Applications for U.S. citizenship are not that difficult to accomplish. If you are applying for immigration, the first step is to pick a place that you want to call your homeland. Your homeland may be America, Canada or Mexico. But you need to know the details of your new country. The first document you will fill out in preparing for a U.S. citizenship application is a Certificate of Citizenship or naturalization which can be obtained from your embassy or from the U.S. consul's office.
In America, an applicant must obtain a Certificate of Eligibility which he or she will use to start the process of applying for a U.S. citizenship. A person who cannot obtain this on his or her own can get it by applying with the U.S. embassy. After this, all that is left is to register to vote. All three documents mentioned above can be collected together and mailed to the citizenship application center. The three documents are then processed.
After submitting all three documents, the applicant must pay a fee and wait for his/her interview. After the interview, the applicant must sign an oath made by a U.S. consulate officer which states that he has understood the terms and conditions of the program. Then he or she must attend a sworn oath ceremony. This completes the naturalization application process. The applicant must also provide two passport photos, which are valid and original with no alterations. Then he or she must pay the necessary application fee.
Prior to the interview, there are several things applicants must accomplish. These include acquiring his or her background documents such as passport or green card; filling out the application form; meeting the mandatory interview preparation requirements; and returning back the signed application form to the embassy or consulate of his or her choice. The purpose of the interview preparation is to discover if the applicant is eligible for citizenship. This is necessary because the application cannot be accepted or approved if it is completed without the knowledge of the applicant. The purpose of the interview preparation includes determining if applicants are physically fit for the job and that they have no criminal history which would make them a risk.
Applicants who have not yet received their citizenship application may file for an immigrant visa. The visa can only be filed if the applicant is at least 18 years old. If the applicant is at least 19 years old, they may file for the naturalization certificate. The certificate may also be filed if one is currently married.
Applicants may file the appropriate forms for their citizenship application online. All documents are available for download through the U.S. citizenship application website. The forms for filing are available in printable PDF formats. Individuals who are filing on their own must follow the instructions included in their packet.
Applicants who have received all of the necessary documents can file their citizenship application in person. One form for applying for citizenship is called the oath of allegiance. This form must be filed with their application and it is good when filled with the proper information. This oath of allegiance must include three main parts. The first part is dedication or renunciation of allegiance to the United States; the second part is stating the reason why one is giving up their nationality or allegiance to the United States; and the last part is swearing to tell the truth.
Individuals can also get their citizenship certificate by mail. The application must submit fingerprints and a birth certificate. The applicant must submit the documents in person. It will take about two weeks for the certificate to be mailed to the applicant. A certified copy of the certificate is always sent through the mail.
