What are the current naturalization requirements in the US?

1. Who is eligible to apply: the baseline — lawful permanent residents and timing

To begin the process, an applicant is generally an LPR who meets minimum continuous‑residence and physical‑presence requirements — most applicants file Form N‑400 and must have held permanent resident status for five years (three years if married to a U.S. citizen), with limited early‑filing allowances (90 days before meeting the continuous‑residence threshold) ^{[4] [5] [6]}. The Congressional Research Service summarizes these core eligibility elements: LPR status, residence and physical presence, and English ability ^[7].

2. Residence and travel: what breaks continuity

Statutory rules still treat lengthy absences as breaking continuity: absences of more than six months but less than one year can break continuous residence unless the applicant proves they did not abandon U.S. residence; absences of one year or more generally break continuity subject to narrow exceptions (for example, certain government employment) as set in 8 U.S.C. and related rules ^[8]. USCIS continues to consider travel history when assessing residence and presence requirements ^[1].

3. Lawful admission clarification — a recent policy shift

USCIS issued policy guidance on Nov. 14, 2024 clarifying that, for naturalization, the agency will evaluate whether an applicant was lawfully admitted as an LPR at the time they first received status (entry with an immigrant visa or adjustment of status) rather than requiring proof of lawful admission upon each reentry after travel. This narrows one area of documentary burden for applicants, although USCIS will still review travel when assessing residence and physical presence ^[1].

4. English, civics, and testing changes (2025 civics test)

Applicants must demonstrate English ability and knowledge of U.S. history and government. USCIS has reimplemented the 2020 Naturalization Civics Test with modifications — called the 2025 Naturalization Civics Test — and will administer it to N‑400 filings on or after Oct. 20, 2025; earlier filers take the 2008 test ^{[2] [9]}. The Federal Register notice and USCIS materials describe procedural changes such as officers stopping questions once an applicant has passed or failed (a return to pre‑2020 practice) and special simplified provisions remaining for some older long‑term LPRs ^{[2] [10]}.

5. Good moral character (GMC) and broader vetting

GMC remains a statutory requirement determined case‑by‑case by USCIS, accounting for criminal history, community involvement, employment, and other behavior; in 2025 USCIS updated guidance to tighten GMC assessments and announced resumption of “neighborhood investigations” and other integrity measures ^{[11] [12]}. Some legal analyses and law‑firm summaries note USCIS expanded the types of conduct it may consider when evaluating GMC ^[13].

6. Procedure, fees, and adjudicative steps

Applicants file Form N‑400 (with filing‑fee rules and occasional fee waivers), undergo biometrics and background checks, attend an interview where English and civics are tested, and—if approved—take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony ^{[4] [11]}. The CRS notes processing times fell toward USCIS goals in FY2025 but also that sizable backlogs and pending inventories remain part of the context for applicants ^[11].

7. Denials, revocation, and limits of the sources

Naturalization can be denied or later revoked (denaturalization) for fraud, concealment, or other statutory grounds; Congress’s research and USCIS materials discuss denaturalization standards and the potential for revocation where citizenship was unlawfully procured ^[11]. Available sources do not mention every state‑level procedural nuance, nor do they provide exhaustive lists of exemptions (for example, the full set of disability or military‑service exceptions) — interested readers should consult USCIS guidance and 8 U.S.C. directly for complete lists and statutory text ^{[8] [4]}.

8. Competing viewpoints and implicit agendas

USCIS frames recent changes (2025 test, GMC scrutiny, neighborhood investigations) as restoring integrity and ensuring assimilation ^{[12] [3]}. Advocates and some media outlets frame test expansions and stricter GMC review as raising barriers that could disadvantage non‑English speakers or prolong access to citizenship ^{[14] [15]}. Legal commentaries emphasize that some administrative clarifications — such as the lawful‑admission guidance — reduce documentary burdens, while other policy shifts increase scrutiny ^{[1] [13]}.

If you want, I can: (a) extract the specific statutory text from 8 U.S.C. §1427 on residence breaks, (b) summarize exact passing criteria and sample questions for the 2025 civics test from USCIS, or (c) outline typical documentary checklists for an N‑400 filing based on USCIS forms and guidance ^{[8] [10] [4]}.