General American Citizenship Questions

1. How can I become a United States citizen?



2. Who is born a United States citizen?



3. How do I become a naturalized citizen?



4. What are the requirements for naturalization?



5. When does my time as a Permanent Resident begin?



6. What form do I use to file for naturalization?



7. Can you change your name when you naturalize?



8. If I have been convicted of a crime but my record has been expunged, do I need to indicate that on my application or tell an U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) officer?



9. Where do I file my naturalization application?



10. Will U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) provide special accommodations for me if I am disabled?



11. What is the fee for processing an application?



12. How can I pay my application fee?



13. How long will it take to become naturalized?



14. Where can I be fingerprinted?



15. How do I determine the status of my naturalization application?



16. What if I cannot make it to my scheduled interview?



17. What do I do if my address has changed?



18. If U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) grants me naturalization, when will I become a citizen?



19. What should I do if I cannot go to my oath ceremony?



20. What can I do if the U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) denies my application?



21. Can I reapply for naturalization if U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) denies my application?



22. What do I do if I have lost my Certificate of Naturalization? What do I use as proof of citizenship if I do not have my certificate?



23. Do I need to obtain a new Permanent Resident Card (formerly known as an Alien Registration Card) when U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) issues a new version of the card?



24. Why do I need to register with the Selective Service?



25. How do I register with selective services?



26. I lost my Naturalization Certificate and I need to travel outside the U.S., how can I obtain proof of my citizenship so that I can apply for a U.S. passport with the Department of State?



27. What do you mean by Continuous Residence?



28. What is form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony?



29. What is form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes?



30. What is form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization Citizenship Document?



31. What is form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship?



32. What if form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions?



33. What is meant by Naturalization?



34. Who is a Permanent Resident?



35. What is a Permanent Resident Card?



36. What is meant by Physical Presence?



37. What is meant by Port-of-Entry?



38. What is Selective Service?



39. What is a Service Center?



40. Who is a U.S. National (but not U.S. Citizen)?



41. What is meant by an United States Passport?



42. Can you change your name when you naturalize?



43. What are the basic requirements for naturalization (filing for U.S. citizenship)?



44. I applied for citizenship 9 months ago, but have not received a fingerprint notice yet. Is this normal? How long does it usually take for fingerprints? Is there an expiration rule for fingerprints?



45. I have been a U.S. citizen for the last 10 years. My wife has been a permanent resident for the past year. Can my wife apply for citizenship? If yes, under what rule can she apply?



46. I am a green card holder and applied for citizenship(N-400) a few weeks back. I am changing my address in a month. How do I notify U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) of the new address?



47. I am a permanent resident and am waiting for my citizenship interview. Can I apply for citizenship for my child who has been a permanent resident for 5 years? Or do I have to wait until I am a citizen?



48. I am currently planning to apply for U.S. citizenship. I have heard that the wait time in my local area is about 2 years. At the time I obtain citizenship, do I have the right to decide whether I want to accept it or not? Can I refuse it, if I want to?



49. If an American citizen were to take up citizenship in another country, must he/she give up his or her U.S. citizenship? If not, what are the conditions? What about dual citizenship?



50. My spouse and I would like to live overseas for quite a few years. He will be a naturalized citizen. Does this mean he will lose his citizenship if we decide to raise our children. What are the restrictions are for naturalized citizens living away?



51. I am planning to file for citizenship. I would like to be able to take my parents' last name legally, as well as change my first name. Can I do that in the process of becoming a citizen or do I need to file separately?



52. What is U.S. of Citizenship and Immigration Services (formerly known as the INS) doing with currently pending applications for certificates of citizenship?



53. What other resources are available to answer questions about the new law?


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1. Is it possible to be a dual citizen of the United States of America and another country?



2. But I thought US law didn't permit one to be a dual citizen -- that if you were (by birth or otherwise), you either had to give up the other citizenship when you came of age, or else you'd lose your US status. And that if you became a citizen of another country, you'd automatically lose your US citizenship. So what's all this talk about dual citizenship?



3. Don't you lose your US citizenship if you move to another country with the intent of living there for an extended period of time?



4. Doesn't the US Constitution forbid dual citizenship?



5. If dual citizenship is legal now, then why do people who want to become naturalized US citizens still have to take an oath giving up their old citizenship?



6. I've heard that the US has a special agreement with Israel permitting people to be dual US/Israeli citizens. Is this true?



7. If I become a US citizen and renounce my old citizenship as part of the naturalization ceremony, can I still run into problems (such as getting drafted or not being allowed to leave) if I go back to visit my old country?



8. I've heard of people who became US citizens via naturalization but then claim they still have their old citizenship too. How is this possible?



9. If I am a dual US/other citizen, is there any way I can lose my US citizenship?



10. So if I'm a dual US/other citizen, I don't need to worry at all any more about whether something I do or say might come back to haunt me?



11. But it's against the law to have more than one passport, isn't it?



12. I was recently told by a US customs official that the US doesn't "recognize" dual citizenship. What gives?



13. I am engaged to a US citizen. When we get married, will I automatically get dual citizenship?



14. I am a dual US/Canadian citizen by birth. I was once told that if I ever voted in either an American or a Canadian election, I would lose citizenship in the other country. Is this true?



15. I lost my US citizenship some years ago after I became a citizen of another country. I told the people at the US consulate that I intended to remain a dual citizen, but they wouldn't listen. I think I got a raw deal. Is there any way I can get my US citizenship back now?



16. I really did intend to give up my US citizenship when I became a citizen of another country some years ago. Am I in danger of being declared a US citizen once again, against my wishes, because of the State Department's new policy?



17. I was told recently that I am a US citizen. I have lived outside the US all my life and never imagined I had US citizenship. What are my options?



18. Isn't there something inherently unethical about being a dual citizen? I mean, how can you be a loyal American and at the same time owe allegiance to another country? "No man can serve two masters", and all that.



19. How likely is it that the Supreme Court will reverse its earlier decisions and once again ban dual citizenship? Or that the State Department will backtrack on its recent liberalization of the guidelines for dual citizenship and loss of citizenship?



20. How do I give up my U.S. Citizenship?


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1. If I have served in the U.S. Military can this help in my application for citizenship?



2. But doesn't serving in a foreign army result in automatic loss of US citizenship?


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