How to get American Citizenship

Immigrants from many countries dream of living the American dream and starting a life as a United States citizen. You could be eligible for various paths to American citizenship. The four types of US Citizenship routes include:

• Naturalization
• Citizenship by Marriage
• Citizenship through your parents
• Citizenship through the military

Immigrants commonly begin their lives in the US by getting a Green Card to become lawful permanent residents. However, becoming a US citizen gives you many more rights than a Green Card holder and has many benefits.

The US citizenship application process is complex, and each route has specific citizenship requirements. This guide will help you understand each available route and how to apply to become a US citizen using it.

Both US-born and naturalized US citizens have the same rights and responsibilities. This includes voting rights, eligibility for federal jobs, and protection under U.S. laws. The only distinguishing difference between the two citizenship pathways is that only US-born citizens can hold the US Presidency or Vice Presidency Office. They will also hold different documentation to prove citizenship.

A Certificate of Naturalization is the document required to prove your status as a US citizen, where US citizens by birth may use a birth certificate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

• US-born citizens are bestowed citizenship at birth either by being born there or elsewhere to US parents.
• Naturalized US citizens gain that status after birth. They are expected to apply for US citizenship via the naturalization process, which requires a formal application, various tests, and an oath of allegiance.

How much is the Citizenship through Naturalisation application?

There is a $710 application fee for filing online for Citizenship through Naturalization. The paper filing costs $760. Either fee covers the submission of the N-400 form required, as well as the biometric fee.

The length of your US citizenship process depends entirely on the route you take and where you are on that pathway already.

• If a US-born parent meets the conditions and the child is under 18 at the time of the application, the process can be relatively fast and take
• If you have served in the US military, you may be able to apply for citizenship. If you served during wartime, you can apply immediately and usually get Citizenship in less than one year.
• If you are the child of a US citizen but are over 18, you will be able to apply for a Green Card through Family. This also applies to anyone who is an immediate relative of a US citizen, including a parent, child, or sibling. You can apply for citizenship once you have held this for
• If you are married to a US citizen, you can obtain a Green Card, and after 3 years, you can apply for citizenship through naturalization.
• The Green Card route enables those with various work, investment or asylum visas to get a Green Card for permanent residence. After 5 years of continuous US residence, you can apply for citizenship through naturalization.

The fastest route to citizenship depends on your circumstances. It usually takes 18-24 months to process a Citizenship by Naturalization application, which encapsulates most people unless applied through parents, military, or marriage. All three of those are typically processed faster than a naturalization application.

We offer expert legal assistance if you are still determining which citizenship route you are eligible for or want to explore a U.S. citizenship pathway further.

Our citizenship and immigration services have helped thousands of people apply for and gain the immigration status they deserve in the US. Let us help you, too. Call IAS at +1 844 290 6312 or contact us online to find out more.

Naturalization is the process of becoming a US citizen for persons born outside of the United States. For foreign nationals, citizenship through naturalization is the most common route to becoming a US citizen.

The main requirement to be able to apply for naturalization is to be one of the following:

• A green card holder
• A permanent resident of the US for at least five years to be eligible for this route.

Requirements for Naturalization

There are other special circumstances and eligibility requirements for citizenship that you will need to be able to meet when you apply for naturalization. These include:

• Being at least 18 years old
• Proving that you have had continuous residence in the US for at least two and a half years during the five-year qualifying period
• Being able to read, write, and speak the English language
• Demonstrating that you are of good character
• Demonstrating knowledge of US history and government with Civics Test
• Demonstrating loyalty to the principles of the US Constitution
• Taking the Oath of Allegiance.

You can apply for citizenship based on naturalization by filling in form N-400. You can file online or on paper. When you submit your application form, you must provide supporting documents to prove you can meet the above requirements. You may also have to attend an interview during the naturalization process. You will also need to do a Civics Test where a USCIS officer will ask up to 10 questions from a pool of 100 questions. You must answer 6 or more correctly.

Being a Green Card holder is essential for foreign nationals to gain US citizenship. Green Cards, also known as permanent resident cards, are ID documents that prove that you are a legal permanent resident of the United States. Any Green Card holder can make a formal US Citizenship application. There are various ways to obtain a Green Card, all of which permit a citizenship application after holding it for a designated period of time (normally 5 years). Just a few different types of Green Cards include:

• Green Card through Family
• Green Card through Employment
• Green Card as a Special Immigrant
• Green Card through Refugee Status
• Green Card for Human Trafficking and Crime Victims
• Green Card for Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse

How long do you have to be a resident to become a citizen in the US under Naturalization?

