Rules for American Citizenship
There are two main ways to acquire U.S. citizenship--through birth in the United States, or through naturalization. If you were not born in the United States, you will have to become a permanent resident of the United States and meet certain other requirements before you can qualify for citizenship. Obtaining permanent residence is by far the most difficult task.
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Age
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Generally speaking, you must be at least 18 years old to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Certain exceptions apply, especially for the children of naturalized U.S. citizens.
Residence and Physical Presence Requirements
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In most cases, you must have been a lawful permanent resident of the United States for at least five years continuously to apply for U.S. citizenship (this period can be reduced to three years if your spouse is a U.S. citizen). Within these five years, you must have spent at least 30 months physically present in the United States, with no continuous absences of more than six months (a continuous absence of more than one year may result in ineligibility for citizenship and revocation of your permanent residence status). You must also have continuously resided in the same state or district for three months prior to your citizenship application.
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English Language Ability
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You will have to pass a test verifying basic English language ability (some exceptions apply). The test is not difficult--if you can read this article, you should have no problem passing the test.
Knowledge of U.S. History and Govenment
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You will have to pass a test on U.S. history and government. This test is not particularly difficult. An example of a typical test question is: "What are the colors of the U.S. flag?"
Moral Character
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You will have to establish good moral character during your period of residence in the United States. Some of the activities that can disqualify you include prostitution, polygamy, multiple criminal convictions, illegal drug use, gambling, alcoholism and lying on your citizenship application.
Child Citizenship Act of 2000
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The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows some children born abroad to automatically acquire U.S. citizenship. The child must be under 18 years old, must have at least one U.S. citizen parent, must legally live with the U.S. citizen parent, and must be a lawful permanent resident of the United States at the time of application. Adopted children may take advantage of this law.
Oath of Allegiance
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Taking the Oath of Allegiance will finalize your journey to U.S. citizenship. You will be requred to swear allegience to the Constitution and laws of the United States, to renounce any foreign allegiences, and to confirm your willingness to serve in the U.S. armed forces if required. Despite the fact that you must renounce foreign allegiances, citizenship in another nation will generally not render you ineligible for U.S. citizenship.
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