Citizen Naturalization N-400

In most cases, to achieve United States citizenship, a person must first be a permanent resident.

In some cases, citizenship is obtained through citizen parents when a child is born abroad.

A permanent resident for at least 5 years is eligible to apply for citizenship.

If the resident obtained residency through the marriage with a citizen spouse, he/she would be able to submit their naturalization application when he/she has been a resident for at least 3 years—thus saving 2 years of waiting.

An applicant should consult an immigration attorney BEFORE filing an application since Immigration could deny their citizenship and, incidentally, take away their permanent residence. This should not alarm you to want to become a citizen, but you should seek legal advice beforehand to avoid a possible denial or your residence to be affected. 

For naturalization, Immigration will conduct an investigation of past records and determine what crimes could disqualify you. You will need to obtain your convictions information and bring it to an attorney before submitting the N-400 application. 

The requirements are: be able to read, write, and speak basic English, have good moral character, basic knowledge of U.S. history and government, live most of the time as a resident within the U.S.

There are exceptions to the test in English; if you are eligible, you will take your citizenship test entirely in Spanish. Exception # 1 People over 50 years of age with at least 20 years of permanent residence. Exception # 2 People over 55 years of age with at least 15 15 years of residence.

For people with a disability, there are medical waivers that Immigration could approve as a valid reason that prevents them from learning English.

We recommend that all legal residents become U.S. citizens since a resident can lose residency, but a citizen does not lose citizenship unless they have committed fraud in obtaining residency or citizenship. 

For more information visit https://www.uscis.gov/es/ciudadania