How long does it take to become an American citizen? In this post, we have discussed what it takes to become an American citizen.
According to the American Citizenship and Immigration Services, many N-400 applicants must wait at least a year to become citizens of America.
This is the time needed to process and become an American citizen.
However, a few variables have the most effects on processing times.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? Depending on where you live and how well you prepare your application, becoming a citizen of America can take a while.
Customers of CitizenPath often experience lower wait times of 8 to 14 months.
This article explicitly explains how long it takes to become an American citizen.
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What is An American Citizen School like?
A foreign individual can become a citizen of America through naturalization.
How long does it take to become an American? Only a select group of immigrants are qualified: those who have held green cards (permanent residents) for three to five years or satisfy various military service standards.
Uncertain as to your eligibility for citizenship? Check your eligibility first.
There are numerous benefits to becoming an American citizen, but it also comes with new duties.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? It takes 18.5 and 24 months to complete the naturalization process from the moment you submit your citizenship application to the Oath of Allegiance ceremony.
A thorough guide detailing the phases in the naturalization process and how long each one takes has been developed by Boundless.
Is Attending an American Citizen School Worth it in 2024?
If you intend to spend the rest of your life in the United States, it is worthwhile, but if you want to live abroad, it is difficult to be a citizen of America.
However, maintaining your status as a permanent resident will never be as secure as becoming a citizen. Even after 50 years, your residency status may become inadmissible or be removed for other reasons.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? In some cases, after ten years in New York City, you applied for and were granted American citizenship. You can hold dual citizenship and reside abroad.
Then attempt to file taxes abroad, but it would cost a hefty $400.
As a result, you effectively pay a $400 annual fee to report your taxes each year. Even if you have no money, you must file taxes.
Failure to do so will eventually lead to an IRS audit, requiring you to pay a fine of about $5,000 for each year you engage in tax evasion.
In addition, you are obligated to pay about $2500 if you decide to renounce your citizenship.
How long does it take to become An American Citizen? You still need to report the same as a permanent resident, but you aren’t allowed to stay abroad for more than 180 days in a row.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? Additionally, failing to file taxes while a permanent resident will be quite problematic if you decide to seek citizenship because one of the requirements is to have filed taxes for the previous five years.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? The same applies to criminal histories, including misdemeanors and minor infractions within your five-year record.
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Requirements for Becoming An American Citizen
How long does it take to become an American citizen? Unless you’re applying based on qualifying military service, you must wait three to five years after receiving your green card before starting the naturalization process to become a citizen of the United States.
You must also meet the following criteria:
• At least 18 years of age is required.
• You must have spent at least three months living in the state where you intend to petition for citizenship.
• You must possess “excellent moral character,” which is a character that meets the expectations of regular community members.
However, it implies more explicitly that you did not lie during your naturalization interview and that you did not have any prior convictions for specified offenses, such as murder, illegal gambling, or feigning an illness to obtain immigration advantages, on your record. The government evaluates each application individually to determine if it meets this criterion.
• You must pass a two-part naturalization test covering civics and English language proficiency in addition to reading, writing, and speaking (covering knowledge of U.S. history and government).
• If required, you must be ready to serve in the military or a civilian capacity for the United States.
• If you are a guy who was physically present in the country between 18 and 25 and registered with the Selective Service System, you must do so.
You must be prepared to stand up for the US Constitution.
How Much Does it Cost to become a licensed American Citizen
A citizenship application for Americans currently has a $725 naturalization fee.
This sum comprises $640 for processing applications and $85 for biometric services, which are nonrefundable whether or not the American government accepts an application.
However, certain applicants may qualify for partial or complete waivers of these costs.
Don’t worry if this all sounds confusing and overwhelming. We’ve teamed up with RapidVisa to assist you in submitting your citizenship application and to lead you through the process from beginning to end.
We’ll work together to ensure that you keep up with follow-up paperwork, interview preparation, and other critical junctures.
Not everyone is required to pay the whole amount due to the government for naturalization.
The application filing cost and the biometrics fee are waived for those applying for American citizenship based on their military service.
Only the biometrics fee is waived for applicants who are 75 years of age and older.
Everyone else must pay both fees except those who qualify for income-based fee remission or reduction.
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How Long Does it Take to Become a Licensed An American Citizen
Note that the wait and processing times listed in this guide are official averages and estimates and do not account for delays.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? Depending on where the applicant lives, the naturalization procedure may be quicker (one year, for instance).
This is due to differences in how quickly different U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices process applications.
A successful naturalization process also depends on submitting your application accurately the first time and starting the procedure as soon as possible.
There is now limited tolerance for error in an American citizenship application, among other immigration papers, thanks to a recent USCIS policy change.
Step 1 – Filing your Application for Naturalization (Form N-400)
How long does it take to become An American Citizen? On average, the first stage of the procedure takes somewhat longer than 14 months, though this can vary by area.
It should be noted that the processing time for an N-400 application is the period from receipt to the oath ceremony, not the period from receipt to application approval.
