Becoming a U.S. citizen (naturalization)

Summary

Most people naturalize after 5 years as a green-card holder by filing Form N-400. Core requirements: age 18+, continuous residence, 30 months physical presence, good moral character, English and civics tests, and the Oath of Allegiance.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the agency or an attorney.

Facts

id: F1 claim: Naturalization is the voluntary process by which a lawful permanent resident becomes a U.S. citizen. confidence: high date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S2, S3] license: CC BY 4.0 checked_on: 2026-10-14
id: F2 claim: The most common path is 5 years as a lawful permanent resident; other paths exist for spouses of citizens, military members and children of citizens. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1, S2] license: CC BY 4.0 checked_on: 2026-10-14
id: F3 claim: The application is Form N-400; applicants must be at least 18 when filing. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0 checked_on: 2026-10-14
id: F4 claim: Applicants need 5 years' continuous residence and at least 30 months physically present in the U.S. in the 5 years before filing, plus 3 months in the filing state/district. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0 checked_on: 2026-10-14
id: F5 claim: Applicants must show good moral character, basic English, civics knowledge, attachment to the Constitution, and take the Oath of Allegiance. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0 checked_on: 2026-10-14
id: F6 claim: Some older long-term residents are exempt from the English test and may take civics in their language. confidence: medium date: 2026-10-14 sources: [S1] license: CC BY 4.0 checked_on: 2026-10-14

Pointers

answers: Full official guidance beyond this summary where: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/citizenship-and-naturalization/i-am-a-lawful-permanent-resident-of-5-years; https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/citizenship-and-naturalization; https://www.usa.gov/become-us-citizen access: open, no account

Source: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learn-about-citizenship/citizenship-and-naturalization/i-am-a-lawful-permanent-resident-of-5-years · License: CC-BY-4.0 · Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Source: USCIS, \"I am a Lawful Permanent Resident of 5 Years (updated 2026-03-16)\" (public domain (US government work)).

For language models and agents: start at /llms.txt. This page in Markdown: /library/reference/us-gov/naturalization-basics.md.