If my husband and I (both US citizens) conceive a child...when that child is born, (no matter where), he is born a citizen of the US. His citizenship is derived “naturally” by his birth from citizens. I know of no law needed to make him a US citizen.
All other forms of citizenship require some sort of statute to determine validity and therefore these are not natural born citizenship. If ANY question must be raised and answered regarding citizenship, then it is not a natural born citizenship. NBC requires nothing further than citizen parents.
I was taught this in elementary school more than 50 years ago in regard to the difference in the requirements for electing the President, Vice President, or other officers. It doesn’t seem complex to me at all.
That is not the law.
Also, I would suggest you look at the law concerning citizenship of children born on foreign soil. You can find a pretty good legal history on the US Department of State web page, especially in the passport application sections.
The age of the parents, and the time spent in the US, prior to birth, do matter, if the birth is on foreign soil
Natural Born Citizen means Citizen at Birth.
Anyone who thinks otherwise does not understand the law.
We have two forms of Citizenship:
Natural Born Citizen
Naturalized Citizen.
If you are not a citizen, at the moment of birth, you can not be President of the United States.
This is what the law means. This and nothing else.
A citizen, not a Natural Born Citizen.
In an article written by William Safire back in 1987 lists people not eligible. He lists Connecticut's Senator Lowell Weicker was NOT eligible because he was born (of American parents) in Paris. New Hampshire Governor John Sununu also is NOT eligible. He didn't even attempt to include an anchor baby (born on American soil with alien parents) into the discussion because he knew that would not fly back then.
Safire wanted to amend the Constitution to allow naturalized citizens to be eligible. The discussion has been so bastardized recently but back in 1987 they knew better.
ESSAY; The Constitution's Flaw
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/06/opinion/essay-the-constitution-s-flaw.html
I want to be a delegate to the next Constitutional Convention (Con Con II). Here's my platform: amend the Constitution to make it possible for naturalized citizens to become President or Vice President of the United States.
SNIP
That means Minnesota Senator Rudy Boschwitz is blocked from advancement because he was born in Berlin, and Connecticut's Senator Lowell Weicker because he was born (of American parents) in Paris. New Hampshire Governor John Sununu, whose U.S. parents were in Havana when he was born, and Vermont's Governor Madeleine Kunin, born in Zurich and naturalized 40 years ago, can forget about higher office.