Exact Answer: 18 To 24 Months
If you were born in any country, you are considered as the citizen of that particular nation, and your nationality is considered based on the nation only.
However, every person has the right to live in whatever country he or she wants to. However, you can go to any country by taking a Visa. But if you want to live in a country as a citizen of it, then it’s important to take the citizenship of that country.
Every country has its procedure to give citizenship to any person. So does the United States. Therefore, if you want to become a citizen of the United States, then you will have to follow the procedure it.
How Long Does It Take To Become A US Citizen?
Becoming a citizen of the United States is a huge procedure. Several documentary and non-documentary steps are supposed to be followed to become a citizen of the US.
Talking about the major steps that are included in the whole process of becoming a citizen of the US is firstly to just check the eligibility of gaining citizenship.
Once you are eligible for US citizenship, you are supposed to fill the application for naturalization form, also known as the N-400 form. This is the longest step among all other steps and getting your application verified, takes up to 13 to 14 months.
The next step is to attend the biometrics appointment. In this procedure, you will have to submit a photocopy of your pictures and other important documents. Getting an appointment to get your biometrics verified, takes up to one month.
The next step is to attend the interview. This is one of the last steps of the procedure and can take up to 2 to 3 months on average for completion.
The last step is to take the citizenship exam. It is mandatory to pass the exam with a minimum required percentage. Once you take the exam, you just have to wait for the decision to come. This whole process can take another 1 to 2 months.
After getting the exam passed, all you have to do is take the Oath of Allegiance and receive your certificate of US citizenship. Receiving the certificate can take up to another 1 to 2 months.
| Steps To Become A US Citizen | Time |
| Filling the form | 13 to 14 months |
| Biometrics appointment | Up to 1 month |
| Interview and exam | 4 to 5 months |
| Oath of allegiance | 1 to 2 months |
Why Does It Take That Long To Become A US Citizen?
The reason why it takes 18 to 24 months to get US citizenship is because of the long procedure. As we know a summary of all the steps of the procedure, here is a detailed version of each step and why it takes that long.
The first step, which is to submit the application form is the longest. The process can take a shorter or longer time depending upon your place. Moreover, you can speed up the process by adding supporting documents to your application and in the correct format.
The next step is the biometrics round which although takes a short time to get completed, getting the appointment takes longer. You can reduce the time by taking all the required documents and sending them to the USCIS as soon as possible.
The third step is the interview round. You will receive the date and letter in the mail. It is important to attend the interview in the required manner to get through this round. For a successful interview, you will have to attend the interview adequately, take all the required documents as asked.
The last step is the exam. In this exam, you will be tested on the subject of English and civics. In English, you will be tested about language. If by any chance you fail the test, you will still have the privilege to take a retest.
Conclusion
Becoming a citizen of the United States can take as long as 18 to 24 months. However, if you follow all the steps on time and with discipline, then you can reduce the period by 2 to 3 months.
For any information regarding the application form, or the interview round, or the exam, or anything related to the procedure, then you can look for the official website of the same and you will find all the relevant information about US citizenship.
References
- https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=b3zRDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA119&dq=US+citizenship&ots=vahBUgC8Hw&sig=nGUUqVt2lV5i-bSOfbBhK4jNrAo
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0163443704041180
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