This video is about Naturalization and Steps to Naturalization. Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) are fulfilled. It's important to know that according to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 757,434 persons were naturalized in 2012. Eligibility criteria is to be age 18 or older, to be a permanent resident for a certain amount of time (5 years or 3 years) and to be a person of good moral character, to have a basic knowledge of U.S. Government, to have a period of continuous and physical presence in the U.S., to be able to speak, read and write in English. You also must keep in mind that you should not leave the U.S. for trips of 6 months or longer. There are a lot of things that can demonstrate lack of good moral character, such as committing certain crimes, habitual drunkenness, illegal gambling, prostitution, terrorist acts, polygamy, lying to gain immigration benefits. Naturalization is a process which has 10 steps. Firstly, it is necessary to determine if you are already a U.S. Citizen. If you were born in the United States, you are already a U.S. Citizen. If you have a U.S. Citizen parent you may already be a citizen. Secondly, you have to determine your eligibility to become a U.S. Citizen. Thirdly, you will fill in Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. You also will submit Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. You have to spend $680.00 because the fee for filling naturalization application costs $595.00 and biometric services fee costs $85.00. Keep in mind that the application fee is not refundable even if you withdraw your application or if your case is denied. Then you should go to the biometrics appointment. The USCIS will send you a letter where and when to have your fingerprints taken. Usually the letter tells to go to an Application Support Center. The following step is completing the interview. You will answer the USCIS officer questions about Form N-400 and take the English and civics test. USCIS will provide you with a notice of interview results following your interview. After it you will receive a decision from USCIS on your Form N-400, Application for Naturalization and receive a notice to take the Oath of Allegiance. Then you will take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. Final step is understanding U.S. citizenship. If you want to know more about what to expect from your Naturalization process, please watch our separate videos on the topics: “Naturalization Ceremonies” and “What to expect on Naturalization Test”.