Most people who have had their legal permanent resident status (green card) for 5 years might be eligible to apply for US citizenship. You need to be able to pass the English exam and the civics test to be eligible, unless you qualify for an exception. People who are married to US citizens might be eligible to apply after being a permanent resident for 3 years instead of 5.

The USCIS application fees are currently $760 dollars. Many of our clients are eligible for reduced fees or complete fee waivers. USCIS fees are subject to change, please consult the USCIS website to confirm current fees. 

Depending on your income and household size, you could be eligible either for a reduced fee or a fee waiver. Please provide us with your most recent tax return or 2 month's worth of pay stubs, and we can let you know if you qualify! 

Maybe! Some individuals qualify to take their exam in their best language. Here are the guidelines for an exception to the English language requirement:

Anyone age 50 or older at the time of filing for naturalization who has lived as a permanent resident (Green Card holder) in the United States for 20 years (commonly referred to as the “50/20” exception).

OR

Anyone age 55 or older at the time of filing for naturalization who has lived as a permanent resident in the United States for 15 years (commonly referred to as the “55/15” exception).

Please talk to us about it! You might qualify for a medical exception from the civics test. Our team can help you determine whether you're eligible and work with you and your medical team to request an exception.

Your history may or may not affect your eligibility for citizenship. Many factors can impact your eligibility for citizenship, including when the incident happened, what the specific charges were, and how the case turned out. Please bring any documentation you have available, and our staff will review it and talk with you about your specific situation.

English Study Resources

SFDP is proud to partner with Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe, and we recommend that any applicants who would like to strengthen their English skills consider signing up! For more information about Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe, see their website here.

Civics Test Study Resources

The USCIS website is the official resource for finding accurate information about the contents of the civics test. All of the questions and answers are published on their website and can be found here.

Flash cards are available from USCIS that you can print out at home and use to study.

USCIS also has a YouTube channel where they have many, many citizenship-related videos. Check it out here!