For an immigration aspirant to the United States of America getting a Green Card and becoming an American citizen, with rights, freedom as well as many benefits is like a dream come true! Those who are in a position to become a naturalized U S citizen can avail of the same rights and privileges that a natural born American citizen has, excepting one – a naturalized U S citizen is not eligible for the Office of the President of the United States!

WHAT IS NATURALIZATION AND WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GENERAL NATURALIZATION?

Naturalization is the process that a foreign citizen has to go through in order to become a citizen of the United States. There are certain requirements that need to be met before one becomes a U S citizen.

AGE: The immigrant for naturalization should be 18 years of age.

RESIDENCY: The immigrant should be a permanent resident (a green card should have been obtained) in order to be approved for citizenship.

PHYSICAL PRESENCE: The immigrant should have had 5 years as a lawful permanent resident in the United States prior to filing, with not a single absence from the United States of more than 1 year. Of the previous 5 years spent in the United States the immigrant should have been physically present for at least 30 months.

GOOD CHARACTER: The immigrant should have been able to prove that he or she has been a person of sound moral character.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE: The immigrant should be able to read, write and speak the English language.