Citizenship

Becoming a U.S. citizen carries important duties and responsibilities as well as rights, rewards, and privileges. Before you make the decision to pursue U.S. citizenship, you need to be aware of what you stand to lose and what you stand to gain and be sure you're ready to fulfill all the obligations of a good citizen.

Naturalization refers to the process by which immigrants become citizens. In most cases, if you were not born in the United States, you must be naturalized to become a U.S. citizen.

What you lose

When you become a U.S. citizen, you must give up all prior allegiances to other countries. Although nobody will care if you root for your birth country in a soccer match, you won't be able to defend that country against the United States in times of conflict or war. You must also be willing to serve your new country, the United States of America, when required. What this means is that if the US is at war or in the midst of some other type of crisis, you need to be willing to rake up arms for the U.S. or otherwise aide the military effort in whatever capacity needed.

Giving up your allegiances to other countries doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up your citizenship in other countries. You may be able to maintain your original citizenship and hold U.S. citizenship. The US allows dual citizenship, though it is disfavored. Some countries do not allow dual citizenship. To find out if your citizenship may be affected check with the embassy where you have citizenship

What you gain

The United States Constitution, the country's most important document and essentially the rulebook for how US government runs, guarantees all people living in the United States whether U.S. citizens of not, certain rights. Freedom of religion and speech, the right to peaceable assembly, and the right to a fair trial if you're ever accused of a crime are all important freedoms guaranteed to everyone in the United States

U.S. citizens both born and naturalized , however are eligible for many additional benefits based on their status as U.S. citizens. These include the following:

• The right to vote and therefore, to have a voice in government.
• The right to hold elected office (except for the offices of the President and Vice President
• Certain government jobs
• Public Education
• Scholarships
• Grants
• The ability to petition for immediate relatives to join you in the U.S. without being subjected to visa limits
• Protection from forced removal from the country
• Certain types of public assistance