In the United States of America citizenship law, being a citizen is a state that entails specific rights, preferences, and duties. The concept of citizenship is interpreted as the right to enjoy rights as it forms the basis of a set of rights followed, such as the right to live and work in the United States and access to federal aid. There are two main sources of US citizenship: citizenship by birth, where a person is considered a citizen once he was born within the borders of the territory of the United States, or naturalization, a procedure by which an immigrant person applies for American citizenship and his application is accepted. These two approaches to obtaining US citizenship are outlined in the Citizenship Chapter which states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction therein are US citizens and citizens of the state in which they reside.
US law allows for multiple nationalities, and a citizen of another nationality who has obtained US citizenship can retain his previous nationality, provided that he renounces his allegiance to the other country. When a US citizen acquires the citizenship of another country, he is permitted to retain his US citizenship provided that the laws of that country permit. US citizens with citizenship of another country can renounce US citizenship, through an official procedure at the US Embassy, and it is also possible to re-acquire it.
US Citizenship Requirements
- The person must be at least 18 years old
- For most people, they should have lived in the United States of America for at least 5 years as a resident. However, if your spouse is a citizen, you may be able to apply after three years.
- You must have lived in the same location for the past three months.
- You must not have taken long trips outside the USA.
- You must not have any major criminal activity. If you deny this on your application, this may result in your application being rejected and you may be deported. If you have been convicted of a crime, it is very important to speak to an attorney.
- You must study and know about US government, economics, and history in order to pass the civic exam.
- The person have be able to read, write, speak and listen in English. There are some exceptions for people with disabilities or people over 50 who have lived in the United States for a long time.
- Persons who have served in the armed forces of the United States may be eligible to apply for citizenship
Conditions Of Naturalization In America
Among the most prominent conditions for naturalization in America and its various cases, whether for adults or newborns, children, and other required measures, and the cases in which one obtains American citizenship are the following:
Marriage To An American Citizen
As long as you marry an American citizen over the age of 18, you have the right to obtain American citizenship as a spouse visa, and you will be placed under probation for two years, and the marriage is required to be real and not sham, and divorce takes place only after 5 years at least.
Lottery Prize
The lottery is a prize offered by the US government every year, so that citizens of different nationalities can obtain US citizenship. To take the lottery, it is required that the person be an adult, hold a recognized educational certificate, and have a monthly income.
The Birth Of A Child In America
In the event that a child is born to non-American parents within the borders of America, the child becomes an American citizen without conditions and his parents are entitled to be with him and they also obtain American citizenship after 5 years.
Investments
To obtain full residency, America requires an investment of at least $500,000 on its lands, provided that the investment is in a remote area of the country and provides job opportunities for at least ten people. As for the investment in major cities, it must not be less than one million dollars.
Service In The Armed Forces
The United States grants its citizenship to all those who volunteer in the American army for a period of no less than 3 years, after which they will be an American citizen with all the advantages.
Working In A Government Job
America grants its citizenship to those who have spent at least 3 continuous years working in one of their governmental departments, paid their taxes in full, and did not have any bills or penalties against them.
Political Asylum
One of the easy ways that some resort to, is political asylum to America, where he can reside in full and receive simple aid from the government until he finds a job for himself, and after 5 years, and if his good faith and morals are proven, he can obtain American citizenship.
Advantages Of Obtaining US Citizenship
The holder of the American citizenship has the authority to exempt from entry visas to many countries around the world, estimated at dozens, so a visa is not required from him to enter, but they have free visas to enter more than 180 countries around the world, although the United States of America only allows passport holders of 36 countries only He can enter the country without a visa.
He also has all the powers of a citizen born in the United States of America in terms of participation, political rights, selection of rulers, and the like. He also has great capabilities to keep all his documents from the offices of American embassies in different parts of the world, as embassies provide their citizens with facilities in terms of obtaining their documents from any of those places, and therefore there is no fear of losing or stealing those documents in any country because their copies are present It is available very quickly and easily in the offices of embassies.
Duration Of Obtaining US Citizenship
The US citizenship applicant will have to wait months before being called for a naturalization interview at the USCIS office, and then attend the swearing-in ceremony after approval. Most people have to wait 5 years after getting a green card to apply for US citizenship. But they must have met all the required conditions for the first three years
