How to become a U.S. citizen (step by step)
For a lawful permanent resident, becoming a U.S. citizen runs through one application — Form N-400 — and four milestones: filing, biometrics, the interview with its two tests, and the Oath of Allegiance. This page walks the whole path with every factual claim cited to a primary source. It describes the process in general terms only; it is not advice about any individual case.
The path in one view
Naturalization is: file Form N-400 → attend biometrics if scheduled → interview with an officer, including the English and civics tests → and, on approval, the Oath of Allegiance at a ceremony, where the Certificate of Naturalization is issued. Everything else in the process supports those four milestones.
The general requirements
In general, an applicant must be at least 18 and a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years — 3 years for certain applicants married to and living with a U.S. citizen. The requirements also generally include continuous residence, at least 30 months of physical presence, 3 months of residence in the state or USCIS district of filing, good moral character, basic English, knowledge of U.S. history and government, and attachment to the Constitution. Each has exceptions and accommodations described in the USCIS Policy Manual, and USCIS permits filing up to 90 days before the continuous-residence requirement is complete.
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What it costs
The N-400 filing fee is $760 on paper or $710 online under the current G-1055 schedule, with a documented reduced fee of $380 (paper only) and no fee for military-provision applicants — and no separate biometric fee. Attorney fees for naturalization, for those who hire one, run roughly $1,000–$2,500; guided self-filing with Pop Immigration starts at $197 one-time. The full cost breakdown has its own page in the related guides. USCIS fees change periodically — before filing, verify current amounts on the official USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) at uscis.gov/g-1055.
The interview and the two tests
The interview covers the application and the two tests: English (reading, writing, speaking) and civics. Exemptions and accommodations exist for certain applicants, and USCIS publishes free official study materials for both tests — the civics questions are public.
The oath — where citizenship actually happens
Approval is not the finish line: an applicant becomes a U.S. citizen upon taking the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony, and the Certificate of Naturalization is issued there. Along the way, case status is trackable online and USCIS publishes current processing-time estimates; this page does not claim any specific timeframe.
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What form starts the citizenship process?
Form N-400, Application for Naturalization — $760 on paper or $710 online under the current schedule, with reduced-fee and military categories. Fees change — verify at uscis.gov/g-1055.
How long must someone be a permanent resident first?
Generally 5 years — 3 years for certain applicants married to and living with a U.S. citizen — with filing permitted up to 90 days before the continuous-residence requirement completes.
What is on the citizenship test?
An English test (reading, writing, speaking) and a civics test, given at the interview, with published free study materials and defined exemptions.
When does citizenship actually begin?
At the Oath of Allegiance — an approved applicant becomes a citizen at the ceremony, where the Certificate of Naturalization is issued.
Is a lawyer required?
No form requires one. Attorneys for naturalization typically run $1,000–$2,500 and are the right call for complex situations — criminal history, prior removal proceedings, prior denials. Straightforward cases are what guided self-filing is built for.