Steps to American Citizenship 8 Steps to Citizenship

Step 1: Find Out If You Are Eligible Prove a period of continuous residence and physical presence in the United States; residence in a particular USCIS District prior to filing.
  If you are at least 18 years old and have been a Permanent Resident for the past 5 years without leaving the United States for trips of 6 months or longer. 
  If you are at least 18 years old and are currently married to and living with a U.S. citizen; and have been married to and living with that same U.S. citizen for the past 3 years without leaving the United States for trips of 6 months or longer, and your spouse has been a U.S. citizen for the past 3 years. 
 

Step 1 continued Able to read, write, and speak English and have good knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government. 

USCIS officers will test you up to 10 civics questions in English and you need to answer at least 6 questions correctly to pass the test. 

The most common issue for citizenship applicants are test nerves and interview anxiety. Find out how to pass the citizenship test with confidence, check out our U-Pass Citizenship Success Program . It helps you overcome anxiety and provides the confidence you need to get your citizenship! 
 

Step 1 continued Good moral character 

To be eligible for naturalization you must be a person of good moral character. 

If you do not tell the truth during your interview, USCIS may deny your application for lacking good moral character. 
 

Step 1 Continued Attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and favorable disposition toward the United States. 
  All applicants for naturalization must be willing to support and defend the United States and our Constitution.

Step 2: Complete an application and collect the necessary documents: The official Naturalization Application Form is the N400 form. You should be warned that N400 is not easy to filled out. There are some questions difficult to understand their meanings. In addition, during the Citizenship interview, USCIS officer will ask you questions about yourself, your family, your employment, criminal background, etc. These questions are normally from N400 form. So in order to pass the Citizenship test, you must understand all the questions on N400 form and be able to answer them on paper and orally during the Citizenship interview.

Step 3: Get Photographed You must include 2 standard, passport-style, color photographs with your application. A passport picture taken place normally knows the requirements.

Step 4: Send your application, documents, and fee to the Service Center The fee for filing your naturalization application is:$595.00 The biometric services fee for having your fingerprints taken is:$ 80.00 You must send total $675.00 fee with your application. Pay the fee with a check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank payable to the Department of Homeland Security. Do not use the initials DHS or USDHS. Do Not Send Cash.

Step 5: Get Fingerprinted Once you have filed your application, USCIS will send you a letter telling you where and when to have your fingerprints taken. After getting your fingerprinted, wait for USCIS to schedule your interview

Step 6: Being Interviewed USCIS will send you a notice in the mail telling you when and where you must appear for your interview. You will not receive a second notice. You should bring the following identification to your interview: Your Permanent Resident or Alien Registration Card, Your passport (even if it has expired), and any Re-entry Permits you have. Answer questions about your application and background.   Take the English and civics tests

Step 7: Receive a Decision After your interview, you will receive a Form N-652 that gives you information about the results of your interview. Based on all the information you have given USCIS, USCIS will either grant, continue, or deny your naturalization application after your interview.

Step 8: Take the Oath and Become a Citizen You will take the Oath during the ceremony. An official will read each part of the Oath slowly and ask you to repeat his or her words. You become a citizen as soon as you take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States in a formal naturalization ceremony. Once you have taken the Oath, you will receive your Certificate of Naturalization.

The Oath I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.[1]