You are a permanent resident and you wish to apply for naturalization (U.S. citizenship).
What are the Requirements to Obtain U.S. Citizenship?
Lawful Resident
You must be a conditional or permanent resident of the United States.
*If you honorably served in the military in time of war or declared hostilities during a period designated by Presidential Executive Order, lawful resident status is not required.
Age
You must be 18 years of age or older.
Continuous Residence
You must be a continuous resident for 5 years subsequent to obtaining lawful resident status.
*If you are married to a U.S. citizen the residency requirement is 3 years: if your U.S. citizen spouse is a U.S. citizen for 3 years and you have been ‘living in marital union’ for 3 years.
State Residence
You must have resided in the state where the application for naturalization (U.S. citizenship) is filed for at least 3 months prior to filing.
Physical Presence
You must be physically present in the U.S. for at least one half of the 5 years.
*If you are married to a U.S. citizen you must be physically present in the U.S. for at least one half of the 3 years.
Continuity of Residence
You must have resided continuously in the U.S. from the date of filing of the application until being granted U.S. citizenship.
U.S. Government and History
You must demonstrate knowledge of U.S. government and history.
*If you are physically or developmentally disabled or have a mental impairment you are exempt from the U.S. government and history and English language requirements.
English
You must demonstrate knowledge of English.
*The English language requirement does not apply if you are over 50 years of age and have lived in the U.S. for at least 20 years in lawful resident status or you are over 55 years of age and have lived in the U.S. for at least 15 years in lawful resident status
Good Moral Character
You must be a person of good moral character for 5 years prior to filing the application until being granted U.S. citizenship (3 years for the spouse of a U.S. citizen or 1 year for a person in the military).
Oath of Allegiance
You must publicly swear allegiance to the U.S. and renounce allegiance to other sovereigns.
