brit_usa2014

I haven’t posted on here in a long time although I have been following the forums. The time has come for us to apply for Naturalization. While we won’t be applying until January 2021 thought I’d best start collecting information ahead of time. I have a couple of questions regarding the process-

1. What documentations are needed to apply for Naturalization? This May seem as a dumb question but don’t want to miss anything out, even if it is very insignificant

2. English Test - Is it mandatory to take it even if you’re born/grew up/ studied etc in England? What does it consist of? Same goes with the History test? How difficult or easy is it? And when do you go about taking both tests?

3. Is the process for applying Naturalization the same for Dual National Holders?

As I get nearer the time when I start applying I’ll come back with more questions but for now these are the basic ones that I have. Also any other points that you wished you had known earlier but learnt after would be helpful too

Thank you and hope you’re all keeping safe and healthy! 2020 can do one already

Pulaski

1 Not much - the instructions are with the form, and are not onerous compared to the visa application process. The biggest challenge for applicants is usually to list all their periods outside the US during the previous 3 or 5 years (depending on whether you are married to a USC.

2. The English "test" is administered during the interview, it is mandatory, for everyone, ..... and comprises reading a sentence or two from a card that the interviewer hands you.* I doubt it would be an issue for a ten year old British school child in a remedial reading program!

* My interviewer seemed almost embarrassed when he handed me the card and asked me to read it.

3. Yes. The US doesn't recognise other nationalities, nor force you to relinquish them - some countries may strip you of your nationality when they discover that you have naturized as an American. The UK is not one of those countries.

tht

My experience is over a year old now, I applied August 2018 and took the Oath in June 2019, so between that year and COVID some things may have changed:

1. Depends on what basis you apply (5y vs 3y and married to USC). The USCIS website details it all and if you apply online it also tells you what to upload:https://www.uscis.gov/n-400
2. I believe their are some corner case exemptions, but as noted if you can read and write a sentence in english you will be fine, mine was on an iPad. “US elections are held in November” or something like that.
3. No different from a US perspective... you have to detail them all, at interview they did update my nationality from my 2nd one to my birth one (the form said to list based on the last passport I applied for which on that day happens to be my 2nd). My birth one was German so I needed permission from them before applying in the US to not loose that one, the UK one was fine. I believe India is a country that will not allow it.

steph0scope

I am in the process right now. The N-400 page on the USCIS website lists everything that you need. You can apply online and scan and upload the documents. I am filing based on marriage to a USC so they require a bunch of things to show 'living in marital union'. But if you have been through Removal of Conditions it's very similar. Nothing they asked for was impossible to provide. When you go through the online application and you need to include a document, it won't let you proceed until you have uploaded something into that part of the application so it's hard to miss any of the required documentation.

When you go for the finger prints they give you a booklet with everything you need to know for the tests. The English test is mandatory except for people with learning disabilities or those who have been here for something like 50 years or over a certain age. Unlikely that you will fall into those categories but I don't know how old you are.

Some countries do not allow you to become a dual citizen, Austria, India, China are some examples. Some place requirements on you to demonstrate ties to the country to maintain nationality (such as Germany). I have an Irish passport because of my grandfather. I hadn't bothered with it until Brexit (like many who can lay claim to Irish citizenship). You have to declare all nationalities but Irish and British, for example, are not a problem and it is perfectly acceptable to acquire US citizenship if you have these two already.

civilservant

I agree with Pulaski and tht.

I completed the process in May 2019.

It is, by far, the least onerous and quickest of the immigration steps.

That's not really true you know. It's not that they are 'not a problem' for the US so much as they do not recognize you are anything but a USC after having taken the oath. It could be argued that the wording of the oath itself requires that you give up your UKC. It's the UKG that don't have a problem with you being a dual.

tht

Exactly it’s important to remember that which ever passport you enter a 3rd country with is the most likely to assist you if needed. So it’s worth considering which one to use in each case.

For the German Citizenship I had to go through the Beibehaltung der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit bei US-Einbürgerung process which took a year and cost me around $1500 I think. The upside is that for that one I actually have a written approval to acknowledge they are OK with me acquiring the US Citizenship. Not sure if it’s true, but I heard that back in the day they would take your UK passport when your naturalized and send it to the UK embassy, who would then send it back to you.. guessing it’s just a myth.. but demonstrates the point that it is the county of Citizenship that dictates what happens to their Citizens Citizenship not the 3rd party country granting a new/additional one, although I think there are some that require you to renounce existing ones to acquire a new one, like Singapore.