American citizenship

If you are residing or are about to travel to the United States of America and want to obtain some legality that allows you to stay for much longer than required, one way to do so is by obtaining American citizenship.

Benefits of American citizenship

Among the many benefits of obtaining citizenship are the following:

• It allows you to reside for an unlimited time in the United States.
• It allows you to perform the legal passport of the United States.
• Rights to be able to live and work without restrictions.
• Manage public services or documents.

Who can obtain American citizenship?

It is not necessary that only people who were born within the United States can obtain citizenship, but there are other reasons that allow you to obtain nationality. The reasons may be the following:

• Birth: for all those who require it.
• Naturalization: when a foreign resident decides to become a citizen.
• Derivation: Only for children of foreign residents who become citizens.
• Adoption: for minors born abroad and adopted by American families.
• Blood: for children born abroad to American citizens.

What are the requirements and steps I must complete to obtain American citizenship?

Before starting to process American citizenship, you need to check your eligibility, that is, if you meet the basic requirements to obtain it. That is why we leave you what these requirements are:

1. Be over 18 years old and have a green residence card (Green Card)
2. Been 5 years ago living in United States, without having left the country during those 5 years.
3. Residing in the regional place where the citizenship application is going to be made, at least 3 months before making it.
4. Fill out the specific form for your request. Depending on the reason for your citizenship, the forms vary.
5. Request an Identification Appointment, where The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, will review your data and take your biometrics to verify your identity.
6. Go to an interview where you will have to:
   • Answer personal questions.
   • Taking a naturalization exam: civic questions.
   • Take a language exam: Oral/written/reading.
7. If you passed the interview, you will be asked again to take the oath of responsibility with the American nation. This oath contains a series of rights and obligations as a citizen.
8. Finally, it is necessary to request the management of the citizen's passport since it will be your guarantee of citizenship and will help you to emigrate.

Types of American Citizenship

There are several cases by which you can obtain American citizenship, since each one is different, we decided to create an article to explain each of these types in detail.

How much is the cost to obtain citizenship?

To obtain American citizenship, the total cost is 725 dollars. The payment must be managed together with the already completed form, because the payment of that amount refers to

• Application with form N-400: value of $640.
• Biometric services: value of $85. People over 75 years of age are exempt from paying for this service.

Payment can be made through the following methods:

• Money order.
• Cashier's check.
• Personal check.
• Credit card.
• Online payment: debit or credit card.
• In person at local USCIS offices.

Keep in mind that the cost of preparing other documents that are requested of you or the fact of hiring lawyers to advise you in said procedure may be added to the aforementioned amount.

Payment exception

If for some reason you cannot pay the amount to obtain citizenship, you can request a payment exception in the following cases:

• Full value exclusion for people with incomes less than 150% of the poverty level. 
• Reduced value exclusion for those with incomes between 150% and 200% of the poverty level.

For each of the following cases, a form requesting the corresponding exception must be submitted:

• Full value exclusion: Form I-912.
• Reduced Value Exclusion: Form I-942.

What is the delay to obtain American citizenship?

The process to obtain American citizenship can vary from 5 months to a year, this will depend on whether the forms do not contain errors and the documents are those required for such management. I recommend that you check each of the requested forms and documents so that the process is as quick as possible and without complications.

Likewise, if we count the years of residence that are required of you plus the procedure time to become a citizen in total, the minimum number of years it would take would be about 7 years.

What is naturalization?

You need to keep in mind that citizenship and naturalization do not refer to the same thing. 

• American citizenship is granted to people so that they are considered citizens and not foreigners, it contains citizen rights and obligations that are legally written in the constitution of the United States of America.
• Naturalization refers to the procedure where citizenship is granted to a foreign person. If you do not meet the necessary requirements, it will not be granted.

How many nationalities can I have?

There is no limited number of nationalities that you can obtain, the most common thing is for people to have 2 nationalities, one from their family and another from their place of residence. The only thing you should pay attention to is that each nation has citizen rights and specific laws that you must comply with.

Additionally, you will be required to use your passport to enter and leave the country. The passport serves as an official personal identification document, which is why you need to get it, without it you will not be able to move from one country to the other.

Who cannot access an American nationality?

American citizenship will not be given to people who have committed serious crimes. Which are:

• Sexual abuse/rape.
• Drug trafficking.
• Drug trafficking of weapons.
• Crimes against the government of the United States of America.
• Homicide.
• Fiscal fraud.
• Money laundering.