US Citizenship and Naturalization: Requirements, Test and Steps

Naturalization is the legal process by which a lawful permanent resident becomes a citizen of the United States. It usually comes at the end of a long path that starts with a visa and continues with a green card. Citizenship adds rights, including the vote and a US passport, and it removes the risk of losing your status through long absences. This page covers who qualifies, what the English and civics tests involve, how the application works, and how dual nationality and birthright citizenship fit in.

This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration rules and fees change often; check USCIS and consult an immigration attorney about your own eligibility.

Who Can Apply

Most applicants file under the general rule. Applicants must usually meet all of the following conditions:

• Age and status: be at least 18 and a lawful permanent resident.
• Time as a permanent resident: 5 years, or 3 years if you have been married to and living with a US citizen for that period. You may file up to 90 days before reaching this mark.
• Continuous residence: keep your home in the US throughout. A trip of more than 6 months raises a presumption that you broke this requirement, and a trip of a year or more generally breaks it.
• Physical presence: have spent at least half of the required period in the US, which means 30 months out of 5 years, or 18 months out of 3.
• Local residence: have lived for at least 3 months in the state or USCIS district where you file.
• Good moral character: serious crimes, some lesser offenses, lying to immigration officials and failure to pay taxes or child support can all count against you. Since 2025, USCIS has also directed officers to look for positive contributions, not just the absence of misconduct.
• English and civics: pass both tests unless an exemption applies.
• Attachment to the Constitution: accept its principles and take the Oath of Allegiance.

Men who lived in the US between ages 18 and 25 may also need to show that they registered with the Selective Service. Separate, faster rules exist for members of the US armed forces.

The English and Civics Tests

Both tests take place during the interview with a USCIS officer. The English test has three parts: speaking, judged through the conversation about your application; reading a sentence aloud; and writing a sentence the officer dictates.

Which civics test you take depends on when you filed:

Questions are oral, and USCIS publishes the full list with its study materials. The content covers the Constitution, the branches of federal government, history and symbols. If you fail either test, you get a second chance at a later interview.

Some applicants qualify for exemptions:

• Age 50 with 20 years as a permanent resident, or age 55 with 15 years: no English test, and the civics test can be taken in your own language with an interpreter.
• Age 65 with 20 years as a permanent resident: a shorter civics test drawn from a designated list of questions, also available in your own language.
• Medical disability: a doctor can certify an exemption on Form N-648.

The Application, Step by Step

1. File Form N-400 online or on paper, with supporting documents. Be ready to list every trip abroad and every address and job for the past 5 years.
2. Attend biometrics if USCIS asks: fingerprints, a photo and a signature for background checks.
3. Attend the interview, where an officer reviews your application under oath and gives the tests.
4. Receive a decision: granted, continued (more evidence or a retest is needed) or denied. A denial can be challenged through a hearing request.
5. Take the Oath of Allegiance. You become a citizen at the ceremony, not at approval, and you receive your Certificate of Naturalization there.

Processing times vary a great deal by field office. After the oath, the usual next steps are to apply for a passport, update your Social Security record and register to vote.

What It Costs

As of October 2026, USCIS lists the N-400 at $710 online and $760 on paper, with biometrics included. A reduced fee of $380 and full fee waivers are available to eligible applicants, on paper only.

These figures may not last. In June 2026, DHS proposed raising the fee to about $1,280 online and $1,330 on paper and ending reduced fees and waivers. The comment period closed in August 2026, and we found no sign that the increase had taken effect by late October. Check the USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) on the day you file.

Dual Nationality

US law does not require you to give up your original nationality. The oath contains words of renunciation, but the US does not enforce them, and many naturalized citizens keep both passports. The other country's law is what matters. Many countries accept dual nationality, while others, such as India and China, treat naturalization abroad as ending your citizenship. Check with your home country's consulate before you file.

Dual citizens must enter and leave the US on a US passport. Taxes need planning too: citizens must file a US return on worldwide income even if they move abroad, as our guide to US taxes explains. Permanent residents already have this duty while they hold their status, so citizenship changes less than many people expect.

Citizenship Without Naturalization

• Birth in the US: under the 14th Amendment, nearly everyone born on US soil is a citizen; the main exception is children of foreign diplomats. In Trump v. Barbara (June 30, 2026), the Supreme Court held unconstitutional an executive order that would have denied citizenship to children of undocumented and temporary residents. See our page on the immigration system.
• Birth abroad to a citizen parent: a child can be a citizen at birth if the parent meets conditions on prior time spent in the US. Report the birth at a US consulate.
• Through a parent: a child under 18 who holds a green card and lives in the US with a citizen parent generally becomes a citizen automatically.

What Citizenship Adds

• The right to vote in federal elections and to run for most offices (only the presidency requires being a natural-born citizen).
• A US passport and consular protection abroad.
• Protection from deportation. Citizenship can be taken away only in narrow cases, mainly if it was obtained through fraud.
• No limit on time spent abroad.
• A stronger position when sponsoring relatives, since spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents of citizens fall outside annual visa caps.
• Access to most federal jobs and to some public benefits and scholarships.

It also adds duties: citizens can be called for jury service, and US tax filing follows them for life unless they formally renounce, which can carry its own tax cost.

Related articles:

• Green Card Explained
• US Visas: Types and How to Apply
• The US Constitution
• US Elections