My Articles | About Us | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Search   
 
News, Tips & Offers delivered to your inbox

ABOUT US | VIEW ALL FEATURED ARTICLES | VIEW ALL TOPICS | VIEW ALL REGIONS | DM MOBILE | DM BLOG

Applying for U.S. Citizenship Illinois

Find out who is eligible for U.S. citizenship and how to apply.

Local Companies

Richard I. Feingold & Associates, P.C.
773-989-9899
5153 N. Broadway Street
Chicago, IL
Jon D. McLaughlin, Esq.
(309) 828-5600
211 West Jefferson
Bloomington, IL
Davis & Campbell L.L.C.
(309) 673-1681
401 Main Street
Peoria, IL
Edwin E. Heubi
(309) 579-3747
1914 B Hartman Ln
Mossville, IL
Elias Meginnes Riffle & Seghetti, P.C.
(309) 637-6000
416 Main Street - Suite 1400
Peoria, IL
Hasselberg, Williams, Grebe, Snodgrass & Birdsall
(309) 637-1400
124 S.W. Adams Street
Peoria, IL
Heyl Royster Voelker & Allen
(309) 676-0400
124 S.W. Adams St. #600
Peoria, IL
Howard & Howard
(309) 672-1483
211 Fulton Street Suite 600
Peoria, IL
Howard, Habecker & Morris, LLC
(309) 671-4555
456 Fulton Street, Suite 398
Peoria, IL
Hunziker Law Group, L.L.C.
(309) 676-7777
416 Main Street
Peoria, IL

Applying for U.S. Citizenship

provided by: 

U.S. citizenship gives a person as many rights as the U.S. has to offer; for example, the right to vote, petition for family members to immigrate, and live abroad without losing your right to return. For these reasons, citizenship is not easily obtained.

To become a U.S. citizen, you must first have a green card (permanent residence) and then meet other requirements, listed below. There are only a few rare exceptions in which a person goes straight from having no U.S. status to getting U.S. citizenship; some are

The Eligibility Criteria

If you are interested in applying for U.S. citizenship, first make sure that all of the following apply to you:

  • you have lived in the United States as a lawful permanent resident for at least five years (with exceptions for refugees, people who get their green card through political asylum, spouses of U.S. citizens, and U.S. military personnel)
  • you have been physically present in the United States for at least half of the last five years
  • you have lived in the district or state where you are filing your application for at least three months
  • you have not spent more than a year outside the United States
  • you have not made your primary home in another country
  • you are at least 18 years old
  • you have good moral character
  • you are able to speak, read, and write in English
  • you are able to pass a test covering U.S. history and government, and
  • you are willing to swear that you believe in the principles of the U.S. Constitution and will be loyal to the United States.

Further Resources

For more on the eligibility and application requirements for citizenship, including important exceptions, the rights of disabled persons, and the details of how to apply, see Becoming a U.S. Citizen: A Guide to the Law, Exam & Interview, by Attorney Ilona Bray.

The Application Process

You'll need to complete a citizenship application and send it in with a copy of your green card, the required photos, and the appropriate fee. After filing your application, you will probably wait for many months, depending on your local USCIS office. Then you will be called in for a fingerprint appointment, and later an interview appointment.

If all goes well at the interview, you'll receive an appointment for your swearing-in ceremony. At that time, you actually become a citizen, and receive a certificate of naturalization to prove it. As a citizen, you can petition to have close family members join you in the United States.


Copyright 2008 Nolo

Featured Local Company

Richard I. Feingold & Associates, P.C.

773-989-9899
5153 N. Broadway Street
Chicago, IL
Read more about Applying for U.S. Citizenship

