how to become an American

     All of the people born in the United States are citizens of the United States. Many people born in other countries are also citizens of the United States. They become citizens of the United States by coming to the United States from their home country. They need the permission of our government to do this, as we would need permission from their governments to visit their countries. If people come to America as tourists, or on business, their visas, or permission to enter our country, will say how long they may remain in the United States. Other people ask permission to emigrate to America. They want to move here and make a living here. They apply for resident alien ( foreigner, not space being ) status. If they are working, they have to pay taxes, even before they become citizens. Money earned in America gets taxed in America.
    When the foreign-born person has lived in America for five years, he or she may take the citizenship test. You may find a sample test online if you're interested in how your citizenship knowledge measures up. If the immigrant fails the test, he or she may take it again. When the prospective citizen passes the test, he or she will be "sworn in" as an American citizen. This includes abjuring citizenship in any other country.
    The new citizen can now vote in elections--federal, state, and local. He or she will need to reside in the United States for seven years before running for Congress, or nine years before running for the Senate. There are very few differences between the rights of native-born citizens and "naturalized" citizens, as the authors of our Constitution did not want to set up a system of "classes" of citizenship, with one set always inferior. The most well-known difference is that a naturalized ( not born in the U.S ) citizen may not serve as President of the United States.