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A person who desires to be naturalized as a citizen of the

United States may obtain the necessary application form as

well as detailed information from the nearest office of the

Immigration and Naturalization Service or from the clerk

of a court handling naturalization cases. An applicant

must be at least 18 years old. He must have been a lawful

resident of the United States continuously for 5 years. An

applicant must have been physically present in this country

for at least half of the required 5 years' residence. Every

applicant for naturalization must:

1) demonstrate an understanding of the English language

including an ability to read, write, and speak words in

ordinary usage in the English language (person physically

unable to do so, and persons who, on the date of their

examinations, are over 50 years of age and have been lawful

permanent residents of the United States for 20 years or

more are exempt);

2) have been a person of good moral character, attached to

the principles of the Constitution, and well disposed to

the good order and happiness of the United States for 5

years just before filing the petition or for wathever other

period of residence is required in his case and continue to

be such a person until admitted to citizenship;

3) demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the

fundamentals of the history, and the principles and form of

government of the U.S. The petitioner also is obliged to

have two credible citizen witnesses. These witnesses must

have personal knowledge of the applicant. When the

applicant files his petition he pays the court clerk $ 25.

At the preliminary hearing he may be represented by a

lawyer or social service agency. There is a 30-day wait. If

action is favorable, there is a final hearing before a

judge, who administers the following oath of allegiance:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I entirely renounce

fidelity to any foreign state to wich I have been a

citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution

and laws of the United States of America against all

enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith

and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf

of the United States when required by the law; that I will

perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the

United States when required by law; that I will perform

work of national importance under civilian direction when

required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely

without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so

help me God.