Naturalization
Citizenship
You can become a U.S. citizen either at birth or through naturalization:
To become a citizen at birth, you must:
– Have been born in the United States or certain territories or outlying possessions of the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;
OR
– Had a parent or parents who were citizens at the time of your birth (if you were born abroad) and meet other requirements.
To become a citizen after birth, you must:
– Apply for “derived” or “acquired” citizenship through parents.
OR
– Apply for naturalization.