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Immigration & Naturalization Service Information

Permanent residents, also known as green card holders, may wish to obtain citizenship through naturalization in the United States. This is an opportunity where immigrants can become American nationals and enjoy almost all of the same rights as native-born citizens. These opportunities all start at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

  1. Immigration Visa and Permanent Residency

    • All immigrants who wish to live in the United States must apply for a visa. In most cases this will be an immigration visa. An immigration visa is one that will eventually lead to permanent residence in this country. These visas include family visas, business visas, investor visas and work visas. Once a person has obtained an immigrant visa he can apply to change his status to that of a permanent resident. If his application to become a permanent resident is approved he will be issued a green card.

    Naturalization

    • Naturalization is the process where American citizenship is issued to eligible persons who meet the criteria outlined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). For most citizens naturalization can only occur within the borders of the United States, although there are some rare exemptions for those who have done, or are performing, United States military service, and for their families.

    People Who May Qualify

    • Most people will take a similar path to naturalization. This main path requires that you be a green card holder for at least five years before you apply for citizenship. If you are a spouse of an American citizen then you can apply after only residing in the country with a green card for three years. These are the most common avenues for residents who choose to become citizens. Even though a resident may qualify by meeting the above requirements there are additional qualifications that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services outlines that each naturalization applicant must meet.

    Requirements for Naturalization

    • A resident wishing to be naturalized as an American citizen must be at least 18 years old, be a green card holder, be able to show proof that she has lived continuously in the United States for the last 30 months and in her state of residence for the last three months. She will also be required to take a test and complete an interview with a United States immigration officer.

    Application Process

    • The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends that each person looking to apply for citizenship file their citizenship application after they have fully prepared for the naturalization test. The USCIS has study materials that can help you in preparing for the test.

      The application that you will have to complete will vary depending on your personal situation, however generally most people who qualify for to be naturalized citizens will have to complete the N-400 Application for Naturalization form. It can be downloaded from the USCIS website as a PDF file. As of June 2010 the filing fee for the N-400 was $675.

    Naturalization Test and Interview

    • In order to immigrate to the United States and become a naturalized citizen you must complete the interview process and the test. An immigration officer will give you a test that will assess your ability to communicate in English. You must be able to speak, read and write English in order to pass the exam, and not having the appropriate grasp on the language is one of the primary reasons for failure. There is also a civics portion. The immigration officer will ask you 10 questions regarding American history, or government policy. You must be able to answer at least six of these questions correctly to pass the exam. The fee for the naturalization test is included in the $675 the fee that you will pay when you file the naturalization application form. If you fail the test the first time you have taken the examination you are eligible to re-take the test once you are prepared for the exam. As of June 2010 their was a 92 percent pass rate for the naturalization test.

      The immigration officer will also ask you a few questions regarding your loyalty to the United States and why you wish to become a citizen. If the interview is completed successfully you will be asked to take an Oath of Allegiance. This will be the final step of the application process.

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