You can apply for USCIS citizenship by submitting an application for naturalization and Form N-400. There are many naturalization requirements for qualified applicants, along with certain exceptions and modifications. 

How to apply for USCIS Citizenship?

The application process for USCIS citizenship includes the following steps:

  1. Firstly, collect information about the following steps:
  • How to apply?
  • Questions of the test.
  • What is the naturalization process?
  • Dual citizenship.
  • Proof of your citizenship.
  • What to do if your citizenship certificate is lost or stolen?
  1. Application for Naturalization: It is a process in which a non-U.S. citizen can get U.S. citizenship. 
  2. Questions to determine the eligibility for applying for USCIS Citizenship are as follows:

After the submission of the naturalization application, USCIS examines the applicant’s information to determine his/her eligibility for U.S. citizenship based on the following questions:

  • Were your parents U.S. citizens or any of them when you were born?
  • Does your age older than 18 or under 18?  
  • Do you belong to U.S. armed forces? Armed forces include the U.S. army, Air force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Navy forces.
  • Do you have a permanent residential card? 
  • Are your married or not? If married, then your partner is U.S.  citizen or not?
  • Do you belong to a U.S. national?
  1. To become a U.S. citizen, you must:
  • Follow the rules and responsibilities of a citizen.
  • Have at least five years of permanent green card.
  • Have at least three years of the permanent green card if you apply for spouse citizenship.
  • Renew your permanent green card before the expiry date.

Eligibility Requirements: The requirements for eligibility are as follows:

  • Your age must be 18 when you apply for U.S. citizenship.
  • You must be able to learn, read, and write basic English.
  •  You have a good moral character.

Ten steps of Naturalization Application: Following are the ten steps of naturalization application:

  1. Determine if you are already a U.S. citizen by birth or not, and derive from your parents automatically after birth.
  2. Determine if you are eligible to apply for naturalization to become a U.S. citizen.
  3. Prepare your Form N-400 and application for naturalization to determine the instructions. Take two passport-size photos and use the document checklist to collect all the essential documents in one place.
  4. Submit Form N-400; after that, USCIS will send you a receipt notice. Pay your dues on time. You can also determine your case processing time and status of the case online.
  5. After some time, USCIS will send you a notice for a biometric appointment that includes time, date, location, etc. 
  6. Once all the requirements are done, USCIS will take your interview to complete the naturalization process. They will give you an interview appointment about the location, date, and time. 
  7. In the seventh step, you will receive the decision notice from USCIS. You can also access the information electronically in your account. 
  • USCIS would grant you citizenship if you correctly fulfilled all the requirements and the N-400 Form.
  • If you did not submit the correct documents to the USCIS or failed in English test, USCIS will continue your application and give you another chance to provide additional evidence and proper documents.
  1. If USCIS grants you U.S. citizenship, you will receive a notice to attend the naturalization ceremony. This ceremony can also be scheduled on the interview day. 
  2. You wouldn’t be a U.S. citizen if you did not take the oath of allegiance at the naturalization ceremony because you will receive your naturalization certificate at the ceremony. Try to read the complete certificate before leaving the ceremony to avoid any errors on the certificate.
  3. Understand and follow all the fundamental rights and responsibilities of the citizens. 

Benefits of Online USCIS Application for Citizenship: The benefits include:

  • You can check your case status online without any hesitation.
  • Your messages are secured.
  • You can update your personal information and correct the documents if you unintentionally submit false documents.
  • You can determine case status alerts through your online profile.

Dual Citizenship:

Dual citizenship means you are a citizen of the U.S. and another country simultaneously. U.S. law does not force a person to choose one country at a time. You need to inform the country’s embassy about your dual citizenship. Likewise, you must have a U.S. passport if you want to travel from or to the U.S. You need to follow all the laws and policies of dual citizenship. 

Citizenship without a Birth Certificate:

If you were born in the United States and didn’t have a birth certificate, you will require several other documents to prove your citizenship in the U.S. The documents include:

  • Document from the vital record office includes your full name, parent’s name, and exact date of birth.
  • Citizenship certificate of your parents.
  • Marriage certificate of your parents.

References:

  • https://www.uscis.gov/n-400
  • https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/apply-for-citizenship
  • https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/10-steps-to-naturalization