Related Articles
- Immigration Visas Illinois
If you are a foreign citizen who wants to immigrate to and live in the U.S., you must first get an immigration visa. Specific immigration laws and procedures must be followed during the immigration process, and not everyone who applies will be granted a visa to come to the U.S.
- Green Card Renewal Illinois
- The First Step for Family and Employment Green Cards Illinois
- U.S. Citizenship by Birth or Through Parents Illinois
- Penalty fees to for green cards Illinois
- Applying for a Nonimmigrant (Temporary) Visa Illinois
- Applying for an H-1B visa Illinois
- Driving License Illinois
- Adoption types Illinois
- Applying for a Green Card Illinois
Regional Articles
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Addison IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Algonquin IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Alsip IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Alton IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Arlington Heights IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Aurora IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Barrington IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bartlett IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Batavia IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Belleville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bellwood IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Belvidere IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bensenville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Berwyn IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bloomingdale IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bloomington IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Blue Island IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bolingbrook IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bourbonnais IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Bridgeview IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Buffalo Grove IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Calumet City IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Carbondale IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Carol Stream IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Carpentersville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Champaign IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Chicago Heights IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Chicago IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Cicero IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Clarendon Hills IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Collinsville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Country Club Hills IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Crete IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Crystal Lake IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Danville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Decatur IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Deerfield IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Dekalb IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Des Plaines IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Dolton IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Downers Grove IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship East Moline IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship East Peoria IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship East Saint Louis IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Edwardsville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Effingham IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Elgin IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Elk Grove Village IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Elmhurst IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Elmwood Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Evanston IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Evergreen Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Fairview Heights IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Franklin Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Freeport IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Galesburg IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Glen Ellyn IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Glendale Heights IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Glenview IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Godfrey IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Granite City IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Grayslake IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Gurnee IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Harvey IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Harwood Heights IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Hazel Crest IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Highland Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Hinsdale IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Homewood IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Jacksonville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Joliet IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Kankakee IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Kewanee IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship La Grange IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lake Bluff IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lake Villa IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lake Zurich IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lansing IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lemont IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Libertyville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lisle IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lockport IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Lombard IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Loves Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Machesney Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Matteson IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Mattoon IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Maywood IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Mchenry IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Melrose Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Midlothian IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Mokena IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Moline IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Morris IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Morton Grove IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Morton IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Mount Prospect IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Mundelein IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Murphysboro IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Naperville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship New Lenox IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Niles IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Normal IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship North Chicago IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Northbrook IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship O Fallon IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Oak Forest IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Oak Lawn IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Oak Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Orland Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Palatine IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Palos Hills IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Park Forest IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Park Ridge IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Pekin IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Peoria IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Plainfield IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Prospect Heights IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Quincy IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Riverdale IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Rochelle IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Rock Falls IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Rock Island IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Rockford IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Rolling Meadows IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Romeoville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Roscoe IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Roselle IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Round Lake IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Saint Charles IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Schaumburg IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Skokie IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship South Elgin IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship South Holland IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Springfield IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Streamwood IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Streator IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Sycamore IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Taylorville IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Tinley Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Urbana IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Vernon Hills IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Villa Park IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Waukegan IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship West Chicago IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Westchester IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Westmont IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Wheaton IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Wheeling IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Wilmette IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Wood Dale IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Woodridge IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Woodstock IL
- Applying for U.S. Citizenship Zion IL
Related Local Events
How to Open a Law Firm in 2009
Dates: 7/14/2009 - 7/14/2009
Location: University of Chicago, Gleacher Center
Chicago, IL
View Details
Changes in Environmental Law: A Look at Recent and Emerging Environmental Regulations
Dates: 7/24/2009 - 7/24/2009
Location: Chicago Marriott Downtown
Chicago, IL
View Details
Changes in Environmental Law: A Look at Recent and Emerging Environmental Regulations
Dates: 7/24/2009 - 7/24/2009
Location: Chicago Marriott Downtown
Chicago, IL
View Details
Patent Bar Review 2009 - Summer
Dates: 8/4/2009 - 8/4/2009
Location: The John Marshall Law School
Chicago, IL
View Details
Doing Business with and in the European Union
Dates: 9/10/2009 - 9/11/2009
Location: Three First National Plaza
Chicago, IL
View Details
Rate Article
     
Articles Insider
Rss   Delicious   Digg   Add To My Yahoo   Add To My Google   Bookmark   Search Plugin
Topics:
Advertising Entertainment Home Services Retail & Consumer Services
Business Services Environmental Industrial Goods & Services Software
Career Family Insurance Technology
Cars Fashion Internet Telecommunications
Computer Hardware Financial Services Legal Transportation & Logistics
Construction Food & Beverage Pets Travel
Education Health Real Estate Wedding
Engineering Home Electronics
Articles.DirectoryM.net | Search | About Us | Contact Us | Mobile | Blog | En Español
Copyright © Interaction Media Group. All rights reserved.