In general, after 5 years of continuous "lawful permanent resident" status in the United States, at least 50% of which should be physically in the U.S., one may be eligible to file an N-400 application to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. For spouses of U.S. citizens, the applicable period of lawful permanent residence is reduced to 3 years.

A child born in the U.S. or of a U.S. citizen may be a U.S. citizen at birth, or by subsequent operation of law. In some circumstances this can be a complex area of U.S. citizenship law. We have a number of clients who did not realize they were U.S. citizens, or discovered they may be U.S. citizens and then either require proof in the form of a certificate of citizenship, or for various reasons require assistance to formally relinquish U.S. citizenship.

Grants of U.S. citizenship can only take place within the United States. However, special rules apply to military personnel and their dependents.

The processing time for naturalization or for a certificate of citizenship currently runs approximately 5 - 6 months nationwide.

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