Gaining U.S. citizenship can provide many opportunities for a resident of the United States. Among these are access to a U.S. passport, the right to vote in public elections, and protection from deportation. However, becoming an American Citizen requires a few steps, from establishing your eligibility to filing, fingerprinting, attending an interview, passing tests of your knowledge of English and of U.S. civics, and attending an oath ceremony.
Step 1: Find Out Whether You Are Eligible.
The first question is whether you have a U.S. green card (lawful permanent residence). With very few exceptions, you must obtain a green card before you become eligible to apply for citizenship. So if you haven't yet reached this point, learn about your eligibility by reading "Eligibility for a U.S. Green Card."As a lawful permanent resident, you must meet additional requirements in order to be eligible for U.S. citizenship. These concern the length of time you've spent in the U.S. as a green card holder, your good moral character, your ability to pass a test in English, and on U.S. history and government, and more. To check on whether you are eligible.
Step 2: Overcome Barriers to Your Ineligibility:
You may discover that you are not eligible to become a citizen just now. Perhaps you can't show good moral character because you committed a minor crime (though not a major enough one to make you deportable). Or perhaps you broke the continuity of your residence by spending too long outside the United States. It may be that simply waiting longer will make you eligible for citizenship, or you may need to take other steps to make you eligible. Consult an immigration attorney for a full analysis.Step 3: File USCIS Form N-400
Once you have established your eligibility, you need to file some paperwork with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The N-400 is the form to get the process started. As of 2015, it cost $595 to file the application for naturalization, plus an $85 biometrics fee. You will need to attach a copy of your green card.Once your application has been accepted, you will be mailed a date for your fingerprinting and biometrics.
Step 4: Get Fingerprinted
In order to process your application, a background check will have to be performed. You will be given a date and address to a local office where you will be fingerprinted. Your fingerprints will be run through the FBI for a background check.Step 5: Attend a Citizenship Interview
After your fingerprinting, you should receive an appointment date and address for an interview with a UCSIC officer. During this interview, the officer will go through your N-400 and confirm your answers to all the questions. The officer will also test your knowledge of English and of U.S. civics.
Step 6: Attend the Oath Ceremony
If you are approved at (or soon after) your interview, congratulations, but you are not a citizen quite yet. You will be called in for a large public ceremony, at which you and others will be given the oath, in which you swear loyalty to the United States. Then you will be given a certificate of naturalization, showing that you are a U.S. citizen.
Step 7: Do You Qualify?
You probably won't need to hire a lawyer to apply for U.S. citizenship, unless you have some troublesome items in your background. If you're ready to take on the task yourself, see Becoming a U.S. Citizen, A Guide to the Law, Exam & Interview, by Ilona Bray (Nolo).