The path from Green Card to U.S. Citizenship is far less complex than getting a green card. If you already have a green card then it becomes easier to obtain U.S. citizenship. Being a permanent resident is the basic eligibility requirement to apply for U.S. citizenship.
Other requirements also apply such as being a permanent resident for 5 years or 3 years in case you got your green card through marriage, satisfying the continuous residence requirement if applicable, demonstrating the physical presence requirement if applicable, demonstrating good moral character, and more.
If you are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship then you have to file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization with the USCIS. This is one of the difficult parts when going from a green card to citizenship.
The form has 20 pages to be filled and it also comes with 18 pages of instructions. You can use a service like Immigration Direct to help you prepare your citizenship application. When applying for citizenship you not only have to submit Form N-400 but also other forms that are required.
By using Immigration Direct you can easily prepare your citizenship application with all other necessary forms with the help of online software and make it easy.
After your application is filed with the USCIS you will receive an appointment letter to get biometrics taken. After further processing, you will be called to attend the citizenship interview and the test which tests your English skills as well as your civics knowledge based on the pre-defined 100 questions. You need to prepare well for the citizenship test and failing your test will give you a second chance but if you fail again your application will be denied.
There are some exceptions to the citizenship test which can also be availed. After your citizenship test if you pass it then you might be called for the oath ceremony on the same day in some cases and in most cases, you will have to wait another few weeks or months before you can take the oath of allegiance.
Once the oath is administered you will officially become a U.S. citizen and you will be given the naturalization certificate as proof of your citizenship status. Your green card has to be submitted to the officials in the oath ceremony.
Throughout the process, any documents that need to be submitted should be processed carefully. If you fail to deliver the required documents your application can take longer than normal to be processed.
The current citizenship timeline shows that it takes anywhere between 1 year to 2 years from the time you apply for citizenship to officially become a U.S. citizen. As mentioned getting your green card from another immigration status is actually longer in most cases than getting your citizenship from green cardholder status. There are a few easy ways to get a Green Card but it requires you to fulfill certain conditions.