To apply for citizenship means that an individual has fulfilled all of the qualifications and requirements for such a right in a given country and they wish to move forward. An application for citizenship is an essential part of an individual gaining citizenship in that given country as they plan to follow the process and fulfill all of the necessary requirements. In most instances, a very thorough background check will be done as well as a review of the individual's life as they live it in the country for which they intend to become a citizen within. Usually in most instances the first step that must be fulfilled before applying for citizenship is to be a permanent resident of that country which grants the ability to live and work in that country for an undefined period of time.