{"id":5570,"date":"2021-09-26T13:17:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-26T18:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/?p=5570"},"modified":"2026-04-07T16:28:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T21:28:04","slug":"steps-to-becoming-a-naturalized-citizen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/steps-to-becoming-a-naturalized-citizen\/","title":{"rendered":"Steps to Becoming a Naturalized Citizen"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Someone can become a United States citizen through birth, derivation through the naturalization of a parent, or through naturalization. Naturalizations are overseen by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. To apply for naturalization, you must be a minimum of 18 years of age and a <a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/services\/immigration-lawyers-chicago\/permanent-residency\/\">Legal Permanent Resident<\/a> (LPR or green card) in the U.S. for at least five years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s also beneficial to have representation from an experienced Illinois immigration attorney as you navigate this often complex process.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 1: Determine If Your United States Citizenship Status<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you aren&#8217;t currently a U.S. citizen, go to the next step.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 2: Determine Your Eligibility To Become A U.S. Citizen Through Naturalization<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Study the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/document\/guides\/M-480.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">naturalization eligibility worksheet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help you determine if you are eligible to apply for naturalization. This worksheet will ask questions about your:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Age<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marital status<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previous military service, if applicable,<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential disabilities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Status in the United States<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ability to read and speak English<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you&#8217;ve been in and out of the United States<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moral character<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Step 3: Complete <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/document\/forms\/n-400.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Form N-400<\/a>, The Application For Naturalization<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an in-depth application with many sections and questions. An <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illinois immigration attorney<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help you with this tedious and tiring task, ensuring that it is accurately and completely filled out. You will also need to submit the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscis.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/document\/guides\/M-477.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">required documents<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 4: Submit Your Completed Form N-400 And Pay The Applicable Fee<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, the government charges $725 to file your Form N-400, including $640 for processing and $85 for biometrics services. Take note that both are non-refundable whether the application is approved or denied. However, some applicants are eligible for a waiver or reduction of the fees.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 5: Attend Biometrics Appointment, If Required<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USCIS will send you a notice that includes your biometrics appointment date, time, and location if you need biometrics. Be sure you arrive at the correct location at your scheduled time. Allow your biometrics to be taken.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 6: Go To The Interview<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once all the preliminary processes are complete, USCIS will contact you to schedule an interview to complete the <a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/services\/immigration-lawyers-chicago\/citizenship-and-naturalization\/\">naturalization process<\/a>. Once scheduled, you need to report to the appropriate USCIS office at the correct date and time. Don&#8217;t forget to bring your appointment notice with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 7: Obtain A Decision From Uscis On Your Form N-400<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You will receive a notice of decision from the USCIS. If you filed your N-400 online, you will also be able to access the electronic notice through your account. The decision will be one of the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Granted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014if the evidence in your record proves that you are eligible for U.S. naturalization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Continued<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014USCIS may continue your application if you:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are required to provide additional evidence\/documentation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fail to provide USCIS the correct documents<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fail your English and\/or civics test the first time you take it<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Denied<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014 if the evidence in your record establishes you aren&#8217;t eligible for naturalization.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 8: Get A Notice To Take The Oath Of Allegiance<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your naturalization application is approved, you may be able to participate in a naturalization ceremony on the same day as your interview. Otherwise, you will receive a USCIS notification with the date, time, and location of your ceremony. If you filed your application online, you may also view the electronic notice in your application.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 9: Take The Oath Of Allegiance To The United States<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You aren&#8217;t a United States citizen until you attend a naturalization ceremony and take the Oath of Allegiance. To do this, you must:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fill out the questionnaire Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony on Form N-445<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Show up at your naturalization ceremony and check in with a USCIS officer who will review your responses on your Form N-445.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give the office your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take the Oath of Allegiance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You will then receive your Certificate of Naturalization. You should review it thoroughly and notify USCIS if there are any errors on the certificate before you leave the ceremony site.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Step 10: Understand Your U.S. Citizenship<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s essential to understand the rights and responsibilities you now have as a naturalized American citizen. All U.S. citizens are connected by a common thread and should honor, respect, and exercise these rights and responsibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Call an Experienced Illinois Immigration Lawyer<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have questions about the naturalization process or anything else concerning U.S. immigration, reach out to an Illinois immigration attorney at our firm. At Kriezelman Burton &amp; Associates, we serve immigration clients in Chicago, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/contact\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> us for your no-obligation consultation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Someone can become a United States citizen through birth, derivation through the naturalization of a parent, or through naturalization. Naturalizations are overseen by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). To apply for naturalization, you must be a minimum of 18 years of age and a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR or green card) in the &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/steps-to-becoming-a-naturalized-citizen\/\" class=\"more-link\">Seguir leyendo<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u00abSteps to Becoming a Naturalized Citizen\u00bb<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":5571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"2normal","footnotes":""},"categories":[34,1],"tags":[161,260,69,168,72],"class_list":["post-5570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family_based_immigration","category-immigration-law","tag-citizenship-lawyer","tag-form-n-400","tag-naturalization","tag-naturalization-application","tag-naturalization-attorney","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5570"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11828,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5570\/revisions\/11828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}