Citizenship Services & Tools
Apply for U.S.
Citizenship
Prepare Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, to “naturalize” and become a United States citizen.
Apply for a
Certificate of Citizenship
Prepare Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, to claim U.S. citizen through a parent.
Use the Citizenship
Cost Calculator
Compare the cost of becoming a U.S. citizen to remaining a permanent resident.
Replace a
Citizenship Document
Replace your Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship.
Citizenship Requirements for
5-Year Permanent Resident
Citizenship Requirements for 3-Year Married Permanent Resident
Citizenship Requirements for
U.S. Armed Forces
Continuous Residence
& Physical Presence
How to Prepare for U.S. Citizenship Test & Interview
What Happens
After Filing N-400
N-400 Frequently Asked Questions
U.S. Citizenship & Naturalization Articles
Proving Your Child’s US Citizenship after Naturalization
The children of naturalized U.S. citizens generally become citizens automatically. In other words, current law extends U.S. citizenship to the...
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What Happens at a USCIS Naturalization Interview from Test to Interview
The naturalization interview is the final obstacle for permanent residents who have filed Form N-400 to become U.S. citizens. Near...
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Gathering Evidence to Prove U.S. Citizenship through Parents
Individuals who are born outside the United States to at least one U.S. citizen parent typically have a claim to...
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Getting Ready for the Naturalization Process
The naturalization process is the path through which a foreign national can voluntarily become a U.S. citizen. In order to...
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Paths to Citizenship as the Widow(er) of a U.S. Citizen
The widow of a U.S. citizen may apply for a green card and even obtain U.S. citizenship. U.S. immigration law...
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USCIS Receipt Number Explained
After you’ve filed almost any application or petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), they will respond by mailing...
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4 Things to Do After Becoming a U.S. Citizen
Once you become a U.S. citizen, you have access to additional benefits and services. But there are still some actions...
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What Your U.S. Passport Can’t Do
Your U.S. passport is generally sufficient proof of your U.S. citizenship for many purposes. Clearly, it is a valuable travel...
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Replacing Your Certificate of Naturalization is a Simple Process
Upon naturalizing as a U.S. citizen at an oath ceremony, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) presents new citizens with...
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How to Get a Copy of Your Immigration File
The U.S. government’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows people to gain access to information held by the government. This...
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5 Common Reasons Form N-400 Gets Denied
U.S. citizenship is perhaps the greatest benefit any immigrant can receive. It is often the pinnacle of a long journey...
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Do You Have a Valid Marriage for Immigration Purposes?
When immigrating to the United States through a spousal relationship, it’s essential to prove your marriage is real. Thus, it’s...
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Apply for Citizenship with an Expired Green Card
You’ve decided that it may be time to apply for U.S. citizenship, but you also realize that your green card...
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The 5 Biggest Immigration Mistakes Even Smart People Make
The U.S. immigration system, particularly U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has a reputation for quickly denying applications when there...
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USCIS Lost My Application, Now What?
Unfortunately, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is no different than any other massive government organization – they are heavily...
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How Divorce Can Affect Your Green Card Status and Immigration Standing
Divorce can be a devastating life event. It’s emotionally exhausting, financially costly and can even affect one’s immigration status in...
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Travel Abroad Affects N-400 Citizenship Eligibility
When applying for U.S. citizenship via naturalization, English and civics tests get much of the attention. But permanent residents often...
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Getting Ready for Naturalization: N-400 Document Checklist
The application to apply for U.S. citizenship through naturalization, officially known as Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, is one of...
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How to Apply for U.S. Citizenship and Get Approved
If you’re a permanent resident in the United States, the process to apply for citizenship is fairly straight forward. After...
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Immigration Papers: Your Proof of Immigration Status
Having immigration papers, documentation or proof of your legal status is essential if you have contact with law enforcement or...
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Applying for Citizenship Through Marriage
Special rules in U.S. immigration law allow permanent residents applying for citizenship through marriage to submit the application after just...
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Ways to Become a U.S. Citizen
U.S. citizenship carries tremendous privileges, rights and benefits. That’s why people will sacrifice so much to immigrate to America and...
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Differences Between U.S. Nationals and U.S. Citizens
U.S. Nationals Can Generally Become Citizens Fairly Easily Under current law, the vast majority of people born in the United...
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U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 Offers a Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Americans
Yesterday, the Biden administration unveiled a new immigration reform bill that could affect millions of immigrants and their families. Known...
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Passing U.S. Citizenship to Children
The different paths to U.S. citizenship for children – and adults – with American parents. When a child is born,...
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Cost of Citizenship is Less Than You Think
One of the common reasons permanent residents don’t apply for U.S. citizenship – cost. It presently costs $725 to file...
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How the Biden Immigration Plan Affects You
Truly significant comprehensive immigration reform is unlikely to happen during the first few years of a Biden administration. After all,...
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Top 7 Questions When Applying for Citizenship
Are you thinking about applying for citizenship but still have some lingering questions? These are the top 7 questions asked...
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5 Ways to Lose Permanent Resident Status
As the name suggests, permanent resident status is generally constant. It’s granted to people who intend to live in the...
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Permanent Residence vs Citizenship: Does it really make a difference?
There are some significant differences between permanent residence and U.S. citizenship. While sometimes the terms get used interchangeably, they are...
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What the Law Really Says About Dual Citizenship in the U.S.
As far as America is concerned, you can have dual citizenship in the U.S. Dual citizenship involves holding the status...
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Deported Veterans Deserve a Fair Shake at U.S. Citizenship
It seems straight forward. Anyone who has served in the United States military is also worthy of U.S. citizenship. But...
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Why Some Americans Renounce US Citizenship
In 2019, a list of 2,071 Americans chose to renounce U.S. citizenship, and 2020 looks to be no different. Based...
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Obtain a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for Children
A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is an official document certifying acquisition of American citizenship for a child born...
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How to Apply for a U.S. Passport (DS-11) for the First Time
An American passport is one of the tremendous benefits of U.S. citizenship. It’s affordable, practical proof of your U.S. citizenship...
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How to Become a U.S. Citizen
Resources for permanent residents to overcome barriers like money, age, language, and civics knowledge. If you’ve put off naturalization because...
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Certificate of Citizenship Replacement Process
A Certificate of Citizenship may be acquired through a variety of paths. Once you have become a U.S. citizen, the...
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How to Get U.S. Citizenship at a Reduced Cost
Update: Fee waivers are going away with the 10/02/2020 USCIS fee increase. If you’re already a lawful permanent resident or...
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3 Practical Benefits of U.S. Citizenship That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
Proponents of U.S. citizenship will often point out the patriotic and emotional benefits of naturalization. These are all valid reasons,...
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Acquisition of Citizenship for Children Born Outside the United States
There are fundamentally two ways that a child (under the age of 18) can automatically become a U.S. citizen at...
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Failing to Register for Selective Service
How failing to register for Selective Service creates a problem for men filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization Permanent resident...
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Derivative Citizenship for Children of U.S. Citizens
Contrary to popular belief, children (minors under the age of 18) generally cannot naturalize as U.S. citizens of the United...
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5 Paths to Citizenship That Most People Don’t Know About
In the vast majority of cases, the path to citizenship in the United States goes through permanent resident status (green...
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Filling Out the Application for U.S. Citizenship
With 20 pages of questions (and another 18 pages of instructions), filling out the application for U.S. citizenship can be...
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