Citizenship is a relationship between an individual and a country involving the person's allegiance to and membership in that country.
U.S. citizenship provides the ultimate protection against laws that would prevent a person from entering the U.S. or would deport a person for a host of prohibited acts. While permanent residents and all other non-citizens can be subjected to harsh punishments such as permanent banishment, such laws do not apply to persons with U.S. citizenship. Therefore, attaining U.S. citizenship may be the best way to protect against actions by the INS.
U.S. citizenship by birth
All persons born in the U.S. whose parents were not diplomats from foreign countries are U.S. citizens. This includes persons whose parents were in the U.S. illegally at the time of their birth.
Persons who were born outside the U.S. may also be citizens, if either of their parents were U.S. citizens.
Becoming a "naturalized" citizen
A person may become a citizen through a procedure known as "naturalization". Naturalization is available to permanent residents who have resided in the U.S. for 3 years, where they obtained their status through marriage to a U.S. citizen. 5 years of residence are required for all other permanent residents.
A person seeking naturalization must prove that he properly obtained permanent resident status, is not deportable, is a person of good moral character, and that he will bear allegiance to the U.S. Failure to reveal an arrest or an attempt to misrepresent your criminal history can jeopardize your chances of naturalization, because it violates the requirement that you be in good moral standing.
Risks
The decision to apply for citizenship should be made carefully, because a person may place permanent residency at risk by applying for citizenship (the naturalization process will cause a more extensive search through then persons background).
Dual citizenship
Persons who were born in the U.S. or persons who become naturalized may in some situations enjoy citizenship in more than one country. This is known as "dual citizenship".
U.S. law does not prevent dual citizenship, although persons with more than one citizenship will be required to enter the U.S. on their U.S. passports.
A dual citizen who travels on the passport of his other country of nationality will not receive protection or assistance from the U.S. government.
Dual citizenship has many advantages, especially if one has citizenship in a European country, as it opens the prospect for working in a large number of foreign countries.
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