Legitimation

The legal process which a natural father can use to acknowledge legally his children who were born out of wedlock (outside of marriage). A legitimated child can be a “child” under immigration law under these conditions – the legitimation took place according to the law of the child’s residence or the father’s residence; the father proved (established) that he is the child’s natural father; the child was under the age of 18; and the child was in the legal custody of the father who legitimated the child when the legal process of legitimation took place.