Naturalization in the USA
Naturalization ceremony
Naturalization is the manner in which a person not born in
the United States voluntarily becomes a U.S. citizen. Before you apply for
naturalization, you must meet a few requirements. Depending on your situation,
there are different requirements that may apply to you.
To apply for naturalization, file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.
For more information, see our How Do I Apply for Citizenship?
guide. We also provide educational materials to help you prepare for the
English, U.S. history and civics portions of the naturalization test,
including:
-
Naturalization
Self Test -
Study for the
Naturalization Test
For more test information visit our Naturalization
Test page.
If you are in the military and are
interested in becoming a U.S. citizen, please see the M-599, Naturalization Information for
Military guide.
You
May Qualify for Naturalization if:
-
You have been a permanent resident
for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements, please visit
our General Path
to Citizenship page for more information. -
You have been a permanent resident
for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse
of a U.S. citizen, please visit our For Spouses
of U.S. Citizens page for more information. -
You have qualifying service in the
U.S. armed forces and meet all other eligibility requirements. Visit the Military section of our website. -
Your child may qualify for
naturalization if you are a U.S. citizen, the child was born outside the U.S.,
the child is currently residing outside the U.S., and all other eligibility
requirements are met.
You may also qualify through other
paths to naturalization if you do not qualify through the paths described on
the links to the left. See our A Guide to Naturalization
guide. Chapter 4 of the guide discusses who is eligible for Naturalization.
