US Outlines Minimum Age Foreign Spouses Need To Apply for Citizenship

• The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services outlined the conditions foreign spouses of American citizens must satisfy to apply for naturalisation
• Applicants must meet a minimum age requirement and have held lawful permanent resident status for at least three years before filing
• USCIS also requires applicants to demonstrate good moral character and physical presence in the United States over that same three-year period

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published the full set of conditions that foreign nationals married to American citizens must satisfy before they can pursue citizenship through naturalisation.

The requirements, outlined under section 319(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), apply to any foreign spouse who submits Form N-400, the Application for Naturalisation.

Age and residency conditions

The first condition is straightforward: an applicant must be at least 18 years old at the time of filing Form N-400. The age requirement applies regardless of when the marriage was formalised.

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Beyond age, an applicant must have been lawfully admitted to the United States as a permanent resident for a minimum of three years immediately before submitting their application. During that same three-year period, they are required to have lived in a genuine marital union with their American citizen spouse, a condition that must continue to hold while USCIS processes the application.

Physical presence requirements are equally specific. Applicants must have spent at least 18 months physically inside the United States during the three years leading up to their application date. They are also required to have lived for no fewer than three months in the state or USCIS district where they currently reside.

Good moral character and constitutional attachment

USCIS places considerable weight on an applicant's conduct and character. Foreign spouses must demonstrate good moral character for the full three years before filing and must maintain that standard through to the point they take the Oath of Allegiance.

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Applicants are also expected to show genuine attachment to the principles of the US Constitution and a commitment to the country's order and well-being, requirements that extend beyond paperwork and into the substance of how they have conducted themselves on American soil.

USCIS has noted that separate provisions exist for spouses of US military members. Foreign nationals seeking lawful permanent residency or looking to petition for other family members are directed to the agency's Green Card and Family pages for separate guidance.

US lists 5 acts that disqualify foreigners from citizenship

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the US had identified five acts that permanently prohibit foreigners from acquiring citizenship.

The information was published on the official US government website, which states that applicants who have committed any of these acts cannot satisfy the good moral character standard.

Source: YEN.com.gh