Becoming a U.S. citizen has many benefits such as the right to vote, sponsorship of relatives, ease of travel, and ability to provide citizenship for children. It also comes with the responsibility to promote liberty and justice for all.
Applicants must consider whether they meet the multiple criteria and weigh the risk of putting their current status in jeopardy and even being placed in removal proceedings.
An applicant for naturalization must be 18 years old; be a lawful permanent resident (LPR); have five years of continuous residence in the U.S. as a LPR; have been physically present in the U.S. for at least two and half years; have good moral character;have resided for at least three months within the USCIS district of filing; be attached to the principles of the Constitution and well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the U.S.
If the applicant is married to a U.S. citizen, the period of continuous residence is reduced to three years, and the physical presence is reduced to one-and-a-half years. The couple must have been living in marital union for three years and the U.S. citizen spouse must have been a citizen during this period. A divorce or legal separation breaks the marital union requirement.
If the applicant is absent from the U.S. for a continuous period of more than one year, the continuity of residence might be broken. In this case, the applicant could apply for naturalization four years and one day following re-entry to the U.S. (or two years and one day, if applying based on marriage to a U.S. citizen).
Persons convicted of murder at anytime or an aggravated felony after Nov. 29, 1990 are barred from becoming U.S. citizens. Other offenses such as DUIs, failure to pay support for dependents and failure to comply with tax laws are also an impediment to naturalization. The application requires disclosure of all arrests, citations and convictions, and the process includes fingerprinting and other background checks.
Applicants must be able to read, write and speak basic words in ordinary English language usage. They must also show knowledge of U.S. history and civics. Certain applicants, because of age or disability, might be exempt from this testing requirement.
All applicants must take the oath of allegiance to the U.S. which includes an oath to “renounce all allegiances to any foreign state.” However, it is possible to obtain U.S. citizenship while retaining a previous foreign citizenship.