How long can I get a green card or live in the United States before I can apply for admission to the United States

Anyone who has reached the age of 18 and obtained the permanent residence qualification (green card) in the United States for more than five years can apply for becoming an American citizen through the US Immigration Service and the federal court. This procedure of applying for citizenship is called naturalization.

Since April 1997, when the new American immigration law came into effect, many green card holders' original social benefits have been further cancelled due to state legislation. For many green card holders, naturalization has become the most urgent thing. Here is a brief introduction to the benefits, conditions and procedures of naturalization:

I. Benefits of applying for naturalization

Applying for naturalization as an American citizen is the path that people who get green cards and permanent residency can choose. Although holders of green cards can live in the United States indefinitely, there is no guarantee that holders will enjoy the same political, economic and other social benefits as citizens in the United States. So, what are the advantages of applying for naturalization? Generally speaking, the differences in rights enjoyed by American citizens and green card holders can be summarized as follows:

American citizens have the right to:

(1) The right to vote and the right to be elected, also known as the right to vote.

(2) the right to receive various federal or state government welfare subsidies.

(3) Parents, spouses, children, brothers and sisters can apply for immigration to the United States as soon as possible.

(4) Because the United States has visa-free agreements with many other countries in the world, it is more convenient to travel and engage in business activities in other countries with American passports.

In short, American citizens enjoy a wide range of political and economic rights, which are incomparable to ordinary green card holders.

Eligible underage applicants can join the naturalization process through their parents. If the children of foreigners married to Americans are under the age of 16 and have permanent residency in the United States, their children will automatically acquire American citizenship when their parents are naturalized. For another example, when both parents are foreign nationals, children under 16 can also obtain citizenship at the same time if either parent is naturalized as an American citizen. Children of persons over the age of 16 who have obtained permanent residency must wait until 18 to apply for naturalization.

Second, the conditions for applying for naturalization:

Anyone who meets the following conditions may apply for naturalization:

1. The applicant must be at least 18 years old.

2. The applicant must be a permanent resident of the United States.

3. The applicant has lived in the United States for five consecutive years (if he is the spouse of an American citizen, he can apply for naturalization after marrying the citizen for three years). During this five-year period, the applicant must have lived in the United States for more than 30 months. If the applicant has been away from the country for more than one year, this period shall be counted from the date of his return to the United States.

4. The applicant lived in the state where the application was submitted during the last six months of continuous residence for five years.

Applicants must know simple English words and be able to read and write English short sentences.

6. Applicants must understand the history and political system of the United States and firmly believe in the constitutional principles of the United States.

7. The applicant must be of good character. It means that you can't have a major criminal record. Many people with criminal records, such as murder, drug trafficking, gambling and tax evasion, have been refused naturalization. If they join the army, they can't escape halfway.