Terms to Know
Visa
Document granting legal permission to enter, leave or stay in a country for a specified time.
Green Card
Document held by a permanent resident authorized to live indefinitely in the United States.
Naturalized Citizen
A person who immigrated to a country then later became a citizen of that country.
Place to obtain a visa to immigrate to the United States
United States Embassy
Children under the age of 18 who are not citizens can obtain citizenship by
Lawful permanent residency or one parent being a U.S. citizen
Allegiance
Loyalty to a person or place
Native Citizen
A person who is born in their country of citizenship
Citizenship
The status of having rights, privileges and responsibilities of legal membership in a group.
Three eligibility requirements to apply for U.S. Citizenship
18 years old
Lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years
Good moral character
The groups authorized to conduct naturalization ceremonies
Federal judges and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Ellis Island
Federal inspection site in New York used to process immigrants arriving in the U.S.
Nationality
The place a person identifies with or the status of belonging to that place.
Oath of Allegiance
A sworn declaration of loyalty that every applicant for U.S. Citizenship must make publicly.
Three steps of an applicant to become a U.S. citizen
Eligibility determination
Civics / Citizenship Test
Oath of Allegiance
Four responsibilities of becoming a U.S. citizen
Obey the law
Pay taxes
Serving on a jury
Voting
Refugee
A person forced to flee their home to escape persecution, violence, war or natural disaster.
Immigration
The act of permanently settling in a foreign country.
Citizen
A person who is legally recognized as a member of a country.
Original provision for the Oath of Allegiance authorized by Congress in 1790
Renouncing loyalty
The group that has exclusive authority to determine a country's immigration laws.
Federal government