How
to Become a Citizen
The debate over
immigration reform and eventual citizenship is a heated one, especially on the
campaign trail. And this time around is no different.
But how does someone become
a U.S. citizen?
The first step for
anyone coming to America is to get permanent resident status — or a green
card. That can happen through sponsorship by a spouse, family member or
employer, by getting asylum or refugee status, or through a couple of
other ways like the Diversity. That’s run by the State Department, which
randomly selects about 50,000 individuals a year to receive immigrant visas
from countries with low immigration rates to the U.S.
Permanent residents have
the right to live and work in the United States; they can travel to and from
the country and can petition for other family members to receive green card
status. But only a citizen has the right to vote or run for office, although
there are a few exceptions to both of these in certain jurisdictions. Citizens
also no longer live with the threat of deportation.
The path to
citizenship generally happens in two ways: by birth (a person is born in
the U.S. or born overseas to a U.S. citizen) or through the process called
naturalization.
In general, immigrants
are eligible to apply for naturalization if they’ve been a permanent resident
for five years, are married to a U.S. citizen and have been a permanent
resident for three years, or have served in the military.
If eligible, applicants send
in the proper forms to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. From
there, they get fingerprinted for background testing and then have an in-person
interview, where they will be tested on their ability to speak and understand
English as well as their knowledge of civics — U.S. history and government.
If rejected, the
applicant can appeal or reapply after a certain amount of time. If approved,
the process isn’t complete until the Oath of Allegiance is taken during a
naturalization process.
