CITIZENSHIP (NATURALIZATION)

Citizenship may be granted to individuals who:

1) have been permanent residents of the U.S. for at least five years (or, if married to a U.S. citizen spouse, after three years of continuous living in marital union with their spouse),

2) have good moral character,

3) are at least 18 years old,

4) read, write and speak English,

5) have knowledge of American history and government,

6) have been physically present in the U.S. for at least 30 of the 60 months preceding the application (18 months during the 36 preceding months for the above spouses of U.S. citizens),

7) have resided for at least the past 3 months within the state in which the applicant filed his naturalization petition.

8) have resided continuously within the U.S. from the date the petition was filed up to the time of admission to citizenship, and

9) must not have been absent from the U.S. for a continuous period of more than one year during the periods for which continuous residence is required. Absence for more than six months but less than one year establishes a presumption against compliance with the continuous residency requirements that can be rebutted.

Warning: If you want to become a citizen and have a criminal record, have failed to pay child support, have substance abuse problems and the like, you should first consult with an immigration attorney.