To become a citizen by naturalization, an immigrant must have had a “green card” for at least 5 years, or, if the immigrant is married to an American citizen, for at least 3 years, and the applicant must be able to prove that her or his domicile was in the United States, he or she must not have abandoned their LPR status.
While it is no problem to have left the U.S. for short trips abroad, longer absences from the U.S. tend to be a problem and may lead to denial of the citizenship application and revocation of the Green Card and eventually to deportation. Therefore we advise prospective applicants to let us research and prove the established domicile before applying for naturalization.
In addition, the alien must have been physically present in the U.S. prior to the filing of the application at least half the time of the residency.
The alien must have lived for at least 3 months in the district where the application is to be filed
The immigrant must support the democratic system and must be of favorable opinion towards the United States and must be willing to swear an oath upon the American constitution. He or she must be at least 18 years old, however, minors can be naturalized with their parent(s).
The immigrant must prove knowledge of English and of American history and the political and social system of the United States.