The eligibility requirements for US citizenship vary depending on the route you take. Applying for US Citizenship with a Green Card typically means you must:

• Have at least 5 years of lawful residence in the United States after receiving your green card.
• You must be physically present in the US for at least 2.5 years to be considered for citizenship.

You can find out more about them on the USCIS website To apply for a Green Card, you must fill out Form I-485, the application for permanent residence.

If you are married to a U.S citizen, then you could be eligible to apply for a Green Card. Your spouse must submit Form I-130 Petition for an Alien Relative to do this. This form establishes a relationship between you and your spouse.

To become a Green Card holder, you must prove that your relationship with your immigrant spouse is genuine and provide documents, such as a marriage certificate.

Citizenship Requirements

After becoming a Green Card holder, you can apply for naturalization as a US citizen. However, you must first meet the requirements for the naturalization of US citizens. These differ slightly for individuals who are married to a US citizen. You will need to:

• Have been a lawful permanent resident of the US for at least three years before the date of your application (this is usually five years for applicants who are not married to a US citizen)
• Have lived in a marital union with your spouse in the US during the three years before your application
• Have had continuous residence in the US for at least three years before your application

You will also need to meet the other naturalization requirements, such as good moral character, speaking English (you may need an English test), and demonstrating a knowledge of US history for the Department of State to pass your application to become a US citizen.

US citizenship can also be secured through the status of your parents. If both of your parents were born in the US and are married, then you are automatically entitled to US citizenship by birth, even if you were born outside the US.

If you have just one American citizen parent, you may still be able to acquire citizenship. To qualify for this, if you have one parent with US citizenship and were born on or after November 14, 1986, then:

Your parents must have been married at the time of birth
The US citizen parent must have been physically present in the US or its territories for at least five years at some point in their life before the birth.
At least two of these years must have been after their 14th birthday.

To qualify if you have one US citizen parent and were born before November 14, 1986, but after October 10, 1952, then:

• Your parents must have been married at the time of your birth birth
• The US citizen parent must have been physically present in the US or its territories for at least ten years at some point in their life.
• Five of these years must have been after their 14th birthday.

To acquire US citizenship this way, you must complete and submit Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship.

If you have naturalized as a US naturalized citizen, then your children under the age of 18 can derive US citizenship automatically as long as the child has a Green Card and is residing in the United States. They won’t have to go through the naturalization process themselves.

Individuals who have served honorably in the US armed forces can also become a US citizen through military service and resulting naturalization. The requirements for a naturalization ceremony vary depending on whether you have served during peacetime or a period of hostility.

The US has been in a period of hostility since September 11 2001. Those who have served in active duty during a period of hostility can apply for naturalization immediately and are not required to become permanent residents before doing so. If you have served during peacetime, you will need to have served for at least a year and 1 year before applying, applying whilst still in service or within 6 months of ending service, and will also need to obtain a green card.

Dual citizenship has many benefits, including being granted US citizenship rights in two countries. The US government allows its citizens to hold dual citizenship, which means you do not have to give up your original nationality to become a US citizen. However, it’s worth noting that to obtain citizenship from more than one country, both countries must legally allow it.

As a dual citizen, you will still be expected to pay US taxes no matter which country you live in, and you must pay income taxes even on income earned outside of the US. This means you could be required to pay taxes on the same income to the US and your other country of citizenship.

What are the benefits of US Citizenship?

• Right to vote
• Eligibility for federal jobs
• Ability to sponsor family members for green cards
• Protection from deportation
• US passport for international travel

Although there are many ways to become a US citizen, the process is always complex. When applying for citizenship, you must prove you can meet the many strict requirements. Failure to do so can result in your application being rejected. This is why it is highly recommended that you seek assistance from a professional immigration attorney when applying for US citizenship.

Here at IAS, we have offices across the US, and our attorneys are here to help you along your journey to US citizenship with our variety of immigration services. We can assist you right from the beginning of your immigration journey, starting by helping you secure your permanent resident card.

If you would like to become a US citizen but are still determining your options, our lawyers will be more than happy to explain the paths to US citizenship to you in greater detail and assess your eligibility for each route.

Once you decide which route to take, our lawyers can help you obtain citizenship and will be there for you throughout the application process. They can assist you with filling out any forms and can help you gather the documents to prove that you can meet the requirements to become a US citizen.