Civics Today: Citizenship, Economics, & You

"Becoming a Citizen"

Introduction
In this chapter you have been introduced to the concepts of citizenship, government, and democracy. American citizens are either natural born or naturalized. In this activity, you will visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Web site to learn more about the process of naturalization.

Destination Title: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window.
Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips.

Directions
Start at the BCIS home page.

• Look at the menu on the left and click on Immigration Services and Benefits Programs .
• Click on Naturalization and read the information on the page.
• Then click on FAQs . Read through these questions.
• Click on the link for Citizenship and then on Citizenship and Nationality. Finally, click on Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship . Read the information presented.

After you have browsed through these topics, answer the following questions.

1.			What are the seven general requirements for naturalization as a U.S. citizen?
2.			If you immigrated to the United States and wanted to become a citizen, when would your time as a permanent resident begin?
3.			Once you have submitted an application how long does the naturalization process usually take?
4.			Can a person give up their U.S. citizenship? If so, how?
5.			Create an information brochure for someone seeking U.S. citizenship. Include information that will be helpful to a person in this position, such as requirements, fees, questions, etc. Use color and other visual effects to make your flyer appealing.