How Do You Become a Legal US Citizen?
A person is a U.S. citizen based on birth or through the naturalization process. To become a U.S. citizen through naturalization, you must meet certain criteria. You must have a green card, be at least 18 years old, have lived in the U.S. for at least five years -- or three years if your spouse is a citizen -- have resided in the U.S. for at least half that time and have not spent more than one year at a time outside of the U.S. Additional requirements include having good moral character, the ability to read, write and speak English, and knowledge of U.S. history and government.
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Instructions
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File Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. You must provide basic information such as your name, address, marital history, criminal history and information about your children. Depending on where you reside, you will send your completed application to a USCIS lockbox located in Phoenix, Dallas or the Nebraska Service Center if you are a current or former member of the military or you are the spouse of a current or former member of the military.
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Submit the filing fee with the application. As of March 2011, the fee is $680, which includes an $85 biometric fee. If you are over age 75, the biometric fee does not apply. You must pay by personal check, cashier's check or money order.
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Attend your scheduled interview. Be prepared to answer questions. The USCIS official will evaluate your understanding of U.S. history and government as well as the English language. If you do not attend the interview and fail to notify the USCIS of your inability to attend, the agency will close your case. You will have one year to reschedule the interview. The failure to do so will result in the denial of your application for citizenship.
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Attend the naturalization ceremony where you will take the Oath of Allegiance after the approval of your application. You will either attend the ceremony on the same day as the interview or at a later date. If scheduled for a different date, you will receive a Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony in the mail. You may reschedule the interview if you are unable to attend the assigned date.
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Tips & Warnings
It normally takes at least six months to become a naturalized citizen. You can check the status of your application at www.uscis.gov or via telephone at 1-800-375-5383.
