Naturalization, Citizenship how to be naturalized american

[rollonsanfranci]

Hi
I am european and I would like to know all the ways to become an american citizen. I think marrying an american is one means but I assume there are others. If there are, what are they?

 

[NYClex]

First of all, you cannot just become an American citizen. You always first have to become a legal permanent resident, a so called "green card holder." Then you have to live in the United States for at least 5 years (with one exception, if you married a citizen it is 3 years) and then you can apply for citizenship, take a test and eventually become a citizen.

To become a legal permanent resident you have only few otions:

-you marry an American citizen

-you marry another LPR (but that has a very long backlog of 5 years)

-you obtain residency through a job or investment, which is not easy.

-you win in the diversity lottery.


Information for all that you will find on the USCIS website: www.immigration.gov

 

[rollonsanfranci]

thanks, thanks a lot.
-you win in the diversity lottery. you mean win a green card????
Do you have any idea of how many people try to win the green card each year and how many cards are delivered?????
thank you again

 

[NYClex]

Somewhat less than 50,000 green cards are given out, where of course a winner gets them for the whole family, so I would assume may be 20,000 winners? You probably can find the statistics somewhere online

 

[rollonsanfranci]

thank you

thank you very much