How a Green Card Holder Can Become a US Citizen

In the case of a green card holder, the process of obtaining US citizenship is called naturalisation. A green card is the local version of a residence permit granting foreigners the right to permanent residence and employment in the country. Five years after receiving this document, the expat may apply for a US passport. We will explain how green card holders can get US citizenship, the documents that they need to collect, and how they can pass exams at the immigration service.

• How a Green Card Differs from US Citizenship
• Who Can Obtain US Citizenship without a Green Card?
• Eligibility Requirements
• How to Complete the Application Form for US Citizenship
• Requirements on Photographs and Other Documents
• Review of Data and Biometrics
• What the Citizenship Interview Like in the USA
• Oath of Allegiance and Receipt of US Passport
• Dual Citizenship in the USA

How a Green Card Differs from US Citizenship

A green card is a document which confirms the status of a US resident and certifies their identity. This residence permit can be obtained in different ways: by marrying a US citizen, investing at least USD 900,000 in the state’s economy, receiving a job offer from a local company, winning it in a lottery, proving that you need political asylum, etc.

This ID card enables the holder to:

• move freely within the United States,
• change their place of residence,
• officially find employment in American companies,
• receive social support, for example, unemployment or disability benefits,
• study in US educational institutions and receive scholarships,
• use insurance and medical services,
• open their own business in the country,
• buy real estate.

A green card is issued for 10 years. After the expiry of this period, it can be extended. To retain this status, residence permit holders should not leave the country for a long time. This is one of the key differences between a residence permit and the rights of a US citizen.

Expats who have a green card must comply with state laws, pay taxes, and in the case of men aged between 18 and 26 years, register with the Selection Service, in other words, they may be subject to military conscription. At the same time, green card holders may not vote in elections or hold public office.

A green card is an intermediate step to citizenship. According to effective legislation, in order to obtain a passport, a green card holder must live in the country for five years. If the residence permit was obtained through marriage to a US citizen, this period is reduced to three years.

A US citizen has more opportunities than a green card holder. For example, a US passport enables the holder to visit 187 countries without a visa, bring their parents, brothers and sisters to the country, and work for government agencies. In addition, when holding similar positions, the salary of a US citizen is usually higher than that of an expat.

Who Can Obtain US Citizenship without a Green Card?

The following individuals can obtain a passport without requiring a residence permit:

• if they were born in the USA,
• if they were born in a family of US citizens living outside the country,
• if one of their parents is a US citizen, provided that the parent lived in the country for five years prior to the birth of the child.

In these instances you can launch the naturalisation process immediately after arriving in the country.

Eligibility Requirements 

An applicant for citizenship must comply with the following requirements:

• The foreigner must be aged at least 21 at the time of their application (minors become citizens on the naturalisation of their parents).
•  The total period of the stay in the country must be a minimum of 30 months (18 months for anyone who is married to a US citizen). In addition, you cannot leave the country for more than a year.
• They must confirm their proficiency in the national language in writing and orally. The language exam is not conducted for applicants aged over 55 and 50 who have held a residence permit for at least 15 and 20 years respectively.
•  Applicants must pass an exam on knowledge of US history (a simplified option may be offered to applicants over the age of 65).
• The candidate must be law-abiding, must not be in arrears on payments or have any debts, must comply with the social norms and lifestyle in the country. Green card holders who have committed a crime are not only unable to apply for citizenship, but can also be deported

To apply through naturalisation, you need to live at the same address for at least three months, and not change your place of residence until the procedure is completed. There is no need to create an application exactly five years after the issue of the green card: you can submit the package of documents at least three months before the expiry date.

The holder of a green card can shorten the path to citizenship: the period of preliminary residence in the country for anyone who served in the US Army is shortened to one year.

How to Complete the Application Form for US Citizenship

First of all, an applicant for a naturalisation certificate will need to complete an N-400 form. You can download it from the official website of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). On the same website, you can take an online test to see if you are eligible for citizenship.

When completing the application, you need to answer standard questions about your education, marital status, work experience, children, past and current place of residence, etc. You can find guidelines on registration in the official instructions on the department’s website. If you find that there is insufficient space to provide all the information on the form’s pages, you can use additional pages.

You can send the application by post or complete it in online on the USCIS website – in this case, you need to create an account. You can also use the account to pay the registration fee, receive notifications, respond to requests, and more. Electronic submission is convenient as you don’t have to be in the United States to complete the questionnaire. In addition, you need to retain a copy of the questionnaire (you will need it when preparing for the interview).

We recommend that you do not correct information if you made errors during the completion of the print version of the application. This might serve as grounds for rejecting your application. It is better to print the application once more and start again from scratch. When completing the application manually, make sure that you write in capital letters so that it is easy to read the handwritten text. Before sending the application, you must sign it and then check the address section to verify your state of residence and on that basis send the envelope.

