U.S. citizenship is the most secure immigration status that exists: the right to vote, a U.S. passport, the power to petition for parents and siblings, and — unlike a green card — a status that cannot be lost through time abroad or most contact with the enforcement system. It comes three ways: by birth in the United States, through parents, or by naturalization — the path most immigrants take after years as permanent residents. In 2025–2026 that path has grown steeper: a harder test, slower approvals, a proposed fee increase of up to 80%, and a government push to revoke citizenship in far more cases than at any point in decades.
Status as of July 11, 2026. On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court rejected the administration's attempt to limit birthright citizenship, leaving the constitutional rule intact: children born on U.S. soil are citizens. For naturalization, a proposed rule published June 23 would raise the N-400 fee from $760 to $1,330 ($710 to $1,280 online) and eliminate fee waivers and the $380 reduced fee — it is not final, current fees apply, and public comments run through August 24. Applicants who filed on or after October 20, 2025 take the new, harder civics test (128 questions in the pool, 20 asked, 12 to pass). Separately, the government plans at least 250 denaturalization cases in fiscal 2026 — against a historical average of roughly eleven a year.
Three ways to U.S. citizenship
Birth in the United States — the 14th Amendment rule, just reaffirmed by the Supreme Court: with narrow exceptions (children of diplomats), anyone born on U.S. soil is a citizen regardless of the parents' status. Through parents — children may acquire citizenship at birth abroad to a U.S.-citizen parent, or derive it automatically when a parent naturalizes while the child is under 18, unmarried, a permanent resident, and living in that parent's custody. Naturalization — the application path for permanent residents, and the subject of most of this guide.
Who can naturalize
The baseline: a green card held for five years — or three years for someone married to and living with a U.S. citizen throughout that period. On top of the time requirement come continuous residence — absences over six months create a rebuttable presumption that it was broken, and absences of a year or more break it outright, restarting the clock regardless of whether the green card itself survived the trip — physical presence in the U.S. for at least half the qualifying period, good moral character over that period (certain convictions bar it permanently, others temporarily), and passing English and civics testing. Exemptions soften the language requirement with age: applicants 50 and older with 20 years as residents (or 55 with 15) may test in their own language, and those 65 with 20 years get a shortened civics list; medical disability exceptions exist by separate application.
How the process works
Naturalization runs on Form N-400: filing (online or paper), biometrics, an interview with a USCIS officer — where the English and civics tests happen and the application is reviewed line by line — and, if approved, the oath of allegiance at a ceremony, which is the moment citizenship actually begins. The stated processing time has recently been around six to twelve months, but 2026 has brought slowdowns: attorneys report stretched test scheduling and oath ceremonies, and approval volumes have fallen since the new test took effect. A denied applicant can request a hearing before a new officer on Form N-336.
What it costs — today and under the proposal
Current fees: $760 for a paper N-400 or $710 online; a $380 reduced fee exists for households under 400% of the poverty line, and full fee waivers remain available — for now. The June 2026 proposed rule would raise the fee to $1,330 on paper and $1,280 online, raise the N-336 appeal fee to $1,475/$1,425, and eliminate both the reduced fee and fee waivers entirely (military applicants stay exempt). The proposal is open for public comment through August 24, 2026 and is not in force — applications filed now pay today's fees. USCIS acknowledges in the rule itself that the increase may lead some eligible residents to delay or forgo applying.
The new citizenship test
Anyone who filed the N-400 on or after October 20, 2025 takes the 2025 civics test: a pool of 128 questions, of which the officer asks 20, with 12 correct answers needed to pass — twice the length of the previous format (100 in the pool, 10 asked, 6 to pass), which still applies to those who filed earlier — even if their interview takes place after the change. The English requirement — reading, writing, and speaking basic English — is tested at the same interview. USCIS publishes the full question pool and free study materials; the filing surge of October 2025, when applications tripled ahead of the change, shows how much weight applicants give the difference.
What citizenship gives — and the denaturalization question
Beyond voting and the passport: citizens can petition for parents, married children, and siblings (permanent residents cannot), hold federal jobs and security clearances, and pass citizenship to children. Citizenship also ends exposure to deportation — a green card holder can be placed in removal proceedings; a citizen cannot. It can be revoked only through denaturalization: a federal court process reserved for cases where citizenship was obtained by fraud, concealment of material facts, or specific disqualifying conduct. That process, historically rare — roughly eleven cases a year for decades — is now a stated enforcement priority, with at least 250 cases planned for fiscal 2026 and filings already running at several times the historical pace. For the overwhelming majority of naturalized citizens who answered their applications truthfully, denaturalization remains legally out of reach; the change is in how actively the government looks.
How long after getting a green card can I apply for citizenship?
Five years as a permanent resident — or three years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen the whole time — counting from the date on the green card. Filing is allowed up to 90 days before the anniversary. Continuous residence and physical presence over that period matter as much as the calendar: long absences can restart the clock even when the card's age qualifies.
How much does U.S. citizenship cost in 2026?
Today: $710 filed online, $760 on paper, with a $380 reduced fee and full waivers still available to those who qualify. A proposed rule — not yet in force — would raise the fee to $1,280–$1,330 and end the reduced fee and waivers; comments close August 24, 2026. Applications filed before any final rule pay current fees.
What is on the citizenship test now?
For applications filed on or after October 20, 2025: 20 civics questions drawn from a published pool of 128, with 12 correct needed to pass, plus reading, writing, and speaking assessments in English. Earlier filers take the previous 100/10/6 format. Applicants 50+/20 years, 55+/15 years, and 65+/20 years qualify for language exemptions or a shortened question list.
Can U.S. citizenship be taken away?
Naturalized citizenship can be revoked only by a federal court, and only on narrow grounds — fraud or willful concealment of material facts in obtaining it, and a few statutory categories. It cannot be lost for ordinary crimes committed after naturalization, time abroad, or holding another passport. Denaturalization filings have risen sharply in 2026 as a matter of enforcement policy, but the legal grounds have not expanded — truthful applications remain safe. Birthright citizenship cannot be revoked at all.
Do I have to give up my other citizenship?
Not under U.S. law. The naturalization oath renounces foreign allegiances in its wording, but the United States does not require surrendering another passport and tolerates dual citizenship in practice. Whether the other country allows keeping its citizenship after a foreign naturalization is a question of that country's law — some permit it, some revoke automatically, some require an exit procedure.
Sources we track: USCIS, DHS, EOIR, the Federal Register, and federal courts.