What are citizenship and naturalization?
• Citizenship An individual becomes a U.S. citizen by birth, adoption by U.S. citizen parents, or through naturalization. A U.S. citizen has the right to live and work in the United States, hold public office (except the office of president), vote, and enjoy many other freedoms. • Naturalization An immigrant who wants to become a U.S. citizen must go through the naturalization process. Permanent Residency There are many ways to obtain the status of Lawful Permanent Resident. In general, preliminary steps to qualify a person for naturalization usually begin with obtaining an immigrant visa. Many types of immigrant visas are available. However, the most common visas are family or employment based. Immigrant visas are one means of entering and staying in the United States indefinitely with the ability to engage in lawful employment. Entering as a refugee or seeking asylum are other types of legal status. If an individual has been in the United States for more than 10 years, they may quali
