Naturalization is the legal process by which a foreign citizen can acquire U.S. citizenship. The legal basis for this is provided by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the central U.S. citizenship law, passed by the U.S. Congress, that sets all essential immigration and naturalization rules. Responsible for carrying out the naturalization process is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a federal agency of the Department of Homeland Security.

To obtain U.S. citizenship through naturalization, applicants generally must meet the following requirements:

The applicant must prove that they have continuously resided in the U.S. for a specific period. Generally, this is five years As the holder of a permanent resident card (Green Card). Extended stays abroad, generally more than six months at a time, can interrupt this continuous stay and jeopardize the application.

The applicant must, prior to submitting the application, have at least three months have resided in the state or USCIS district where the petition is filed. This is for proper jurisdictional assignment within the federal agency.

Applicants must be able to speak English. to read, to write, and to speak. This ability will be tested during a personal interview with a USCIS officer. Exceptions apply to older applicants or individuals with certain physical or mental disabilities.

In the naturalization interview, knowledge of American history and the political system will also be tested. The so-called Civics Test includes 100 questions, of which the applicant must answer at least 6 out of 10 randomly selected questions correctly. Topics include the U.S. Constitution, the three branches of government, U.S. history, and fundamental civic values.

Applicants must demonstrate that they have a morally impeccable character own. In practice, this means that no serious prior convictions may exist. Certain offenses, such as drug crimes, fraud, or offenses that have resulted in a prison sentence of five years or more, can lead to a permanent denial. Generally, the period of the last five years (and three years for spouses of U.S. citizens) will be examined.

The applicant must adhere to the principles and ideals of the United States Constitution accept and be prepared to support them. This includes the willingness to be loyal to the state and, if necessary, to perform military or civilian service. This commitment is demonstrated by the Oath of Allegiance (Oath of Allegiance) formally sealed, which is taken at the end of the naturalization process.

In addition to formally accepting the Constitution, a generally positive attitude toward the United States and its democratic values is also expected. Applicants who belong to or have belonged to extremist organizations may be excluded from naturalization.

Specific rules exist for certain groups of people, such as relatives and military personnel.

Spouses of U.S. citizens can be naturalized under facilitated conditions: the required period of residence is reduced to three years, provided the marriage continues during this time and the spouse remains a U.S. citizen.

For the substantive assessment, i.e., who inherits what, it is crucial which inheritance law applies. The decisive factor is the law of Nationality of the deceased at the time of his death. This means that for a US citizen, usually US inheritance law applied.

Certain children automatically acquire U.S. citizenship when a parent is naturalized or is already a U.S. citizen, depending on whether the child was born in the U.S. or abroad and whether they possess lawful permanent resident status.

US immigration laws are subject to regular changes by Congress, as well as by policy decisions of the current administration. Therefore, it is advisable to always consult current information on the official USCIS Website to review as well as to seek legal counsel from an attorney (Immigration Attorney) before filing an application.