U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization

What is U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization?
Naturalization is the way immigrants become citizens of the United States. If you were not born a citizen, you become one through naturalization. Citizenship is a lifetime benefit bestowed upon you.

As a citizen, you get unique rights and privileges which include the right to vote, having a U.S. passport , the U.S. government's protection when abroad and the right to petition for green cards for your children and close relatives. As a U.S. citizen, you cannot be deported or lose your citizenship even if you commit a crime or choose to live elsewhere in the world, unless you misrepresented yourself to get citizenship or were ineligible at the time.

Basic Requirements for U.S. Citizenship (Naturalization)

• The immigrant is age 18 or older. (Children can apply using a different form. Use the free INS Experts Eligibility Quiz to decide which INS form to use.)
• The immigrant is a permanent resident (has a Green Card) now and during all of the past 5 years. There are exceptions to this requirement.
  
• The immigrant has resided in the US continuously for at least 2 ½ years (50%) of the past 5 years. Short absences (less than 6 months) do not affect this requirement. There are exceptions to this requirement.
  
• The immigrant has resided in his or her current state for at least 3 months. The immigrant's current state is the state where he or she is submitting the application for naturalization There are exceptions to this requirement.
  
• The immigrant has not broken any immigration law. The immigrant has not been ordered to leave the US.
  
• The immigrant has not been a member of the Communist Party at any time during the past 10 years. There are exceptions to this requirement.
  
• The immigrant can show at least 5 years of good moral character. The immigrant believes in the principles of the US constitution. More details about this requirement are available.
  
• The immigrant can speak, understand, read, and write simple English during an INS interview. There are exceptions to this requirement.
  
• The immigrant can pass the INS test on US history and government. There are exceptions to this requirement.
  
• The immigrant can take an oath of allegiance to the United States

Information / documents required to prepare your U.S. Citizenship Application
This section of the INS Experts website provides information on the documents and information usually needed to prepare these applications online. In addition to the information listed here, individual situations might require additional documents to be submitted with the application.

Your information / documents:

• Birth Certificate or Passport.
• List of all names that you may have ever used.
  
• Green Card. (Alien Registration Card or Permanent resident card)
  
• Birth Certificate or Passport.
• Details of your birth: date, city, state, and country of birth.
  
• Country of Citizenship / Nationality.
  
• Social Security Number.
  
• Citizenship of your parents.
  
• Details of your most recent marriage.
  
• Details of any physical or mental disabilities
  
• Current residential address, mailing address, telephone numbers and e-mail.
  
• Details of residences for the past 5 years: dates and addresses of residences
  
• Details of all employment for the last 5 years, if any: employer names, employer addresses, and dates of employment
  
• Details of all education for the last 5 years, if any: school/university names, addresses, and dates of study.
  
• Your height and weight.
  
• Details of all your trips outside the U.S since the day you became a Green Card Holder (Permanent Resident): dates of travel and places visited.
  
• If currently married, details about this marriage: date of marriage, place of marriage,
  
• If you were previously married, the details of each of these marriages: dates the marriage began and ended, reason for termination of this marriage. Details of each prior husband/wife such as full Name, country of citizenship and if applicable, his/her current immigration status in the U.S.
  
• Details on any Federal, state or local taxes that you have failed to submit or are overdue.
  
• Details of your association with any organization, association, fund, foundation, party, club, society or similar group in the United States or in any other place.
  
• Details of involvement in any criminal activities. If you have ever been arrested, cited, detained or charged; you will need the details of each incident such as date, place and outcome or disposition.
  
• If you have ever been subjected to any immigration proceedings, details of each of these proceedings such as date, place and outcome or disposition.
  
• Details of your service in the U.S armed forces, if any.
  
• Details of Selective Service Registration: Selective Service Number and Date of registration. If exempted from Selective Service, reason based on which exemption was granted.
  
• If not willing to perform Military or civilian service, your reason for not being able to do so.
  
• The U.S Immigration and Naturalization filing fees to be included with your application will be $310. This includes the fingerprinting fee of $50. (Fingerprinting is not required for applicants who are over 75 years of age.)

Your Spouse’s information/documents:

• A copy of his/her passport.
  
• If currently married, details of your spouse: spouse name, date of birth, Social Security Number, home address, citizenship and if applicable, his/her immigration status in the U.S.
  
• If Spouse was previously married, the details of each of these marriages: dates the marriage began and ended, reason for termination of this marriage. Details of each prior husband/wife such as full Name, country of citizenship and if applicable, his/her current immigration status in the U.S.

Your Children’s Information/documents:

• Details of ALL your children (irrespective of age, alive, missing or dead): full Name, Date and Country of birth, present address and if applicable, his/her Alien registration number (This can be found on the passport).
  

Citizenship Tests
During your U.S. Citizenship (Naturalization) interview you will be tested on the following:

Your ability to speak, read, write and understands English. (English Test).

Your knowledge and understanding of U.S History and government. (Civics test.).