HOW TO BECOME A U.S. CITIZEN

What associations arise in the minds of the majority of the world's inhabitants at the mention of the word America, or, to be more precise, the USA? Putting aside the political aspects, the following concepts come to mind – democracy, boundless opportunities, high standard of living, fair courts and rule of law, respect for the law, powerful economy, perfect infrastructure and much more.

Of course, such a large country, with a population of about 340.9 million people of absolutely different nationalities, cannot do without certain problems. For example, social inequality, access to the higher education system, high taxes, racism, violence, the threat of terrorism and so on.

Despite all this, the positive factors of living in the U.S. overlap the negative sides, and every year hundreds of thousands of foreigners from all over the world consider various options of immigration to this country, including not quite legal, allowing to obtain U.S. citizenship in the future.

US citizenship

However, not many people manage to become a full-fledged citizen of the United States of America. The local government perfectly understands the attractiveness of the native country and takes effective measures aimed at combating illegal migration, and issues a very limited number of American passports.

This article will focus exclusively on the legal ways for foreigners to obtain US citizenship in 2024.

Advantages of an American passport

For decades, millions of foreigners officially immigrate to the United States, live in the country for a long time and do not hurry to obtain citizenship. Many people are quite satisfied with this, as even this situation implies a large number of advantages. Nevertheless, having an American passport gives a number of additional rights in comparison with the status of a permanent resident. Let's highlight the main ones.

What gives US citizenship

  • The right to special financial assistance in the form of grants and scholarships to cover the cost of education in American educational institutions, as well as additional benefits and social allowances.

  • The possibility of deportation from the country is excluded.

  • Visa-free travel to most countries in the world and assistance from U.S. diplomatic agencies if needed.

  • More opportunities to do business and work in the U.S., including government employment.

  • Children of foreigners with U.S. passports are granted U.S. citizenship in most cases, regardless of the country of birth.

  • Family members of an American can move more quickly and obtain U.S. citizenship.

  • The right to serve on juries at trials and the ability to vote in federal elections.

Another bonus and advantage is a legislative norm that allows you to have dual citizenship in the United States.

The main ways to obtain US citizenship

U.S. immigration legislation is quite confusing, and in terms of citizenship registration and at all requires the help of lawyers or professional counsellors. It can be very difficult to figure it out on your own. In general, obtaining U.S. citizenship is a lengthy process and requires fulfilment of a number of conditions. In some cases, such as marriage to an American citizen or service in the local army, it is much easier to obtain a passport.

A specially authorised government agency, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), reviews applications and provides comprehensive official information about the conditions and requirements for applicants for US citizenship, as well as other aspects related to moving to this country. Based on this information, we will outline in an understandable form the main procedural points to answer the question of how to obtain US citizenship for a foreigner.

Let us immediately list the main ways of obtaining U.S. citizenship

  • Naturalisation.

  • Birth and parents.

  • Marriage.

  • Service in the American army.

Depending on the situation, the conditions may vary slightly, but the general requirements for foreigners at the time of applying for US citizenship are as follows:

  1. Being at least 18 years of age.

  2. Availability of a Green Card and permanent resident status for 5 years, in addition, the last 30 months are required to be physically on American territory and 3 months directly in the state where the application is submitted.

  3. Absence of violations of American law, especially of a criminal nature, and in principle demonstration of good behaviour.

  4. Knowledge of basic facts of American history, respect and adherence to the local constitution.

  5. Basic reading, writing, and speaking skills in English.

  6. Willingness to take the oath of allegiance to the United States.

NATURALISATION

Naturalisation is considered the primary and most common option for obtaining a US passport. All 6 requirements for foreigners to obtain US citizenship, listed above, fully apply to this procedure. Undoubtedly, the main condition and difficulty of the applicant is to obtain the coveted Green Card. This is a document in the form of a plastic card with a green shade, allowing a foreigner to legally live and work on American territory on a permanent basis.

