While not every immigrant that comes to the United States desires citizenship, for those who do there may be a lot of question about when and how they can apply. The road to acquiring citizenship and naturalization is not necessarily a walk in the park, so to speak. There are very specific requirements those residing in California or elsewhere will have to meet before such status is granted.
So, how will one know if he or she is ready to apply for citizenship? There is actually a very specific list of requirements that is available for review. A few of the requirements listed include:
- Having a green card
- Being 18 years of age or older at the time of application
- Not having a primary home established in another country
- Having the ability to speak, read and write in English
- Passing a history and civics exam
There are, of course, several requirements that also have to deal with the amount of time a person has been in the country and in their local area. For instance, for those who are not a spouse of a U.S. Citizen or a refugee, these individuals will have had to have lived in the country for a minimum of five years before they will be considered eligible to apply. To submit an application in a certain state or in specific district, a person will need to have lived in that area for at least three months before this is possible.
Assistance is available to immigrants residing in California or elsewhere to help determine if they meet the necessary qualifications to apply for citizenship and naturalization. As even the slightest of problems can cause processing delays or application denials, seeking legal guidance early on to ensure everything is in order may prove to be of benefit. An immigration attorney can help walk future citizens through every step of this often complicated process, and provide any further assistance one may need in achieving his or her goal of becoming a U.S. Citizen.
Source: FindLaw, “Requirements for Applying for Citizenship in the United States“, Accessed on July 14, 2015