Under the Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA), US citizens are persons who are born or naturalized in the United States.

There are 50 individual states in the United states and Subsequent Congress Acts in District of Columbia.  have given United States citizenship to persons born in the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Islands. All US citizens are US nationals, but not all US nationals are United States citizens. Persons born in the Swains Islands and American Samoa are American Nationals but not American citizens.

Rights of US Citizens

Citizens of the US have the right to live and work  in the United States without restrictions, to participate in the American political system at local, national and state level and to be represented and protected by US embassies and Consulates abroad.

Responsibilities of US Citizens

The most important responsibility US citizens is to obey the United States constitution, and for males, to serve in the American armed forces. Citizens of the US are also required to serve in a jury if summoned; to pay taxes; to travel abroad on a US passports.

Acquisition of Citizenship

There are four ways a person can acquire United States citizenship: by birth abroad to two UK citizens, by birth in the United States, birth abroad to one US citizen or naturalization.

Birth within the United States

All children who are born in the United States, are US citizens by birth, according to the 14^th amendment of the Constitution. A United States birth certificate is a proof of US citizenship regardless of the immigration status of their parents.

Birth abroad to two US citizens

A child born abroad is automatically a United States citizen, if both parents were US citizens at the time of childs birth or at least one parent lived in the US before the child was born. The abroad record of birth, registered in a US consulate or embassy, is a proof of US citizenship. In order to have their citizenship recognized in the United States, foreign born children may be required to apply for a US passport.

Persons born abroad after 11/14/1986 are United States US citizens only if one of the parents was a US citizen at the time of birth, that parent has lived in United States for at least five years before their child was born and at least 2 of those 5 years were before the parent’s 14^th birthday. The record of birth abroad, registered in a US consulate or embassy, is a proof of US citizenship. In order to have their citizenship recognized in the US, foreign born children may be required to apply for a United States US passport.

Naturalization

A person who was foreign-born may acquire a United Staes US citizenship by a process called naturalization. In order to qualify for US naturalization, a person should have been a legal permanent resident for the last 5 years and to have lived in the US for the last 30 months before and be at least 18 years of age before applying for US United States citizenship. Applicants must also have the ability to speak, read and write the English language and to pass a citizenship test about the US economic, cultural and political life.