Tips on Starting the U.S. Citizenship Process

More Tips on How to Become a U.S. Citizen

Start the Process for US Citizenship Application – Form N-400

Form N-400 is the application for obtaining naturalization for US Citizenship.  The Form N-400 is used by Lawful Permanent Residents, also known as green card holders or permanent resident card holders over the age of 18 who meet the eligibility requirements to apply for Citizenship.

A completed Form N400 (Citizenship Application) has to be filed along with photos and supporting documents. A green card holder who is above 18 years of age and meets other eligibility requirements can file N400 form. Becoming a U.S. citizen has many advantages including the right to vote and the ability to sponsor relatives to come to the United States.  Most of the forms can be found on line and it is important that you submit the most up to date forms. 

Sponsoring your relatives to join you in the United States also requires documentation, photographs and processing different paperwork.  If you are already in the immigration process and are having difficulty in proving the biological relationship to your beneficiary (family member) in another country, you can have a DNA test completed by an AABB approved DNA testing facility.  DNA Testing proves beyond any doubt that you are biologically related and most DNA collection facilities can coordinate the DNA testing on the U.S. Sponsor or Petitioner and the Beneficiary in the foreign country.  DNA Testing is used to confirm Paternity, Maternity, Full Siblings, Half Siblings, Aunt and/our Uncle relationships. 

Eligibility for Filing N400

The applicant must be age 18 or older at the time of filing N400.

Valid green card for a period of the past 5 years.

If married to U.S. Citizen you may apply after 3 years with valid green card.

One exception prevails - if an applicant has served in the United States armed forces during war, that individual may obtain US citizenship without first becoming a permanent resident if they were in the United States upon enlistment into the U.S. military.

Applicants wanting to obtain US Citizenship must have maintained continuous residence in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding the applicant's filing for citizenship with form N-400. Continuous residence is not the same thing as physically being present in the United States. An applicant must maintain status as a legal permanent resident, but does not necessarily have to be physically in the United States to accomplish this. For instance, if individual is overseas for a portion of this period, maintaining a U.S. address and paying one’s state and federal taxes may help to provide continuity of residence for this eligibility requirement. If the applicant plans to be abroad for several months, it may be wise to file Form I-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes, prior to departing the U.S. in order to preserve their continuous and physical residence status.

NOTE: It is required that physical presence is established within the U.S. for a total of at least one half of the period of required continuous residence.

The applicant must have resided at least three months at their primary residence within the state where the N400 is submitted before filing their US citizenship application.

The applicant must be able to read, write and speak ordinary English unless they are physically unable to do so due to a disability such as being blind or deaf, or suffer from a developmental disability or mental impairment. Individuals over 50 years of age on the date of filing who have lived in the U.S. for a total of at least 20 years after admission as a permanent resident and those individuals who are over 55 years of age and have been legal permanent residents for at least 15 years are also exempt from this requirement.

An applicant applying for US citizenship must have a general knowledge of the fundamentals of U.S. history and government.

The applicant must be a person of good moral character and willing to abide by the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

If you are located in Perth Amboy, NJ; Trenton, NJ; Passaic, NJ; Newark, NJ - see our list of community offices that may be available to assist you in the various steps involved in moving through the immigration process.