Becoming a US Citizen

If you have held a green card and lived in the USA for a certain time, you can become a US citizen. The process is called naturalization, and to qualify you need to meet a number of criteria. On this page we sum up the legal requirements for filing Form N-400 and the other steps that lie ahead, along with answers to the most common questions about naturalization.

1Requirements for naturalization

Whether you can become a US citizen comes down to two main factors: how long you have held a green card, and how long you have actually lived in the USA.

To apply for naturalization, you must:

• be at least 18 years old
• understand and speak English
• have held a green card for at least 5 years (3 years if your spouse sponsored it)
• have lived in the USA for at least 2.5 (or 1.5) of those years
• have lived in the state where you apply for at least 3 months
• be able to show good moral character
• respect the Constitution of the United States

2The US naturalization process

If you meet the requirements above, nothing stands in the way of naturalization. These are the steps you will go through:

1. Filing the application: The first step to US citizenship is completing Form N-400. You file it online or by mail, with the supporting documents, with the responsible agency (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS) and pay the fee. Good to know: thanks to the 90-day rule, green card holders can file 90 days before the 5-year (or 3-year) period ends, as long as all other requirements are met.
2. Biometrics: About a month after you file, USCIS sends you an appointment. There your fingerprints and photo are taken, and additional background checks may be run.
3. Interview: Once USCIS has processed your application, you get an interview date. In the interview you are asked about your personal situation so your information can be verified.
4. English test: At the interview you also take an English test, run by USCIS, in three parts: speaking, reading and writing.
5. Civics test: Alongside the English test there is the civics test, an oral test on the US government, US history, national holidays and the like. Like the English test, it is not considered very hard, but good preparation is still wise. USCIS publishes its own list of possible questions; what changed with the new list is covered in our article on the civics test with 128 questions. You get two attempts at each test per application, so if it doesn't work out at the interview, you get a second chance.
6. Decision: Once you have completed all of these steps and tests, USCIS tells you whether your application was approved or denied. If it is denied, you can file a new application and go through the process again.
7. Oath: All new US citizens must take the Oath of Allegiance. If this doesn't happen right at the interview, USCIS invites you to a ceremony in your state. There you hand in your green card, and from that moment you are officially an American.

From filing to the ceremony takes at least 6 months, often up to 18 months. If documents are missing or other problems come up, processing can stretch to 24 months or more.

The filing fee for Form N-400 is $760 on paper and $710 online; there is no longer a separate biometrics fee. Why fees have gone up recently is explained in our article on the rising naturalization fee.

3What happens if your application is denied?

If your application is denied, you can of course keep living in the USA on your green card.

You can also file Form N-400 as often as you like. You will, however, have to go through every step again and pay the fees again.

4Benefits of US naturalization

As a green card holder, you may wonder why you should bother. In fact, citizenship brings rights and privileges a green card does not. Here are the most important:

The right to vote

With a green card you cannot vote in federal elections or in most state and local elections. As a US citizen you can vote at every level and have your say.

Running for office

As an American you can not only vote but also run for office yourself, if you want to.

Less paperwork

Goodbye to immigration documents, visas and forms: as a US citizen you no longer file with USCIS to renew a green card, pay those fees or report a move within the country.

Sponsoring relatives

Citizenship can benefit your family too. As an American you can sponsor relatives such as parents, siblings or adult children who want to apply for permanent residence, a green card.

Children

Once you are a US citizen, your minor children automatically become citizens as well. This also applies to children born abroad.

Passport

The American passport is one of the most powerful in the world, with visa-free travel to more than 180 countries and plenty of freedom that comes with it.

5Things to consider before you apply

Before you apply for naturalization, be aware of the other consequences besides the benefits:

• US tax return: Wherever you end up living, as a US citizen you must file a US tax return every year.
  By the way, you may need to file a US tax return even as a non-US citizen.
• Jury duty: With some exceptions, US citizens must serve on a jury if they are called.
• Military service: Although the draft was abolished in 1973, male US citizens and green card holders could be called up by the US military if it were ever reinstated.
• Criminal record: Be aware that any criminal record is examined very closely during the process. How strictly USCIS now reviews "good moral character" is covered in our article on the character review in US naturalization.

Learn more about health insurance in the USA.

6What does naturalization mean for your family?

Wondering what your naturalization means for your family?

If your family doesn't live with you in the USA yet, as a US citizen you can petition to bring your children, spouse or other relatives over as permanent residents.

Children under 18 who hold a green card and live with you in the USA in your custody automatically become citizens through you; older children have no direct claim. If your child has held a green card for 5 years, though, they can apply for naturalization themselves and become a US citizen that way. So if a father is naturalized, his children under 18 automatically become US citizens through him, provided they hold a green card and live in the USA in his custody and household, while adult children can usually apply themselves only after 5 years with a green card.

If you are married to a US citizen, you can apply sooner. At the time of filing, you must show that you have held a green card and permanent residence in the USA for at least 3 years, and that you have been married throughout those 3 years, to file Form N-400 early. Of those 3 years, you must also have actually lived in the USA for at least 1.5 years. Beyond that, you meet the same naturalization requirements and go through the same steps as everyone else.

7Can you become a US citizen without a green card?

Many people ask whether you can become an American citizen without a green card. The answer is no. To apply for naturalization, you must first have held a green card for a certain period. One possible route to a green card, by the way, is the US Green Card Lottery.

Certain visa categories (such as the E-2 visa) are nonimmigrant visas. They are time-limited and do not lead directly to a green card. So you cannot buy US citizenship: even with an E-2 visa, the path almost always runs through a green card and then naturalization. If you hold such a visa and later decide you want to become a US citizen, it gets fairly complicated. You will need to adjust your status to an immigrant visa or apply for an immigrant visa. We have summarized your options for moving from the E-2 visa to a green card here.

Want to travel to the United States without a visa? Find out everything about the ESTA application here.

In short

• You can become a US citizen if you hold a green card, usually for five years (three if you are married to a US citizen), and have actually lived in the USA for at least half of that time.
• The path runs from Form N-400 through biometrics, the interview, and the English and civics tests to the oath; the fee is $760 on paper and $710 online.
• As a citizen, you can vote and run for office, sponsor family members, and travel on one of the strongest passports in the world.
• In return, you must file a US tax return every year, wherever you live; whether you can keep your current passport is up to your home country.

How we help you

• Visa and Green Card ConsultationWhich route to the USA fits you, settled in one conversation.
• Visa RoadmapIn writing: which visa fits you and your family, prepared with the immigration attorney on the firm's team.
• US taxes for US citizens abroadForm 1040, FBAR and Streamlined for US citizens living in Europe.
• Your US Tax ReturnForm 1040 or 1040-NR, handled in English.