US Citizenship Requirements

Every year, more than a million people from foreign countries try to immigrate to the United States of America.  Out of these, an estimated 700,000 people were granted citizenship in the fiscal year 2006 (October 2005 – September 2006).

Citizenship in the United States of America can be achieved in two ways, through birth or naturalization.  When you are born in the United States, you are automatically a US citizen.  You are also a US citizen if both of your parents were born in the United States.

The process of naturalization is a step-by-step procedure that must be undertaken by individuals who were not born in the United States of America but want to live here.

The general requirements for Naturalization include:

• A period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States
• Residence in a particular USCIS District prior to filing
• An ability to read, write, and speak English
• A knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government
• Good moral character
• Attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution
• Favorable disposition toward the United States

There are other factors involved when receiving priority for citizenship in the United States.  Residents who serve in the US military get priority for citizenship.

Common topics related to US Immigration include:

• Citizenship
• Naturalization
• Green Card
• Temporary Visas
• Work Visas
• Student Visas
• Deportation
• Resident Aliens

The increasing numbers of individuals seeking US Citizenship has caused the legal practice area of immigration law to triple in size.

According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), an applicant for US citizenship must be at least 18 years of age to apply in his/her own behalf.  A person must have been lawfully admitted to the United States in order to apply for permanent residence.  That means that the person must have been admitted legally accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States as an immigrant in accordance with the immigration laws.  An applicant is eligible to file if, immediately preceding the filing of the application, he or she has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence or has resided continuously as a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. for at least 5 years prior to filing with no single absence from the United States of more than one year.  An applicant is also eligible if he or she has been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the previous five years or has resided within a state or district for at least three months.

A break from the requirements listed above will not automatically disqualify you from citizenship but it will make the process more difficult.  That is when an immigration attorney can make all the difference.