Naturalization is the process by which United States citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen or national after he or she has fulfilled the requirements established by Congress. Once a person naturalizes the applicant becomes a citizen of the United States. The basic requirements for naturalization are as follows:
- The Applicant must be: at least 18 years old
- The Applicant must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. (i.e. possess a green card).
- Immediately preceding the filing of the application, the applicant must:
i. have resided continuously as a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. for at least 5 years (or three if permanent residence was acquired through marriage to a US citizen) prior to filing;
ii. have been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the previous five years (absences of more than six months but less than one year break the continuity of residence unless the applicant can establish that he or she did not abandon his or her residence during such period); and,
iii. has resided within a state or district for at least three months
If you would like more information about your naturalization options please send a request to:
Leibl and Kirkwood PC
12250 El Camino Real, Suite 350
San Diego, CA 92130
Tel. (858) 481-5211
Fax. (858) 481-7271