How to obtain US citizenship?

US citizenship can be obtained in three ways:

1. if at least one of the parents is a subject or a subject of that state;
2. by birth (if a person saw the light in the United States, even when both parents are foreigners);
3. by naturalization.

This last point is most interesting for our compatriots who have emigrated to an economically developed country and who dream of obtaining here all the rights of ordinary Americans.

The citizenship of the United States can be claimed by persons,who have reached the age of 18, and who have lived in the country for five years in the status of a resident. The new Act of Natsoborony from 2004 introduced significant benefits for those who served or serve in the Armed Forces of the state, as well as for members of their families. So, a person who has permanent residence in the States and only one year of seniority in the army can file a petition for naturalization. And the law exempts him from paying all sorts of fees for submitting questionnaires. Moreover, this Act of the Ministry of Defense allows to be naturalized even to those foreigners who do not have permanent residence status if they prove that they took part in combat operations as part of US troops in the Second World War, in the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts, or in operations "Shield of the Desert" and "Persistent Freedom".

Applicants for US citizenship apply to the ServiceCitizenship and Immigration package of necessary documents and completed form No.-400 (Application for Naturalization). Six months later (sometimes in 8-9 months) this state body takes the key decision for the applicant: whether to grant his request or to refuse. It is advisable to consult an independent lawyer before filling out the form and interviewing an officer of the Citizenship Service, who will tell you which documents to submit and help fill out the questionnaire.

In the event that your application for naturalizationreceived a refusal, you can submit documents for the citizenship of the United States again within 30 days from the date of refusal. To do this, you must fill in the form No. 336 (Request for revision of the decision), collect the necessary documents that prove the illegality of the refusal, and pay the fee. Within six months from the date of submission of this document, the Immigration Service is obliged to appoint a second interview. But even if this time you failed, you can try your luck by contacting the Federal District Court.

Many Russians who do not want to radicallybreak ties with the homeland, is interested in the question: is dual citizenship permitted in the US? It should be noted that for nationals of this state who already have a passport, this is allowed. Also, there will be no problems for those who have become an American by birth. However, persons who have gone through the process of naturalization may theoretically lose their newly acquired citizenship, if they do not renounce their previous citizenship.

At the ceremony of presenting the passport, new Americansthey take an oath, where, in particular, they promise to give up their old state allegiance. Therefore, it is impossible to have a dual US-Russia citizenship lawfully. However, in practice, the US State Department does not actively pursue those who have not kept their promises and continue to visit old friends and relatives under the Russian passport. In addition, in Russia such a person enjoys the same rights as all his former compatriots.