For many Nigerians, becoming a citizen of the United States of America is a great leap as it opens them up to vast opportunities. There are various ways of becoming a citizen in the United States of America and Naturalization is one of them. On this page, we will outline the eligibility and procedures to obtain citizenship by naturalization.
What Is Naturalization?
Naturalization According to the United States of America’s official website, naturalization is the process whereby an individual not born in the country voluntarily acquires citizenship. To be eligible, you must meet specific conditions, which will be outlined below.
Eligibility For U.S. Citizenship Via Naturalization
To be eligible, you must meet the following conditions:
- Age Requirements: Candidates are expected to be at least 18 years old when applying
- English Proficiency: Candidates should be proficient in speaking and writing the English Language. The IELTS test is one test that can prove that you’re indeed fluent in speaking and writing the English language.
- Must be of good moral character
- You must demonstrate continuous residence and have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the five years immediately before the date you file Form N-400.
- Should take an oath of allegiance to the United States of America
- It should be in any of the following categories:
- Must be a green card holder for at least five years: This is the most common path by which one can acquire citizenship.
- Married to U.S. Citizen: One can acquire citizenship by marrying a citizen of the United States of America. Those in this category are issued a K-1 visa.
- Be a child of a U.S. Citizen.
- U.S. Military Service Member
How To Apply For Naturalization
- According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, There are ten steps to apply for naturalization, which we have outlined belowNaturalizationhat you’re not a citizen of the United States of America
- Check your eligibility by ensuring you meet the conditions below
- Prepare the form N-400 application for naturalization
- Submit the form and pay theNaturalizationes
- Complete your biometrics
- Complete the interview
- Wait for a response from USCIS
- Receive a notice to take an oath of allegiance to the United States
- Proceed to take an oath of allegiance
- Understand the rights of a citizen
What Is A Form N-400?
This is the form that is filled by those who want to become citizens of the United States of America, and this is the first step towards naturalization. The form can be filled onliNaturalizationing an account on the portal myaccount.uscis.gov.
CONCLUSION
The steps above must be appropriately followed by those who want to become legal citizens of the United States of America. Feel free to drop your questions in the comment section below.