Citizenship Overview

This video is about US citizenship, benefits of US citizenship and ways to obtain US citizenship. Citizenship means being a member of a country with all the rights and all the privileges of being citizen. If you meet certain requirements, you can become a U.S. citizen. You may become a U.S. citizen at birth or after it. According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 757,343 persons were naturalized in 2012. In order to become a citizen at birth a person should: have been born in the United States, have been born in certain territories or outlying possessions of the United States or have a parent or parents who were citizens at the time of your birth. In order to become a citizen after birth a person should apply for a derived or acquired citizenship through parents or apply for naturalization. There are several ways to to obtain Citizenship: Citizenship Through Naturalization, Citizenship Through Parents, Naturalization for Spouses of U.S. Citizens or Citizenship for Military personnel and Family members. With US Citizenship you will be able to vote, to bring your family members to the United States, to obtain citizenship for children born abroad, to travel with a U.S. Passport, to become eligible for Federal jobs, to become elected official, to show your patriotism and to be free to express yourself. You must remember that citizenship has not only benefits but it also requires some responsibilities. The most important responsibilities of a U.S. citizen are considered: Swearing allegiance to the United States, Supporting and defending the Constitution of the U.S., Serving the country when required, participating in the democratic process, participating in your local community, paying income and other taxes honestly and on time, respecting and obeying laws, respecting the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others. Respecting all these requirements you are considered a responsible citizenship of the U.S.. Consulting with an attorney regarding any significant legal matter such as getting a citizenship is always a wise thing to do. Because of the complexity of some documents, it may be prudent to confer with an attorney to explain all the fine points of this process.