Findings of a study of transnational migrant families in Indonesia shed light on factors influencing family decision-making about whether to seek birth registration for children who would otherwise be effectively stateless. The study found links among an entrenched pattern of unauthorized transnational labour migration, low birth registration, and difficult access to registration services. The findings demonstrate the value of listening to families’ perceptions of multiple barriers to birth registration. Families need policies to recognize accessibility issues for mobile populations, and to offer effective support with childrearing as a means to counteract the potential long-term debilitating effects of statelessness in transnational migrant families. Families also need access to alternative income development initiatives to reduce dependency on migration for future generations.