There are various options for obtaining a Green Card – Diversity Immigrant Visa Programme lottery, family reunification, marriage to a US citizen or permanent resident, official employment, investment, refugee or political asylum. For detailed information on each method, see the article U.S. Green Card. You may not leave the United States from the time you apply for naturalisation (Form N-400) until you receive your passport.

MARRIAGE

Spouses of U.S. citizens are eligible for U.S. citizenship if 3 basic conditions are met:

  • Having permanent resident status and a Green Card for at least 3 years, and the last 18 months of uninterrupted presence on U.S. soil.

  • During the same 3 years, one must be in a marital relationship with a U.S. citizen.

  • Fulfilment of the general requirements (except point 2) for aliens to obtain citizenship (see above).

Some exceptions are provided for aliens applying for U.S. citizenship if the spouse with a U.S. passport is engaged in professional activities abroad. In this case, no time limits are required regarding permanent and uninterrupted residence in the U.S., the length of time the spouse has held a Green Card, or the length of the marital relationship.

You must be on U.S. soil at the time of application in any case. You must also commit to joining your spouse abroad as soon as you receive your naturalisation certificate and return to the US for permanent residence at the end of the employment contract.

BIRTH AND PARENTS

Any child born on U.S. territory automatically receives a U.S. passport regardless of the citizenship of the parents. The only exception is the children of foreign diplomatic officials. This is why so many foreigners try to organise births in the United States. To apply for U.S. citizenship based on birth, there is a special form N-600.

case of birth outside the United States, there are certain restrictions. There is a distinction between automatic and acquisition of citizenship (up to 18 years of age). The legality of obtaining a U.S. passport when born in another country depends on many factors – from the date of birth of the child, to the status of each parent, including citizenship, Green Card, length of residence in the U.S., guardianship and so on.

SERVICE IN THE U.S. MILITARY

Foreigners who have served in the U.S. military, including veterans, are eligible for a simplified naturalisation procedure or the waiver of certain requirements for U.S. citizenship. The application may be filed at any time.

The period of service must be at least 1 year in the so-called peacetime, and in the case of active combat operations, a day is sufficient. Most of the items specified in the general requirements for foreigners to obtain an American passport in any case must be fulfilled.

U.S. citizenship application stages

The process of obtaining US citizenship can be divided into 6 main stages:

  1. Based on the requirements for foreigners and the ways of obtaining US citizenship described above, determine the possibility to apply for a US passport in general. This is especially true for the dates of permanent residency and the date of Green Card processing.

  2. Eliminate any gaps that could lead to a negative citizenship decision. Legal assistance may be needed at this stage. For example, if there are issues related to minor offences or continuity of presence in the US.

  3. Prepare your documents – a copy of your Green Card, colour photos, and then submit a prescribed form (N-400) to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Check the USCIS website beforehand for instructions on how to complete the application. The total government fee to apply for U.S. citizenship is $725. Individuals over the age of 75 contribute $640, and military personnel are exempt from paying the fee entirely.

  4. Once the application is accepted, a letter will arrive in the applicant's mail inviting him or her to the nearest USCIS office to undergo fingerprinting, i.e. taking fingerprints and other biometric data. The information is sent to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for verification.

  5. Next, at a predetermined time, the applicant is interviewed by a USCIS officer, i.e. takes a US citizenship test. At this stage, the reliability of the information provided in the application, English language skills, basic understanding of the country's history and American laws are checked.

  6. At the final stage the foreigner takes an oath of allegiance to the United States of America, after which the certificate of naturalisation is solemnly handed over, in other words, American citizenship is conferred.

The entire U.S. citizenship procedure from the time of application to the time you receive your passport can take from 6 to 12 months or more. Much depends on the accuracy of the application, the particular state, and the workload of the USCIS office staff.

© 2020–2024 WageCentre.com. All Rights Reserved.