How Long Does It Take To Get Citizenship

How long does it take to get citizenship?

For the purposes of this article we are going to take a little look at how long does it take to get a citizenship in the United States of America. Bear in mind that there may be differences between countries, but if you are looking to become a citizen in the United States then this article will provide all of the answers that you need!

The first stage is knowing when you can apply for American Citizenship. Remember, just because you are a legal resident in the United States does not mean that you can apply to be a citizen straight away. In fact, there is a fairly long waiting process.

If you have held your Green Card for at least five years then you will be ably to apply for United States Citizenship, providing you have the ability to pass the important tests at least. If you have obtained a green card by marrying a resident of the United States then you will only need to wait three years before you can apply for your citizenship. You can start to fill out your application form around 90 days before your ‘waiting’ period is up, so keep a track of when you arrived in the country.

The next step is mailing off your application to the local office. This is a process that can take anywhere up to 18 months to complete, although the norm seems to be around six months. It does seem that the busier the office, the longer the application will take to process. Remember, sometimes you may have a bit more of a difficult application, for example, if you are incapable of taking the required tests, or if you can’t demonstrate that you are of good moral character. Normally both of them are vital if you want to obtain your citizenship, although in some cases the person reading your application will make an exception.

The next stage is waiting for your paperwork to be checked and mailed back to you, as mentioned before, this can take anywhere up to 18 months to complete, some people have experienced delays of up to two years! When you receive your letter back you will be given a time and a date that you need to attend an interview and a test center. This is where further checks will be carried out on your eligibility to become a United States Citizen.

The next step is actually taking the tests and interview. This date can be many months into the future, again, it depends on how busy the office currently is at that time. The tests and the interview are normally completed on the same day, and therefore don’t take too long. The test will look into how well you know your English and the History of the country. You have to pass these tests in order to become a citizen. The interview will ask questions about your application.

Finally, you will receive a date (a couple of months down the line) for when you are going to be sworn in as a citizen of the United States. All in all, to answer how long does it take to get citizenship the process could take anywhere from 6 months up to 2 years, it really does depend on the area that you live in.