Facts on American Citizenship

Immigrants have been seeking citizenship since America was created.

American citizenship is a "very, very valuable commodity," according to Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of Service Employees International Union. Over one million people per year seek US citizenship. Some people can claim American citizenship by birthright but others must work hard to get it.

"Jus Soli"

Under this concept, people born on US soil---including territories or possessions---are automatically citizens.

"Jus Sanguinis"

Based on this, people can claim citizenship through their parents. If both parents are American citizens---or if only one is and certain conditions are met---their child is a citizen upon birth.

Naturalization

People can be naturalized if they have been residents for five years and meet other requirements, such as being able to read, write and speak in English.

Dual Citizenship

People can be citizens of the US and other countries. A child born, for example, in the US to foreign parents has dual citizenship.

Administrative Agency

Citizenship is handled by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The agency charges a fee for processing applications and typically has a long backlog.

References

• United States Citizenship and Immigration Services: General Path to Citizenship
• Washington Post: Number of Immigrants Applying for U.S. Citizenship Is Down 62%, Study Finds