What is the path to U.S. citizenship?

The path to U.S. citizenship differs based on how the individual became a lawful permanent resident. If the individual became a permanent resident through a family member, they must have an approved immigrant visa petition and an immigrant visa number before they can apply to become a U.S. citizen. The individual must also be at least 18 years old and must have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years. They need to have resided in the U.S. for at least 3 months before filing the application. If the individual obtained a green card through employment, they too must have an approved immigrant visa petition and an immigrant visa number before they can apply to become a U.S. citizen. The individual must be at least 18 years old and must have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years. They need to have resided in the U.S. for at least 30 months before filing the application. For those who are already U.S. citizens and want to apply for citizenship for their children, the child must be under 18 years of age and must have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen. However, if the child is 18 years of age or older, they must apply for citizenship through a process called “derivation” where they request citizenship through their parent’s naturalization. In Washington, you can apply for U.S. citizenship by filling out Form N-400, which is available from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You must also submit documents proving your identity and proof that you are a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident, as well as a processing fee of $700. After the application is submitted, you may be invited for an interview and potentially a citizenship test. Once the application has been approved, the individual is then asked to take the Oath of Allegiance and is granted U.S. citizenship.

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El camino a la ciudadanía estadounidense es un proceso largo y complejo. En general, hay tres pasos principales que debe tomar una persona para obtener la ciudadanía de EE. UU. Primero, la persona debe obtener un estatus de residencia permanente. Esto puede ser a través de una petición familiar presentada por un pariente ciudadano o un patrocinador de empleo, a través de una lotería de visas de inmigrantes o a través de una solicitud de asilo a través de un juicio de inmigración. Una vez que una persona obtiene el estatus de residencia permanente, el segundo paso es solicitar la ciudadanía. Este proceso puede tomar algunos meses, pero eventualmente se le darán los documentos para completar. Estos documentos requerirán que los solicitantes proporcionen información como prueba de su estatus legal, organizaciones a las que han pertenecido, historial laboral y otros detalles. El último paso es una entrevista con el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos (USCIS). Durante esta entrevista, los solicitantes deben demostrar conocimiento de los deberes y privilegios de la ciudadanía estadounidense. Si el USCIS aprobó el proceso, el último paso es la jura de lealtad a los Estados Unidos y la ceremonia de ciudadanía.

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What is the path to U.S. citizenship?

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