If you are reported foreign wages and not excluding them with the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE), you are eligible for the child tax credit. This is true even if you are also taking the foreign tax credit.
However, if you are not reporting any income or any tax liability, you will not take the credit; you are correct. Sometimes, TurboTax will show the credit in the intermediate process of preparing your return, but it will not remain in your final return.
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