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JULY 2010

The Path to U.S. Citizenship

By Jennifer Kradenpoth and Kimberly Lou

From its birth to the present day, the United States and its population of citizens has been steadily growing. But the path to citizenship isn't always a straight line; the naturalization process can be long and complex, with a myriad of statuses, qualifications and tests awaiting those who apply. See how much you know about becoming a U.S. citizen by taking our quiz below, starting with an introductory question about our nation's founding!

QUESTIONS:

  1. The United States declared its independence on July 4th, 1776. On July 4th, 2009, the nation's population reached 307 million people. What was the nation's estimated population in July of 1776? ?
    1. 500,000
    2. 900,000
    3. 2.5 million
    4. 4 million
  2. In order to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, most immigrants must pass the naturalization test, comprised of several sections. Which one of these is not a test component for becoming a naturalized citizen?
    1. A civics test
    2. A written test
    3. A culture test
    4. A speaking test
  3. Which one of these is NOT the right of a green card holder?
    1. Be protected by all United States laws, at all levels and jurisdictions
    2. Vote in federal elections, provided you carry proper documentation with you
    3. Live permanently in the United States, provided you do nothing to make yourself removable under immigration law
    4. Work in the United States at any legal job of your choosing, provided you're qualified
  4. Which three U.S. presidents are official "vocabulary words" for the written portion of the naturalization test?
    1. Lincoln, Jefferson, Adams
    2. Adams, Jefferson, Washington
    3. Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington
    4. Adams, Lincoln, Washington
  5. Let's test your "basic knowledge of U.S. history and government" by asking a question that would appear on the civics portion of the naturalization test: Who was the President during World War I?
    1. Woodrow Wilson
    2. Franklin Roosevelt
    3. Theodore Roosevelt
    4. Warren Harding
  6. Which four countries/ regions of birth saw the highest percentages of incoming legal permanent residents and naturalized citizens in 2009?
    1. Cuba, India, Mexico, Vietnam
    2. Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines
    3. China, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Vietnam
    4. China, India, Mexico, Philippines
  7. Over one million immigrants are given Legal Permanent Resident status every year. Laws limit the number of immigrants admitted to LPR status on the basis of certain "preferences," or priority categories. Which one of these is NOT a preference?
    1. Family-sponsored preference
    2. Diversity immigrant preference
    3. Educational preference
    4. Employment preference
  8. Approximately how many immigrants were naturalized in 2009?
    1. 675,000
    2. 740,000
    3. 1.05 million
    4. 1.13 million
  9. Which statement about being born a U.S. citizen abroad is INCORRECT?
    1. You are most likely a citizen if both parents are U.S. citizens and lived in the U.S. at one point
    2. You are most likely a citizen if one parent is a U.S. citizen and lived in the U.S. for 5 years before your birth
    3. You are most likely a citizen if born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands or Northern Mariana Islands, and you've lived there for 5 years
    4. A birth record registered with a U.S. embassy or consulate proves your citizenship
  10. TRUE OR FALSE: The legal definition of an asylee (someone seeking asylum) states that the person must be outside of the United States when applying.
    1. True
    2. False

ANSWERS:

  1. C. 2.5 million. There were about 2.5 million people living in the United States when it declared its independence. Since then, the population has grown about 123 times as large!

    2. SOURCE: www.census.gov

  2. C. A culture test. A person taking the naturalization eligibility interview will be tested in two ways. First, their English ability will be tested through exercises asking them to write, read and recite select English sentences with a civics theme. Secondly, the person will be tested on their knowledge of American civics and government with a ten-question oral examination.

    3. SOURCE: www.uscis.gov

  3. B. Vote in federal elections, provided you carry proper documentation with you. Green card holders, also called permanent residents, are not allowed to vote in elections at a federal level. Only United States-born and naturalized citizens have this right. Green card holders who attempt to register for or vote in a federal election can be denied naturalization and deported.

    There are, however, some jurisdictions where voting is allowed for non-citizens at the local level.

    4. SOURCE: www.uscis.gov

  4. D. Adams, Lincoln, Washington. The written test features key vocabulary words, which are available for study prior to the interview. The vocabulary includes notable people, key civics concepts ("Senators" and "flag," for example), places, months and holidays, key verbs, and other nouns and functional words.

    5. SOURCE: www.uscis.gov

  5. A. Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was the U.S. president during the first World War. This is just one example of a question that could be asked on the naturalization test. Immigrants are expected to answer six out of ten civics questions correctly in order to attain a passing score. If they fail to pass the naturalization test, they must wait 60 to 90 days to retake the portions of the exam that they failed.

    6. SOURCE: www.uscis.gov

  6. D. China, India, Mexico, Phillipines. These four areas accounted for about 37 percent of the total legal permanent residents accepted in 2009 and 32.3 percent of naturalized citizens. Vietnam, Cuba, Dominican Republic and El Salvador have also contributed large percentages.

    7. SOURCE: www.dhs.gov

  7. C. Educational preference. The Immigration Act of 1990 specified an annual limit -- between 416,000 and 675,000 -- for three preference categories pertaining to permanent residency.

    The first category, family-sponsored preference, deals with immigrants attempting to obtain LPR status who have a familial relationship with someone who is already a permanent resident or citizen. The second category, employment preference, concerns immigrant workers who are professional, skilled or in short supply. The third category, diversity immigrant preference, concerns immigrants whose countries have low immigration rates to the United States. The limits for these categories vary by year.

    Persons seeking asylum are exempt from annual preference limits.

    8. SOURCE: www.dhs.gov

  8. B. 740,000. While the number of accepted permanent legal residents was around 1.13 million, the number of naturalized citizens was much lower. The number decreased dramatically following a surge of over one million in 2008, partly due to a rush to avoid a fee increase.

    Asia and North America (including the Caribbean and Central America) tend to see the highest percentages of immigrants becoming naturalized. In 2009 alone, these two regions accounted for 70 percent of naturalizations totals.

    9. SOURCE: www.dhs.gov

  9. C. You are most likely a citizen if born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands or Northern Mariana Islands, and you've lived there for 5 years. Being born in these territories usually guarantees U.S. citizenship; a set period of residency is not required.

    Generally, if a person is born abroad to one or two parents who are U.S. citizens and have lived for a period of time in the U.S., that person will be a citizen as well.

    10. SOURCE: www.uscis.gov

  10. B. False. The legal definition of an asylee is identical to that of a refugee, but with one key difference: asylees are within the United States or at a U.S. port of entry when applying for their status. Generally, a refugee or asylee is defined as someone "who is unable or unwilling to return to his or her country of nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion."

    Asylees are allowed to work in the United States; one year after admission, they are required by law to apply for legal permanent residence.

    11. SOURCE: www.dhs.gov

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