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 over

come anxiety and provides the confidence you need t

o 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]