Once entering the USA with a Green Card or Permanent Resident status, one has the option of becoming a US citizen. For many, this is a long sought after goal. Others choose to remain a green card holder.
https://my.uscis.gov/citizenship/what_to_expect
For my wife and our family, we wanted her to receive US citizenship as soon as possible. Both of our children our dual citizens, holding a passport from both the USA and the Dominican Republic. When my wife entered the USA, she only had her Dominican citizenship. For her and the kids to always be able to move freely together, it was best for her to also have a US passport.
I will include many screenshots related to the process of pursuing citizenship. In our case, because I am an American citizen, she, as my spouse, could apply for US citizenship after three years. So, the clock started ticking on March 15, 2022.
She would have the right to apply for US citizenship as of March 15, 2025. In fact, you can submit the all-important N-400 application 90 days prior to that. We applied as soon as possible, which I believe was December 16th, 2024. We knew the presidential elections were fast approaching and the ability to obtain citizenship might be impacted by the outcome of that election. Indeed, since the election, applying for citizenship has become more difficult and more expensive. We wanted to have our papers in before they could somehow be affected.
During the three years before applying for citizenship, it is critical to be in the country a certain number of days. You also need to inform the USCIS if you ever change addresses within the USA. Your taxes must be filed appropriately. When you do eventually apply for citizenship, you will need to submit many documents that will verify that you and your spouse indeed have a legitimate relationship. Our situation seemed pretty obvious, having been married 13 years by the time of application and also having two children. Our relationship seemed easy to prove. Still, we had to submit all of our tax records for several years, all bank accounts with both names on them, utility bills, house contracts and more. Of course, marriage certificates, birth certificates, divorce decrees and other documents were required as well. We made sure that Denny had a Driver’s license in the State of Washington to prove her residency.
The N-400 is a somewhat lengthy form. I will provide a link and screenshots of the pages. We could fill it out ourselves, but also worked with a local office that helped people with the forms at a reasonable fee of hundreds of dollars. It was nice to work with someone highly familiar with the process. I recommend locating something like that wherever you live instead of going with an expensive lawyer.
While awaiting the eventual interview, it is important to study for the civics exam and interview. You need to be prepared to answer any and all questions related to your application. They since have added more questions, but Denny had to study for a test of 100 questions. She had to learn about our government, the Constitution, the history of the country, amendments to the Constitution, the many wars we have fought, the presidents, the geography and much more. She knows more about the USA than most of the citizens.
Denny took a great course offered free by Goodwill.
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/100q.pdf
https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/study-for-the-test
Once the N-400 application is received, reviewed and approved, we were contacted to drive to Seattle to do the biometric portion of the process in which fingerprints are taken, etcetera.
https://my.uscis.gov/citizenship/what_to_expect
Then comes the interview, which happened months after. The biometric appointment was in February and the interview the first of July. As with the application for the green card, much of this is a waiting game with no definitive information of when it will end. This can create some anxiety.
Our appointment was at 7:30 AM, so we stayed in a nearby hotel to be sure we did not arrive tired and or late. It was a bit stressful as this was during the same time period when ICE was detaining people all around the area, sometimes illegitimately. It was a scary time. She did not leave the house much in the months prior to the interview due to the behavior of ICE in the area. On the day of the interview, I checked the parking lot for suspicious vehicles or masked agents. My older daughter came with us in case something happened to my wife and I and then she could take care of our young twins.
Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America
Oath
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”
Thankfully, the interview went very well with a handful of questions. Following the interview, we were fortunate enough to be able to take the oath an hour later in the same building.
Denny had to hand over her green card and she received her certificate of Naturalization, making her an official citizen of the USA. We did have to await the official document in the mail. We then, as quickly as possible, applied for a passport and what is called a Real ID license for the State of Washington.
Due to the abysmal treatment of dark-skinned people that speak with an accent, she always carries documents with her now. Hopefully in the future, the country will come back to its senses and fear will dissipate.
For now, we are thrilled that she has her US Passport and citizenship.
Jim's Travel Culture and History Blog 
One thought on “The Pathway to US Citizenship”