The procedure begins when you send your American citizenship application and supporting documentation to USCIS.
A photocopy of your green card (Form I-551, formally known as the “Permanent Resident Card”) is an example of supporting documents that should be gathered as soon as possible and sent to USCIS so that it may start processing your application.
Make sure your application is comprehensive, your responses are accurate, and your supplementary materials are in the format and order preferred by the American government.
Be aware of these additional steps, which can add time to the process if any of your documents are written in a language other than English.
You must also obtain a certified English translation of any such documents. Missing data or documentation will probably cause the procedure to lag.
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Step 2 – Attending your Biometrics Appointment.
Your fingerprints, along with pictures and/or a signature, are referred to as “biometrics” in technical terms.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? This will take a few months.
Citizenship, USCIS will usually set up the necessary biometrics appointment.
USCIS will send you an appointment letter (Form I-797C, formally known as the “Notice of Action”) outlining the time and location for taking your fingerprints, photographs, and signature. We’ll use these to confirm your identity.
Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will get your fingerprints from USCIS to run a background investigation.
Step 3 – Attending your citizenship interview and exam
Interview
How long does it take to become An American Citizen? Typically, the citizenship interview happens 14.5 months after USCIS receives your naturalization application (sooner or later for some applicants).
The date and location of your interview, as well as a list of any required documents, will be included in a letter that USCIS will send you – just once.
Exam
The citizenship test is typically arranged for the same day as your interview.
To prevent retaking the test, it is advisable to fully prepare for the exam’s civics and English language skills sections.
To go to the next stage of the procedure, you must pass the relevant exam section; otherwise, you must retake it.
How long does it take to become an American citizen? About 60 to 90 days after the initial date of your exam, you will be required to revisit the appointment location.
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Salary and Job Outlook for An American Citizen After Study
Job Outlook
According to projections, the number of people employed in the US economy would expand by 15.6 million from 2012 to 2022, or 10.8%, reaching 161 million.
The industries of healthcare, healthcare support, construction, and personal care are expected to increase at some of the fastest rates.
Together, these four occupational categories are anticipated to provide more than 5.3 million new employees, or roughly one-third of all new positions during this period.
According to projections, the number of people employed in the US economy would expand by 15.6 million from 2012 to 2022, or 10.8%, reaching 161 million.
The industries of healthcare, healthcare support, construction, and personal care are expected to increase at some of the fastest rates.
More than 5.3 million people in these four occupational groups are anticipated to make up nearly one-third of the workforce.
Salary
On Wednesday, a professor reported on Twitter that 25% of her students thought the typical American salary was over six figures. She claims in the tweet that one of them thought it was worth more than $800,000.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2021, the average American worker earns more like $51,480, and about 30.7% of households had incomes of $100,000 or more in 2020, according to the insurance insights firm Policy Advice.
Over the 2012-2022 decade, total employment in the U.S.
The economy is expected to add 15.6 million jobs, or 10.8%, from the current 145.4 million.
Of the 818 occupations the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) generates and disseminates prediction data for, 667 are anticipated to see an increase in employment, and 151 are anticipated to decrease.
The industries of healthcare, healthcare support, construction, and personal care are expected to increase at some of the fastest rates.
By 2022, these four occupational groupings will likely be responsible for roughly one-third of all job growth, or more than 5.3 million new positions.
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Conclusion
For the timeframe for obtaining American citizenship, the first factor is how long you have to wait to apply for naturalization after receiving your green card.
How long does it take to become an American Citizen? Either five or three years are possible.
Then, it depends on how much time you spent traveling outside the country in the years before you submitted your citizenship application.
You might have various effects if you spend a significant amount of time outside of America
However, how long does it take to become an American citizen? This shouldn’t be the question that discourages you from obtaining your American citizenship. Even if it takes time, the time is worth it.
Also, it is crucial to follow the right procedures, make a goal-setting strategy, and be committed to realizing your ambition of being an American Citizen.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A person born outside of the country and who acquired citizenship in the country is known as a naturalized citizen.
Only immigrants who have been legally residing in the country for three to five years are eligible, as are those who have served in the military.
Numerous other advantages come with American citizenship.
LPRs reside here, work there, and pay taxes, yet they do not have the same access to government assistance.
Some government programs and benefits, including Medicare, may have high premiums that LPRs must pay.
Citizenship ensures that the elderly and those with impairments have equal access to vital benefits.
Many immigrants have a deep sense of belonging to their nation. But becoming a citizen of the United States does not mean you have to forget your roots.
Many nations even permit dual citizenship, allowing you to keep your status in both your country of origin and the United States.
Most naturalization candidates choose to become citizens after obtaining a green card, while some foreign-born veterans or armed forces members may also qualify.
Yes, naturalization is the process by which an immigrant becomes a citizen of the United States after fulfilling specific criteria.
Whereas citizenship applies to anybody who is a citizen of the United States, regardless of whether they were born in the country or elsewhere.