The process of becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States is a complicated and time consuming process, but for those who do it, it is well worth it.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible in the first place, you must be at least 18 years of age and you must have lived in the United States as a permanent resident for five years – three if you’ve been living with a spouse who’s been a U.S. citizen for three years. You must also be able to demonstrate that you have good moral character.

You can learn about completing the Naturalization Eligibility Worksheet and about other criteria on-line at www.uscis.gov. It will walk you through self-screening questions. It will ask about your length of time in the country, travel outside the U.S., your English skills, knowledge of our history and the constitution, and questions about your loyalty and willingness to help out if Uncle Sam calls upon you. By the time you’ve completed the worksheet, you’ll know if you’re eligible to take the next step – to begin the application process.

Where to get naturalization application

If so, you’ll need to go on-line or request hard copies of the actual 10-page application. At the same time, experts recommend that you order or view the user-friendly booklet, “A Guide to Naturalization.” It will tell you how to fill out the Application Form N-400. You’ll learn all about the specific photographs you’ll have to have made and where to send them along with some other documents and the application fee. In a month or two, you should receive verification that they received your package.

To find out where to order the “Guide to Naturalization” and application, go to the resources section under citizenship on SaberHacer.com

Biometrics Process

Within another month or two, they’ll schedule your appointment for what they call Biometrics – it’s the process of computerizing your fingerprints, your signature, and even your facial features.

It’s the government’s way of making sure you are who you say you are.

Victor Nieblas, Immigration Attorney and Professor at Loyola Law School says, “From my point of view, after 9/11 we needed a change – a desperate change in our government so that we could know who was coming in – so that we could secure our country, our borders, and make sure that individuals did not harm our country. And therefore, that brought many changes – especially the entry and exit system.”

The Biometrics process takes place at an application support center. Joanna Golshani, from U.S. Citizen & Immigration Services says, “Biometrics consists of a photo that may be taken, a headshot photo, just like one that you would take for a passport photo. It also consists of a fingerprint that we would take – your right index finger. Our technicians take a fingerprint of all applicants here. It is digitalized and sent to the FBI. At this point, it’s only being used for immigration purposes for Department of Homeland Security.”

“The information that is provided through this technology today, this information, can only be accessed by employees of the Department of Homeland Security. The information that will be retrieved will inform us as to what type of information we have in the time period they’ve been here in the United States. If they were, for example, booked into an arresting area, then we would be able to know what information comes out of that data. Now it depends on what the prints come out and show us. So, it’s all classified information to employees who have access only to that database,” explains Golshani.

Interview Appointment

Somewhere between four and six months after you’ve sent in your application, you’ll receive an appointment for your interview and exam. While you’re waiting, it’s the perfect time to study the government-and-history test questions and work on improving your skills at reading, writing, and speaking English. And to get ready for the important Interview.

For more on that, check out Saber Hacer’s video “Citizenship Interview and Oath Ceremony.”