An Immigrant Must be of “Good Moral Character”
Becoming a U.S. citizen can happen in multiple ways. In general, most people are born as citizens, either because their parents are citizens or because they are born in the United States. However, for people looking to immigrate and become full citizens, there are a few ways to accomplish your goal. First, in order to even apply you have to have lived in the U.S. for five years and have to be over 18 years old. If you are married to a U.S. citizen, but you are not, you only have to live in the U.S. for three years prior to applying. Also, the applicant could not have taken absences from the U.S. for a more than half of the requirement for residency.
Once you have fulfilled the residency requirement, there are a few more tests. First, you have to be of “good moral character.” This essentially means you have not broken any laws, abandoned any children, had an affair, or done something else negative to your family. Next, you have to be able to read and write in English, and pass a test that goes through the basic concepts of the U.S. government. In addition, the applicant cannot be a communist. If you pass those criteria, you most likely can become a citizen.
