If you are applying for US citizenship, you will need to do several things. First, you will need to establish eligibility for US citizenship. This will mean that you will need to get your green card and establish residency in the US. You also need to ensure that you have the other qualifications for citizenship.
Once you have done this, you will need to keep applying for green card renewal to maintain your status and you will need to fill out USCIS application forms for US citizenship, in most cases. After you have filled out your forms,you will generally be scheduled for a citizenship exam, also known as a citizenship interview. During this citizenship exam, USCIS officials will determine whether you qualify for US citizenship by asking you questions in order to test your knowledge of the US and of the English language.
Is normal to be anxious about the US citizenship exam, but there are also many ways that you can be more confident and increase your chances of passing the exam. For example, you can start working on your English skills as early as possible. Long before you even apply for US citizenship, you have probably been working on developing your citizenship skills by developing your language skills. In the days and weeks leading up to US citizenship exam, you should continue learning the English language. Reading newspapers, books, magazines, and other written material is a good way to practice. Writing out simple sentences yourself is also an excellent way to practice, since the US citizenship exam does test oral and written skills. Finally, you can engage in conversation with people or listen to talk radio in order to develop your listening and speaking skills. Some libraries and community centers also have citizenship classes which allow you to develop your language skills. Most libraries and immigration centers also have casual conversation meetings, which allow you to meet with native English speakers in order to practice your English.
Copyright 2010, American Immigration Center
In addition to improving your English, you will have to prove that you know enough about US government, citizenship, politics, history, culture, and geography in order to be a productive citizen. Reading the newspapers and watching the news are good ways to learn about citizenship and US culture. You can also read civics textbooks and history textbooks in order to learn more about the US. In addition, some communities offer citizenship classes, which specifically address the types of questions which will be asked on your citizenship exam. These are also great ways to practice and to prepare for your US citizenship exam.