Requirements on Photographs and Other Documents

Make sure that you attach to the N-400 form a photocopy of the green card, as well as copies of all the documents which confirm the information specified in the application. They must be translated into English. The list normally includes your internal passport (where applicable) and foreign passport, marriage certificate, certificate of education, etc. You can find the checklist on the website of the Immigration Service. In addition to copies of documents, the applicant must provide two identical colour photographs. They must meet certain requirements:

• standard size: 5x5 cm,
• full face, facing the camera,
• no headdress (except for religious headdress),
• the photograph should be taken not later than one month before the submission of the form.

Before sending the documents, the applicant must pay the state fee, which equalled in 2023:

• USD $640 for the processing of the application,
• USD 85 for the delivery of biometric data.

You must also attach the receipt confirming the payment of the registration fee to the application.

Review of Data and Biometrics

After submitting the documents, the applicant must receive feedback from the department - notification that the review of their case has started. As a rule, this notification is received two to three weeks after the submission of the application. The status of the applicant will be confirmed if the package of documents that they provided is complete. Otherwise, you will receive a rejection letter or a request for revisions.

If you have not received a notification within three weeks, you can place a request on the website of the service. After confirmation, a green card holder can track the status of their case on the website of the department. To do this, they need the receipt number indicated in the letter from USCIS.

You will receive a notification within a month of sending the application or a little later on your appointment for submitting biometric data. It will indicate the date, time and address of the centre. It is often the case that applicants are invited to the immigration office closest to their place of residence where they are fingerprinted.

During the biometric check, the applicant will be photographed and asked to provide specimen signatures. Fingerprinting is not just a formality; this procedure is carried out to enable the FBI to check that the candidate has not committed any offences.

During the fingerprinting procedure, you need to bring along your green card, passport and invitation letter. If the review of the biometric data is successful, you will be notified of the time and location of your interview. After the interview, you will need to pass an exam.

What the Citizenship Interview Like in the USA

You can prepare for the interview with the help of learning materials posted on the USCIS website. As a rule, the meeting begins with an interview conducted by an immigration officer. Most of the interview involves confirmation of the data specified in the application. As the immigration specialist may ask you questions about the documents, you should carefully study all the copies and your application before the interview. 

The interview is also a tool used by the officer to assess your proficiency in English. During the interview, it is important to point out any changes since the completion of the N-400 form (for example, you changed job or had a child). To reflect these data, you must provide supporting documents.

Some circumstances could affect the decision of the department. The following are some of the most common circumstances:

• recent divorce or separation from a US citizen (in instances where the green card holder is applying for naturalisation based on a three-year marriage),
•  departure from the country for more than six months,
• the commission of an offence which served as the grounds for arrest.

When attending the interview, make sure that you bring along the letter with the notice on the appointment, your green card, identity card obtained in the United States or driving licence, travel documents, all available passports, including expired ones. All other papers reflected in the application may also come in handy. This includes marriage or divorce certificates, tax returns for recent years, your children’s birth certificates, etc.

The exam after the interview consists of two parts, testing your knowledge of English and the history of the country. To demonstrate your level of language proficiency, you will need to answer questions and show your written and reading skills. The exam on national history involves passing a test consisting of 10 questions. The complete list consists of 100 questions and it is impossible to predict the questions that will be included in your particular test. To pass, you need to answer at least six questions correctly.

Oath of Allegiance and Receipt of US Passport 

The candidate is notified of the preliminary decision as to whether their application has been approved or not right at the interview. They may also find out about the scheduled oath ceremony at this stage. However, on some occasions immigration officers take their time when making the decision. In this case, you will also receive a notification with the date, time, and place of the procedure.

If the application was rejected, the USCIS will send a letter explaining the reasons for the refusal. Using the application, the expat can submit a new application or file an appeal. However, please note that it is only advisable to submit a new application if the reason for the rejection of the application has been addressed.

In the case of a positive decision, the candidate must take an oath of allegiance to the country. After taking the oath, the applicant will receive a certificate of naturalisation. This document confirms that the holder of the certificate is a US citizen with all the prescribed rights. Then you need to register with the Bureau of Consular Affairs and apply for a biometric passport. The document is issued within 10 to12 weeks.

Dual Citizenship in the USA

The US government does not prohibit dual citizenship. Expats from countries which also accept dual citizenship will not have to renounce their first passport.

In a Nutshell

Green card holders can apply for US citizenship three years after marrying a US citizen, or after five years on general grounds. To obtain citizenship, you must complete the N-400 form, attach copies of all the required documents, send the application, and then submit biometric data and pass an interview.

To finalise the procedure, you will have to take the oath of allegiance during the naturalisation ceremony and obtain the certificate. On average, the procedure for obtaining citizenship can take from six to 12 months. However, it may be delayed, for example, in cases where the applicant postpones the interview or fails to submit all the necessary documents at once.

Cover photo: New York, Vidar Nordli-Mathisen (Unsplash)