Eligibility
Eligibility Requirements
- Be at least 18 years of age at the time of Application.
- Have been a lawful permanent resident for the past five (5) years or if married to a US citizen, has been married and living with the US citizen spouse for at least 3 years.
- Have continuous residence and physical presence in the US.
- Have lived within the state or USCIS district where you claim residence for at least 3 mo. prior to filing.
NOTE:
Living with the US citizen for 3 years. To qualify, the applicant must be living with the US citizen spouse for at least 3 years at the time of filing. If you are a widow/er or if your US citizen spouse died pending your application, you need to comply with the 5-yr continuous physical presence to apply.
Derivative Children
Derivative Children. Will they automatically derive citizenship?
- Below 18 Years old at the Time of Parent’s naturalization
- Automatically derives US citizenship through parents at the time of the parent’s naturalization.
- Must be a legal permanent resident at the time of naturalization.
- NOTE: Children outside the US may be eligible for citizenship if they entered the US as immigrants and are below 18 years old at the time of parent’s naturalization.
- 18 Years old and above.
- Must apply for citizenship on their own either after 5 years of continuous physical presence in the US or 3 years if through marriage to a US citizen
Processing Time
Processing Time. Processing times of naturalization interviews depends on various factors including but not limited to local office location, office caseload, etc. Generally, citizenship interviews may happen between 6 -9 months from filing. It may be faster or longer. USCIS publishes naturalization (N-400) processing time every month through the USCIS portal.
To assess your initial eligibility, both the USC Petitioner and Beneficiary may complete these questionnaires.
