What are the benefits of citizenship?
Immigrants and refugees who naturalize enjoy many benefits, including:
Naturalized citizens can receive federal public assistance. The state cuts off certain types of public assistance (SSI and GAU/GAX) to non-citizens after seven years. Immigrants and refugees receiving these types of assistance must naturalize in order to continue receiving benefits.
Naturalized citizens can apply for more family members to immigrate than permanent residents can. Applications filed by citizens are often processed more quickly than those filed by permanent residents.
Children under 18 become eligible for U.S. Citizenship when their parents naturalize.
Naturalized citizens obtain the rights to vote, serve in public office and serve on juries.
Naturalized citizens can travel with a U.S. passport instead of a travel document.
Legal status of U.S. citizens is guaranteed (except in extreme cases) and does not need to be renewed.
Naturalized citizens are eligible to work for the federal government and apply for certain state jobs.
In the U.S., it is illegal for most people who are not citizens to own guns.
What are the eligibility requirements for naturalization?
To be eligible for naturalization, an immigrant or refugee must:
Be at least 18 years old
Have been a lawful permanent resident for at least the last five years (or three years, if married to a U.S. citizen)
Have been present in the U.S. for 2.5 of the past 5 years (or 1.5 of the past 3 years, if married to a U.S. citizen), and not been outside the U.S. for 1 year or more within the last 5 years (or 3 years, if married to a U.S. citizen)
Have been a resident of the state from which he or she is filing the application for at least 3 months
Be able to speak, read and write basic English (some exceptions are discussed below)
Be able to pass a U.S. history and government exam (some exceptions are discussed below)
Be a person of "good moral character" (this will be difficult to establish if applicant has failed to pay child support or taxes or been convicted of certain crimes, among other things)
Take an oath of loyalty to the U.S.
If someone is eligible to apply for citizenship, what are the steps she should take to naturalize?
Applicants for citizenship must submit Form N-400, Application for Naturalization to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This form is available on the USCIS website. Here are some things you should know about the process:
You can submit your application up to 90 days before you’re eligible to apply for citizenship.
Include two passport-style photos and photocopy of both sides of green card
The application fee in 2020 is $725 ( including a $85 biometric fee), payable to Department of Homeland Security
Some Literacy Source students qualify for a fee waiver. If they do, they do not pay the application fee. A Literacy Source staff member will work with them to complete the fee waiver.
Mail to USCIS, according to the instructions on their website.
Keep copies of everything you send to immigration.
Receive Notification from USCIS
USCIS will mail a receipt notice when they receive the application. This may take up to 2 months.
If the application included a fee waiver, the fee waiver will be reviewed first. If it is approved, they will send the receipt notice. If it is rejected, they will mail the whole application back to the applicant.
Fingerprint Appointment & FBI Background Check
USCIS sends a second notice for a fingerprint (biometrics) appointment. This may take 2-6 months.
This appointment is held at the local USCIS District Office: 12500 Tukwila International Blvd.
Students have to fill out a simple demographic information form at this appointment.
It can take anywhere from 2 months to 2 years to process the FBI Background check before the interview (next step) is scheduled.
USCIS sends a third notice for an interview appointment, usually giving 1-2 months notice before the interview. This appointment is held at the local USCIS District Office: 12500 Tukwila International Blvd.
Oath Ceremony: If the applicant passes, he or she will be given a date for their oath or naturalization ceremony. This is also held at the USCIS district office, typically on the same day as the interview. Friends and family are welcome.
Celebrate
How long does it take to become a citizen?
The length of the naturalization process varies with each individual applicant. Students with limited English skills may need to prepare with English and Citizenship classes for a year or more before submitting a citizenship application. Once an applicant submits an N-400, processing times vary. You can check average processing times here.
Are there any exceptions to the testing requirements?
Applicants may be exempted from the English requirement and have the interview and examination conducted in their own language. These exemptions apply to the following:
Applicants over 50 years old who have been lawful permanent residents for at least 20 years
Applicants over 55 years old who have been a lawful permanent residents for at least 15 years
Applicants with certain physical or mental disabilities which prevent them from learning or being tested on English language or civics.
If you think a student qualifies for one of these exemptions, let a staff member know.
Are there any risks to applying for citizenship?
Yes, applicants may risk deportation by applying to naturalize. Because of this risk, it is very important that applicants have help from a person knowledgeable about these issues in evaluating their eligibility before they apply. Literacy Source screens new students for these risks and refers clients with legal risks to the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
Do applicants have to give up citizenship in their native country?
In becoming a U.S. citizen, applicants may have to give up citizenship in their native country, though dual citizenship is allowed by many countries. Some countries will not allow ownership of property by non-citizens, so if applicants must give up citizenship, they may also have to give up property rights in their native country.
Can children become citizens once their parents naturalize?
A relatively new law provides that children who are under 18 automatically derive citizenship when one parent naturalizes, as long as the children are permanent residents and are in the legal and physical custody of the naturalizing parent. Literacy Source tracks the ages of the children who naturalize with a parent for our records.
For more information:
USCIS has an exhaustive guide to naturalization. Literacy Source has copies in our resource library in the citizenship section (Section D). It is also available on line at A Guide to Naturalization.
Free N400 Citizenship application filling help:
510-646-8484 Spanish and English