Form N-400 is used to apply for
US citizenship
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
through the
naturalization
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
process.
Lawful permanent residents
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with suc ...
(also known as green card holders) of the United States, who meet the eligibility requirements, can file N-400 form to request citizenship. In the United States, 8.8 million Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible to naturalize.
Becoming an American citizen gives the same rights and privileges of citizenship as
natural born American citizens, except one: naturalized U.S. citizens are not eligible for the Office of the President or Vice President of the United States.
US citizenship eligibility requirements
To be able to apply for citizenship through naturalization, you have to meet the following requirements. You must:
* Be 18 years of age or above.
* Be a lawful permanent resident for 5 years (3 years if married to a US citizen).
* Have maintained continuous residence during the past 5 years (3 years if married to a US citizen).
* Have maintained physical presence during the past 5 years (3 years if married to a US citizen).
* Have good moral character.
* Have basic knowledge of
English.
* Have basic knowledge of
US government and
history.
* Be willing to take the
Oath of Allegiance
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. For ...
.
Content
The N-400 form is a series of questions about eligibility, personal information, marital history, children, criminal activities and the oath of allegiance to the United States. Many private sector online services are available to candidates for naturalization to help them complete the form. Sometimes a lawyer's help is required.
Filing the form costs $640 along with an $85 bio-metric fee for a total of $725, where applicable. Exceptions can be seen on the federal website.
After filing the form, the applicant undergoes an interview process with the
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS interview includes an English and civics test. The English test has three components: reading, writing, and speaking. The civics test covers important U.S. history and government topics.
References
United States government forms
Citizenship of the United States
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