Citizenship
You may become a U.S. citizen either at birth or after birth. There are several ways to become a U.S. citizen. The basic ways are:
- Birth in the U.S.
- Acquisition of citizenship through birth to at least one U.S. citizen parent (under certain circumstances)
- Derivation of U.S. citizenship through naturalized parents
- Citizenship by Naturalization
- Usually you can become eligible for naturalization five years after acquiring permanent resident status. If you are currently married to a U.S. citizen and have been married to the same U.S. citizen for the last three years, you may apply for citizenship after only three years.