved to the Soviet Union before January 1992, and

• claims to be a U.S. citizen (or national), or a citizen of a country other than Armenia and would meet an exception to the alien nonpayment provisions of the law based on that citizenship.

If the beneficiary is deceased and citizenship is material to the payment of the lump sum death benefit or the underpayment, the evidence must show that the deceased beneficiary retained that citizenship until his/her death, or if it was lost, when it was lost.

C. POLICY - PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP

An Optional Form-180 (formerly FS-192), Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad, is evidence that the deceased was a U.S. citizen at the time of death.

Proof of current citizenship is any of the following issued by the country of citizenship or one of its diplomatic offices:

• a passport issued after December 1991;

• a statement, or finding, of citizenship issued by an appropriate authority (i.e., a consular official or other official as shown in RS 02640.060) after December 1991;

• a Foreign Service post (FSP) statement showing that the beneficiary is registered as a citizen of that country at the FSP;

• evidence showing the beneficiary traveled outside the former Soviet Union after December 1991 on a passport issued by that country (including one issued before January 1992).