The United States has multiple opportunities available for people from other countries to gain citizenship. The ways of gaining citizenship can either be done by birth or naturalization. Birth is the most common way to gain citizenship, but there are also other ways. Naturalization is any citizenship besides birth. Some naturalized citizens say that turning an F1 to green card is the easiest way. However, those looking to gain citizenship can determine which way will work best for them.
1. Being Born In The United States
It’s as simple as it sounds. A person who is born in the U.S. or in U.S. territories is subject to citizenship. Also, a person who is born with 1 or 2 parents who are citizens at the time of birth will be subject to citizenship. This is the most common, and simplest way to gain citizenship. In 2021, the American Community Survey estimated that there were 310.7M citizens and 21.2M noncitizens in the U.S. About 281.1M of those citizens were born in the U.S.
2. Marry A United States Citizen
A person falls in love with a U.S. citizen and gets married. Once married, this will give them the eligibility to adjust their status to become a U.S. citizen themselves. However, this is not the easiest process. It would make it easier for the person if they had an F1 Visa and were studying in the U.S. while they fell in love with their partner. It’s an F1 to green card kind of situation that makes it look less sketchy to the U.S. Government. Marrying a U.S. citizen is not easy because the Government will want to go through a long process which determines if it is real love or immigration fraud.
The Government is worried that a person is committing immigration fraud by marrying someone just so they can get a green card. So this can make it a long and hard process for people, but ultimately will result in citizenship if immigration fraud was not committed. According to f1 to green card , there is a 90-day rule guideline that USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services) uses to determine whether a person likely committed immigration fraud. Most of the time, immigration fraud is triggered by a person who came to the U.S. by declaring one intent but really had a different reason for entering the country.
3. F-1 Visa to Green Card
Some people say that the F1 to green card is the easiest because the foot is already in the door. However, this is not always the case. The F-1 student visa allows foreign nationals to study as full-time students in the United States.This allows a person to study at an accredited college, university, seminary, conservatory, academic high school, elementary school, or other academic institution or in a language training program. After finishing their studies, a person can continue to work in the United States for around a year through curriculum practical training or optional practical training. If a person chooses to engage in either type of training and get the appropriate visa, then they may be able to petition the U.S. government for a green card. On the other hand, if they don’t participate in either type of training then their visa will expire after completion of studies. These student-visa holders will have the same options as other naturalized citizens in order for adjusting their status after their studies. They will have lived in the U.S. for multiple years so, it can give the upper hand on some options. For example, it is very common for F1 visa holders to meet someone during their education experience and fall in love then get married.
4. Serve In The United States Military
If a person meets the requirements of the military, and serves for at least 1 year then they will be eligible to adjust their status. According to Fwd.us , more than 148,000 immigrants have served and earned citizenship through the U.S. Military within the last 20 years. The requirements to join the U.S. military, non-citizens must be living permanently and legally in the United States. This means that they must have permission to work in the United States, possess an I-551 (Permanent Residence Card), have obtained a high school diploma and be able to speak English. However, there are some differences between non-citizens in the military vs. citizens in the military. Non-citizens can only join the military as an enlisted member. Also, federal law does not allow the granting of security clearance to non-citizens, which will limit their opportunities for high level jobs in the military.
5. Lawful Resident Of 5 Years
If a person is a lawful resident of the U.S. for 5 years or more, then they are eligible to adjust their status. A lawful permanent resident otherwise known as LPR is a foreign national who has been granted “the status of having been lawfully accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States as an immigrant in accordance with the immigration laws, such status not having changed.”. There are different stipulations such as a lawful permanent resident may live and work permanently anywhere in the United States, own their own property, and attend different schools, colleges, and universities. A person without citizenship will need to obtain an immigrant visa for permanent residency. 5 years after moving to the U.S. then that person will be eligible to adjust their status.
Gaining citizenship in the United States can be a long process, but there are multiple ways to go about it. There are even more ways besides these 5 ways. For instance, The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is a lottery system where a limited number of people are given citizenship every year. Whoever is looking into turning an F1 to green card or gaining naturalized citizenship should make sure to do their own research. It’s important to do research because every different opportunity to become a citizen has their own specific requirements.