How long does it take to obtain US citizenship?

get the American citizenship It is one of the greatest wishes of people who travel to the United States in search of a new home, a new job opportunity or simply to have the same rights as people born there. However, it is not an easy process and can take up to a year.

According to the experience gathered by those who have already carried out the procedure, getting the American citizenship It takes about six months. However, this information is related to the type of procedure and the delivery of documents, which in most cases tends to take longer.

In the same sense, the request can be made in two different ways: by birth, i.e. for people born abroad with one of the parents born in United States of America, or by naturalization, intended for those people born in another country, without family ties to the North American country. Both applications must go through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS), which approves or disapproves the process.

How to obtain US citizenship by acquisition?

THE American citizenship by acquisition is for children of a U.S. mother or father who were born overseas. This procedure can be done at birth and must be requested before the person is 18 years of age. The waiting time for this type of request depends entirely on a case-by-case basis., even if more than six months are estimated. Also, it is usually recommended to have an immigration attorney to expedite the process.

The primary requirement for this application is that, at the time of applying for citizenship, the child resides in the United States under the legal and physical custody of the United States citizen mother or father. Once the process is complete, USCIS will deliver the Consular Birth Certificate (CRBA).

“The Consular Certificate of Birth (CRBA) is an official document certifying the acquisition of US Citizenship through US citizen parents at the time of the child’s birth outside the United States of America,” explains the website of the US Embassy in Argentina.

How to obtain US citizenship by naturalization?

Although both procedures culminate in file delivery American citizenship, the naturalization process is more cumbersome and usually takes anywhere from six months to a year, as you must complete an application, which must be approved by USCIS, sit for an interview, and pass the exam in English and American history. Then, you have to take the oath of allegiance, and if everything is approved, you will receive your certificate.

However, the wait time will depend solely on positive responses from USCIS, as any error in the application will result in a significant delay in completing the process.

Once Form N-400, which ranges in value from $400 to $725 depending on the person’s income, is approved, USCIS will arrange for an appointment to be fingerprinted, followed by an interview and testing. English, which will serve to certify the data entered in the form.

In turn, whoever wishes to get the citizenship You must learn 100 questions about US history and government, of which 10 will be taken (passed with six). Then, there will be an English test to certify the level of written and spoken English and, if you pass it, you will just have to wait for the certificate to arrive.

Requirements for obtaining citizenship by naturalization

• Be 18 years of age or older Be a Green Card holder Have resided in the United States for the past five consecutive years For persons married to US citizens, the time is reduced to three years.
• Have a good level of written, reading and spoken English, although there are exceptions for people with disabilities and those over 50.
• Certify that you have lived for at least three consecutive months in the same state or district where you currently live Know the law in the United States.

Differences between US citizenship and the Green Card

One of the main requirements to be able to start the process is to have a Green Card. Although many confuse this identification document for non-US residents with citizenship, the latter has more rights and possibilities within the country. Here are the main differences between the two:

• The resident, who is the one who has the Green Card and not the citizenship, can only participate in local elections, while he is not allowed to do so in elections for president, senators and deputies.
• The citizen can be elected as a local, state or federal representative, but a resident cannot.
• The citizen can live abroad for the number of years he wishes, without having any kind of discomfort when returning to the United States. For his part, the resident may lose the Green Card if he does not submit an exceptional request to leave the country for a certain period of time.
• Citizens do not lose their documents in the event of a crime being committed, while residents could lose their green card and even be expelled from the country.