As you know, after taking the Oath of Allegiance, you’ll receive a Certificate of Naturalization, declaring you a citizen of the United States. It’s the proof you need to take advantage of all the rights and responsibilities U.S. citizens enjoy.
Rights of U.S. Citizens
Your certificate of nationalization entitles you to the same rights as all U.S. citizens, including the freedom of expression, freedom to practice the religion of your choice or no religion at all, and those famously mentioned in the Declaration of Independence: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Other rights you can now enjoy include:
• The right to vote
• The right to run for elected office (except President or Vice President of the U.S.)
• The right to apply for a federal job that requires U.S. citizenship
• The right to a fair trial by jury
Responsibilities of U.S. Citizens
Along with your rights come responsibilities, three of which you likely already do:
• Obey the law.
• Respect the rights and beliefs of others.
• Pay your taxes, including income, sales, and any others.
• Serve on a jury when needed.
• Support the Constitution, which awards you many of your rights.
Once you become a U.S. citizen, you can access additional benefits and services. But there are still some actions you’ll need to take advantage of your new status. Once you have your Certificate of Naturalization, consider taking action on these items:
1. Apply for a U.S. Passport
When you become a U.S. citizen at your oath ceremony, USCIS officials will provide you with a Certificate of Naturalization. While this is an important document, you won’t be able to use it for travel, except under certain circumstances.
So overall, you’ll need to apply for a U.S. passport after naturalization. This process will take several weeks. Therefore, make travel plans accordingly and after you have your new passport in hand. You must submit your original Certificate of Naturalization and a photocopy when applying for your U.S. passport. The State Department will return your original certificate.
As a first-time applicant, you must apply in person. Many U.S. post offices have personnel that can help you through the process. Depending on your local area, other public offices like libraries may have resources to help receive the application.
2. Get Your Child a Certificate of Citizenship
Generally, your children will automatically become citizens once a parent naturalizes. However, there are still some actions you should take. If you have a child who is a lawful permanent resident under the age of 18 on the day you naturalize, he or she generally derives citizenship based on your naturalization.
You may apply for the child’s U.S. passport at the same time as your passport. Now it is important to have proof of when your child acquired citizenship. Documentation that provides evidence of how and when a person obtained U.S. citizenship is sometimes necessary for certain benefits. For example, replacing a lost passport later in life will require a Certificate of Citizenship. Updating Social Security records also necessitates this documentation.
To obtain evidence of your child’s U.S. citizenship status, file Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship.
3. Update Your Social Security Record
Maintaining an accurate social security record is important for obtaining employment, collecting future benefits, and receiving other government services. Take the time to inform the Social Security Administration of your new status as a U.S. citizen.
To update your social security record, you must visit an SSA office in person. They recommend that you wait at least 10 days after your ceremony. Be prepared to show them your Certificate of Naturalization or your U.S. passport if you have a passport by then.
When you are hired for a job, your employer can enter your SSN into a U.S. Department of Homeland Security web-based system, E-Verify, to determine your eligibility to work in the United States. If you fail to update your record, inaccurate information could impact the information your employer receives about your work eligibility which may negatively affect your ability to be hired.
4. Register to Vote
Much of America’s success as a nation can be credited to its democratic style of government. That means citizens have a voice and can influence power through voting. Your perspective as an immigrant is important. Voting in state and federal elections is both a right and a responsibility that comes with U.S. citizenship.
Officials will likely provide you with a voter registration application at your naturalization ceremony after you take the Oath of Allegiance. If not, you may register to vote at various locations in your community, such as post offices, motor vehicle offices, county boards of election, and offices of your state Secretary of State. You may be able to register in person or by mail.
5. Sponsor Relatives to Come to the U.S. as Permanent Residents
Your new status as a U.S. citizen allows you to petition certain family members (in priority categories) as permanent residents (green card holders). If you have a foreign national family member who wants to immigrate to the United States, you may be able to help.
A U.S. citizen may petition to the following relationships:
• Spouse
• Parent
• Son or daughter of any age or marital status
• Brother or sister
Even if you already have a pending petition for another relative, updating your status after becoming a U.S. citizen can put your relative in a higher priority category. It enables you to upgrade an I-130 petition after naturalization.
Further, there is always an immigrant visa available to the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens. However, there is a numerical limit placed on immigrant visas issued each year for family-preference categories. Therefore, it makes sense to file the petition as soon as possible. These immigrant visas are provided based on the priority date of the filed petition and can take years of processing before your family member is able to enter the U.S.
Bonus Information
As promised, here’s some bonus information that you may not know about:
If your Certificate of Naturalization was lost or stolen, you can replace it by filing Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document. The need to replace a lost, stolen or destroyed certificate is reasonably straightforward. However, you will need to provide some corroborating evidence. When filing Form N-565 based on a loss, you should submit proof of the loss such as a filed police report and a sworn statement.
Last but not least, be sure to check the caption below this video. We’ve got questionnaires for different types of visas so that we can help you determine which visa is most appropriate for you. And if you’re traveling soon, we also have a list of some of my travel favorites.