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Individuals who are U.S. Permanent residents for five
years (3 years if married to a U.S. citizen), maintain
their status, and meet certain other eligibility
criteria may apply for U.S. citizenship. This process is
called Naturalization.

It is important to understand that the process of
naturalization involves renouncing all former
allegiances and your citizenship in any other country.
Under American law, you cannot hold dual citizenship if
you are naturalized in the United States.
General
Naturalization Requirements
Age
Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Some
exceptions to this requirement exist and depend on the
citizenship status of the parents. If both parents
become U.S. citizens, the children may automatically
become citizens, if the proper application is filed and
the child is otherwise eligible. Children born abroad to
U.S. citizen parents generally are considered derivative
U.S. citizens.
Residency
An applicant is eligible to file if, immediately
preceding the filing of the application, he or she:
- has been lawfully admitted for permanent
residence;
- has resided continuously as a lawful permanent
resident in the U.S. for at least 5 years prior to
filing with absences from the United States totaling
no more than one year (3 years if married to a U.S.
citizen);
- has been physically present in the United States
for at least 30 months out of the previous five
years (absences of more than six months but less
than one year break the continuity of residence
unless the applicant can establish that he or she
did not abandon his or her residence during such
period)
- has resided within a state or district for at
least three months
Good Moral Character
Generally, an applicant must show that he or she
has been a person of good moral character for the
statutory period (typically five years or three years if
married to a U.S. citizen or one year for Armed Forces
expedite) prior to filing for naturalization. The INS is
not limited to this 3 or 5 period in determining whether
an applicant has established good moral character. For
example, an applicant is permanently barred from
naturalization if he or she has ever been convicted of
murder. An applicant is also permanently barred from
naturalization if he or she has been convicted of an
aggravated felony as defined in section 101(a)(43) of
the Act on or after November 29, 1990. A person also
cannot be found to be a person of good moral character
if during the last five years he or she:
- has committed and been convicted of one or more
crimes involving moral turpitude
- has committed and been convicted of 2 or more
offenses for which the total sentence imposed was 5
years or more
- has committed and been convicted of any controlled
substance law, except for a single offense of simple
possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana
- has been confined to a penal institution during
the statutory period, as a result of a conviction,
for an aggregate period of 180 days or more
- has committed and been convicted of two or more
gambling offenses
- is or has earned his or her principle income from
illegal gambling
- is or has been involved in prostitution or
commercialized vice
- is or has been involved in smuggling illegal
aliens into the United States
- is or has been a habitual drunkard
- is practicing or has practiced polygamy
- has willfully failed or refused to support
dependents
- has given false testimony, under oath, in order to
receive a benefit under the Immigration and
Nationality Act.
An applicant must disclose all
relevant facts to the Service, including his or her
entire criminal history, regardless of whether the
criminal history disqualifies the applicant.
Upholding the Constitution and American History and
Knowledge
An applicant must show that he or she is attached to
and will uphold the principles of the Constitution of
the United States. In order to demonstrate that he or
she will uphold the constitution, the individual must
also demonstrate knowledge of American History and
Government. This is demonstrated by taking a test. Some
applicants are exempt from this requirement. An
applicant may be exempt if:
- on the date of filing, has a medically
determinable physical or mental impairment, where
the impairment affects the applicant’s ability to
learn U.S. History and Government; or
- has been residing in the U.S. as a lawful
admission for permanent residence for at least 20
years and is over the age of 65.
For sample questions from the Naturalization exam,
click here.
Language
Applicants for naturalization must be able to read,
write, speak, and understand the English language.
Applicants exempt from this requirement are those who on
the date of filing:
- have been residing in the United States as a
lawful permanent resident for at least 15 years and
are over 55 years of age;
- have been residing in the United States as a
lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years and
are over 50 years of age; or
- have a medically determinable physical or mental
impairment, where the impairment affects the
applicant’s ability to learn English.
Oath of Allegiance
To become a citizen, one must take the oath
of allegiance. By doing so, an applicant swears to:
- support the Constitution and obey the laws of the
U.S.;
- renounce any foreign allegiance and/or foreign
title; and
- bear arms for the Armed Forces of the U.S. or
perform services for the government of the U.S. when
required.
In certain instances, where the applicant establishes
that he or she is opposed to any type of service in
armed forces based on religious teaching or belief, INS
will permit these applicants to take a modified oath.
Waivers and special cases
There are also waivers and special cases for
individuals married to U.S. citizens, required to work
abroad to their own employment or that of your spouse
for a U.S. corporation or other qualifying entity,
including the U.S. armed forces.
If you would like assistance in applying for
naturalization, Thomas Bassett and Associates can help
you complete the process, answer all your questions and
concerns, and assist you in preparing for the
citizenship exam.
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