U.S. Citizenship: Immigration And Naturalization

The U.S. accepts more legal immigrants as residents than any other country in the world, though America's immigration and naturalization procedure is complex.  Here are the ways one can become a U.S. citizen.

Be Born a U.S. Citizen
This sounds obvious, but it's more complicated than you might think.  You don't have to be born in the U.S. to be born a citizen.

Section 1401 of the United States Constitution's 14th amendment defines birthright citizenship as:

1. Anyone born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
2. Anyone born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national.
3. Anyone born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year.
4. Anyone found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21.
5. Anyone born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)

You may also become a citizen if you were adopted by U.S. citizens and brought to the country lawfully.

Naturalization
700,000 immigrants each year become what are called "naturalized" citizens.  Naturalization can take anywhere between six months to several years, but if you're persistent and patient, it will pay off.  Here are the basics.

First, you must meet the requirements set by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS):

1. You must be 18 years old or older and be a permanent resident (have a "green card").
2. You must live legally in the U.S. for the past five years or for one year if you're married to a U.S. Citizen.
3. You must live in the U.S. after your citizenship application.
4. You must be of "good moral character" (a felony conviction or lying on an application can violate the character requirement)
5. You can't have an outstanding deportation or removal order or a pending deportation proceeding.
6. You must read, write, speak and understand simple English and understand the fundamentals of U.S. history and government.

If you recently served in the U.S. military or your spouse died in a U.S. conflict, the process may be streamlined for you.

Once you're sure you meet these requirements, visit the CIS website to get an N-400 citizenship application.

You'll need to fill out the application and mail it with a $675 fee.

Within several months, you'll get a letter telling you whether you're eligible or ineligible for citizenship.  If you're deemed ineligible for citizenship, the letter will state if and when you can reapply. 

If you're deemed eligible to become a citizen, the letter will ask you to come to a CIS office for an interview, to establish how you well you meet the requirements listed above.  They'll make a decision within 120 days, unless you sign a waiver giving them more time. 

If you're denied citizenship after the interview, you can appeal to another CIS officer.  If denied naturalization again, you can file with the U.S. district court.

If a CIS officer or court determines you should be a citizen, you'll be asked to swear an "Oath of Allegiance" to the U.S., either right there at the interview or at an official ceremony.  If you're of appropriate age, you'll have to sign up for military draft.

Once you're a naturalized citizen, your children can apply for citizenship as well.  You must stay in the U.S. for at least a year following your ceremony, or they can revoke your citizenship.

Finally, it's important to note that the immigration and naturalization system can get complicated.  Depending on the severity of the problem, you may need an immigration lawyer to help you become a naturalized citizenship.  For more info, go to http://www.uscis.gov