Requirements for U.S. Citizenship

     Since the Constitution was written, over forty-five million immigrants have flowed to the United States from all over the world.  Most of them have come hoping to attain full citizenship as "Americans."  This takes at least five years.  Here are the requirements:
  1. The applicant must be at least eighteen years old.
  2. The applicant must have proof that he or she entered the country lawfully.
  3. The applicant must have lived in the United States for five consecutive years (three years if the spouse of a citizen), and he or she must have lived for six months in the state in which the petition is filed.
  4. The applicant must be of good moral character, having two citizens to testify to the fact.  According to U.S. law, an alien is not considered to be of good moral character if he or she is a drunkard, an adulterer, a bigamist or polygamist (having two or more wives at the same time), a professional gambler, a convicted murderer, or if he or she has lied to the Immigration and Naturalization Service or has been in jail more than 180 days during his or her five years in the United States.
  5. The applicant must demonstrate a knowledge of the history and form of government of the United States and must be "attached to the principles of the Constitution."
  6. The applicant must demonstrate an understanding of the English language and be able to speak, read, and write words in common usage.  (The requirement is waived if the applicant has a handicap that does not permit him to do these things.)
     The declaration of intention is filed with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.  Sometimes an investigation is conducted.  Eventually the applicant is called in to be examined.  If the results are satisfactory, the applicant's file is sent to a court where the applicant can be sworn in as a citizen of the United States and receive a certificate of naturalization.  The oath of allegiance which every naturalized citizen must take is as follows:
    "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entrely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

     Once a person has been naturalized he or she has every civil right to which a "natural-born" American citizen is entitled--with one exception.  Only a natural-born citizen can serve as President or Vice President of the United States.

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