Hi everyone. Welcome back to our channel.
If you're new, we are here to help you pass the US citizenship interview.
Today, we're going to go over the general eligibility requirements to apply for US citizenship.
Are you ready? Let's go.
US Naturalization Eligibility Requirements
First, even though there's no in-person services right now,
USCIS is still working.
That means if you submit your application,
USCIS will process the application.
So let's go over the eligibility.
It is important to understand these requirements before applying
since your application could be rejected and you will lose precious time and money.
In order to become a US citizen,
all applicants must meet all of the following requirements
unless you qualify for an exemption or apply based on your US military service.
There are nine requirements and you will go through and explain each of them in detail.
1. You are at least 18 years of age at the time of filing.
This one is very straightforward.
The minimum age to apply for citizenship is 18 years old unless you're applying based on any period of wartime military service,
in which case you may be any age.
2. You are a permanent resident of the United States for a required period of time.
That means you have a green card for a specific period of time.
It generally is five years.
If you get your green card through marriage to a US citizen, that period of time will be three years.
Your time as a permanent resident begins the day you are granted permanent resident status.
You can find that date on your green card next to
"Resident since"
It's not the date when you came to the US
and it's not the date you married a US citizen.
A few things to keep in mind for people applying through marriage.
First, you have to be living with the same spouse this entire time.
In addition, your spouse must also have been a US citizen for the entire three-year period
and you must continue to be married for the remainder of the process.
That means through the final oath of allegiance ceremony.
In the event of a divorce or even your spouse's death,
you would no longer qualify for the eligibility category
and would have to apply as a five-year permanent resident.
3. You have lived within this state or USCIS district where you claim residence for at least three months prior to filing.
So first, you have to live at the same physical address for at least three months prior to filing.
You can't move to a new USCIS district and start applying immediately.
USCIS district refers to the geographical area served by a particular USCIS field office determined by your zip code.
There are 26 USCIS districts.
The current physical address on your N-400 form determines which USCIS field office will process your application.
What they are trying to say is that you cannot live in one place and apply in a different USCIS district
because the other district has more favorable policies or shorter processing times.
However, recently USCIS announced that some applications will be shifted to other field offices to decrease processing times.
So they may schedule applicants to appear for an interview at a field office outside of their district.
If you are a spouse to military personnel stationed overseas,
you can choose a particular USCIS field office to apply.
And one more thing.
For all permanent residents, you must fill out the AR-11 form every time you move to update your address with them.
You can do that online. We'll put the link in the description.
4. You have demonstrated physical presence within the United States for a required period of time.
Physical presence refers to the number of days you must be physically present in the US during the required period.
It's five years for most applicants and three years for marriage green card holders up to the date you file for N-400.
The government wants you to show that you genuinely want to be a citizen and spend time within your local community.
Generally speaking, you must be physically present in the US for half of the eligibility period.
So for five year applicants, it will be about 30 months
and for three year applicants who marry a US citizen, it will be 18 months.
So if you've made any trips out of the US during this period,
you have to calculate and add up all of those days.
Those are the total days you are not physically present in the US.
If you're thinking about applying for citizenship,
you should start keeping track of all your trips.
If you don't remember your trips,
there is a government website that can retrieve your travel history based on the i-94 form.
We will include the link here and in the description.
5. You have demonstrated continuous residence for a required period of time.
In addition to physical presence,
you need to show continuous residency.
Again, that will be five years in general unless you got the green card through marriage.
In that case, it will be three years.
If you're not in the US for an extended period of time,
it usually indicates that you are not intending to stay or integrate into the local community.
The general rule of thumb is any single trip that is less than six months does not disrupt continuous residents
and any single trip more than six months does disrupt continuous residents.
Keep in mind that you have to meet both the physical presence and continuous residence requirements before applying.
In addition, you need to meet both requirements during the whole application process until you attend your oath ceremony.
6. You demonstrate good moral character.
This pretty much means that you do not have any serious criminal issues in your past
and that you generally fulfill your obligations under the law
such as paying taxes annually
or paying off any traffic tickets.
In general, the applicant must show good moral character during the five year period
immediately preceding his or her application for naturalization.
However, conduct prior to the five year period may also impact whether the applicant meets the requirement.
No one is perfect and it's okay to make mistakes and have minor offenses in the past.
However, never lie on the application or during the interview
because that will most certainly get your application denied.
USCIS recently updated the definition of good moral character
and provides more details in their policy menu.
You can find the link in the video description.
And if you have any criminal record in the past,
we would suggest you consult with an immigration lawyer before applying.
7. You demonstrate basic knowledge of US history and government.
This is a civics test of the interview.
You must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of
the fundamentals of history, principles, and the form of government of the United States.
There are 100 official questions and answers total.
The USCIS officer will ask up to 10 questions during the interview
and you have to get at least 6 correct in order to pass this portion.
We have videos in our channel that provide you with the simplest answers for each question,
so go check them out here.
For applicants who have been a lawful permanent resident for at least 20 years
and are over the age of 65,
you're only required to study 20 of the 100 official questions.
8. You must be able to read, write, speak, and understand basic English.
The officer will make small talk with you and ask you questions related to your application.
They may even ask definitions of some of the words on the application.
This is to assess your responses and determine your ability to speak and understand English.
In addition, you're also required to read out loud 1 out of 3 English sentences
and write 1 out of 3 English sentences the officer provides you.
There are official list of vocabulary that you need to study
and we have videos with sample sentences to help you
so definitely go check them out in the links in the description.
Some applicants are exempt from this requirement.
If you meet the 55/15 rule,
that means you've been living in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for periods totaling 15 years or more
and are over 55 years of age
or if you meet the 50/20 rule,
that means you've been living in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for periods totaling 20 years or more
and are over 50 years of age
Remember, even if you qualify for the 50/20 or 55/15 English language exemptions,
you must still take the civics test.
You will, however, be permitted to take the civics test in your native language
and if you take the test in your native language,
you must bring an interpreter with you to the interview.
9. You demonstrate an attachment to the principles and ideals of the US Constitution.
This requirement ensures that you agree with the form of government of the US and the Constitution.
In addition, you agree to fulfill your duty as a US citizen.
Last but not least, you are willing to take the oath of allegiance to the United States.
The oath of allegiance is a verbal statement by which citizens agree to abide by the laws and Constitution of the United States
and agree to give up allegiances to other foreign countries.
It is spoken out loud at the oath ceremony and is the last step for applicant to become US citizens.
All right. That's it for today.
If you meet all of the above requirements, you are ready to apply and fill out the N-400 form.
Do you have any other questions?
Feel free to leave us a comment.
I will see you in the next video. Bye!