Naturalization & Citizenship

Naturalization is the process by which a lawful permanent resident (green-card holder) becomes a U.S. citizen. It is filed on Form N-400 and governed by the naturalization provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Naturalization is not automatic and is not required—a permanent resident may hold a green card indefinitely—but for many people it is the natural completion of the immigration journey, conferring the right to vote, a U.S. passport, protection from removal, expanded ability to petition for family members, and eligibility for roles and benefits limited to citizens.

Eligibility rests on a set of core concepts rather than a single test. An applicant must generally have held permanent-resident status for a required period of continuous residence, satisfied a physical-presence requirement (time actually spent inside the United States), demonstrated good moral character over the relevant statutory period, shown an attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution, and—absent an applicable exemption—demonstrated basic English ability and knowledge of U.S. history and civics. Because the specific durations and exceptions turn on how the applicant obtained the green card and their individual circumstances, eligibility is confirmed against each applicant's facts before filing.

Many of Locke Immigration Law's clients arrive at naturalization after an employment-based path—an H-1B or O-1 that led to an EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 green card—and return years later to complete the process. That history matters: the N-400 asks detailed questions about residence, employment, travel, tax filing, and any encounters with the legal system over a multi-year lookback, and inconsistencies between the answers and the underlying record are what create delay and additional scrutiny. We prepare the application so it is complete and internally consistent, and we identify in advance any issue—extended time abroad, tax questions, or a criminal-history item—that warrants careful analysis before filing.