Four ways to get US citizenship
In order to become a US citizen, you must go through the process of naturalization. If you have a green card, you fill out a special form and go to the local immigration office with a fingerprint card and photographs. Then you go through an interview where you confirm your knowledge of English, and you pass an exam on the device and history of the United States.
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By taking the oath of allegiance to the United States, you receive a certificate of naturalization, with which you can apply for a US passport. It should be noted that in case of failure in the exam or interview, you can later submit a second application. In addition, you can even live all your life in the United States in the status of permanent resident, without making attempts to obtain citizenship.
Портал "ZagraNitsa" He described four simple and common ways to obtain US citizenship.
1 method. Long stay on the green card
One of the most common ways to obtain US citizenship is to live as a permanent resident (green card holder) for at least 5 years without breaking the law or leaving the country for too long. In fact, you must be in the United States for a total of at least 2,5 years and reside for at least 3 months in the state in which you are applying.
In addition, you must be older than 18 for years, have high moral standards and at least minimal knowledge of English (be able to read, write and speak), as well as US history, its economic and political structure, to pass the exam. It is necessary, among other things, to know the basics of the US Constitution and not have problems with American law in the past.
2 method. Marriage with a US citizen
Many girls dream of marrying an American, because this method seems to be one of the easiest to obtain citizenship. However, not everything is so simple: you need to meet certain requirements. First, be older than 18 in years and reside in the US for a total of at least 1,5 a year (at least 3 months in the state in which you apply), have a green card of at least 3 years.
It is also necessary that your spouse be a US citizen for at least 3 years at the time of filing your documents, and you have been married to him for at least 3 years. In addition, you must have high moral standards and at least minimal knowledge of English (be able to read, write and speak), as well as the history of the United States, its economic and political structure, to pass the exam. You must, among other things, know the basics of the US Constitution and have no problems with American law in the past.
3 method. Military service
If you served in good faith in the US military, you can apply for naturalization at any time. However, there are some minor differences as to whether you obtain citizenship in peacetime or during military operations.
Obtaining citizenship in peacetime:
- be older than 18 years;
- serve in good faith in the US military for at least 1 a year (or less than a year, but be rewarded for valor and honor);
- have at least minimal knowledge of English (be able to read, write and speak), as well as the economic and political structure of the United States, the history of the country to pass the exam;
- have high moral character, read the principles of the US Constitution and not have problems with the law in the past;
- live in the US for at least 5 years or be present in the US for at least 30 months before the application date;
- permanently reside in the United States during the naturalization period.
Citizenship during the period of hostilities:
- serve faithfully in the US military for any amount of time (even 1 day);
- upon termination of service, enter the United States or stay on the territory of the country legally;
- have at least minimal knowledge of English (be able to read, write and speak), as well as the economic and political structure of the United States, the history of the country to pass the exam;
- have high moral character, read the principles of the US Constitution and not have cases of violation of the law in the past.
4 method. American parents
If your child is born outside the US, he has several options for obtaining citizenship:
- the parents of the child who are married are US citizens, and at least one of them lived in the USA before the child was born;
- one of the parents of the child who is married is a US citizen and has been in the country continuously for at least five years before the child was born, which took place after November 14 1986 of the year;
- if the child was born between 23 December 1952 and 14 November 1986, his parents were not married at the time of birth, but his mother was a US citizen and lived there for at least 1 a year;
- if the child was born 14 in November 1986 of the year and later, his parents were not married at the time of birth, but the father was a US citizen at the time of birth and lived for at least 5 years in the country, two years after the child’s 14 anniversary.
If your child has not turned 18 years old, the conditions for obtaining US citizenship for him are different:
- legally resides in the United States and at least one of the parents is a US citizen;
- lives as a green card holder in the United States, both parents are already naturalized at the time of application;
- lives as a green card holder in the United States, one of the parents is naturalized at the time of application, and the second has died;
- resides as a green card holder in the United States, the mother is naturalized at the time of application, and paternity has not been established.
For foster children there are separate requirements. Details in official source.
Read also on ForumDaily:
Personal experience. How I gave birth in America three times
All about the green card: how to get, what you need to remember how much it costs
Childbirth in Miami: how Russian-speaking people come to the United States for citizenship
Why people are returning home: four unsuccessful emigration stories
How I became a citizen of America: the process of naturalization from A to Z
What are the risks of immigrants from Uzbekistan with dual citizenship in the United States?
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