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Lawful permanent residents of the United States may be eligible to apply for
Naturalization. The following are the general requirements necessary to become
a Naturalized Citizen of the United States. However, there can be some
exceptions.
General requirements for Naturalization are:
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You must be at least 18 years of age;
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You must be a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States;
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You have resided continuously in the United States for at least
five years after having been lawfully admitted for permanent residence;
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You have been physically present in the United States for at least
30 months of the five years preceding the filing of your application;
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You have resided for at least three months in the State or the District
of the BCIS where the application is filed;
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You have resided continuously in the United States from the date of
application for Naturalization up to the time of admission to Citizenship;
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You have been a person of good moral character for at least five years
preceding the date of filing the application; and
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You have not deserted the United States armed forces, nor are you a person
who departed the United States to avoid service in the United States armed forces.
Please note: The burden is on the applicant to establish that he or she
meets all the requirements for Naturalization, including that they were lawfully admitted for
residence in the United States.
Exceptions to filing requirements:
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If an applicant is married to a United States Citizen, the applicant may apply for
Naturalization after being admitted for lawful permanent residence for three years
instead of five;
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A person may waive the literacy requirements under the following circumstances:
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If the applicant is at least 50 years of age and has been admitted to lawful
permanent resident status for at least 20 years; or
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If the applicant is at least 55 years of age and has been admitted to lawful
permanent resident status for at least 15 years.
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If the applicant has medical problems precluding him from completing the examinations
in literacy and government successfully, as certified by a medical doctor, and the
medical condition that afflicts the applicant will last longer than 12 months, the
examinations on literacy requirements and knowledge of history and government of the
United States shall be waived.
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