If a German woman marrried a U.s army man in 1971 and has lived in the
U.S. since (she is 65 years old), is she a citizen?

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 29 Jan 2004 19:54 PST

Are we to assume that U.S. citizenship has never been formally granted
to this woman?  In other words, are you asking whether the woman
somehow automatically became a U.S. citizen without even trying?

Hello sadie1973,

I should emphasize the disclaimer at the bottom of this page, which
indicates that answers and comments on Google Answers are general
information, and not intended to substitute for informed professional
legal advice.  If you need professional advice about immigration law,
you should contact a lawyer.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, part of the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security, has an FAQ about naturalization and citizenship.
 You might be interested in reviewing much or all of the FAQ, but you
can start with the first answer, which states, "A person may become a
U.S. citizen (1) by birth or (2) through naturalization."  This and
the following answer appear to confirm what hailstorm indicates in the
comment -- that only certain circumstances at birth can make one an
automatic citizen; and that otherwise, naturalization is required. 
The subsequent answers provide information and links concerning
naturalization.

"Frequently Asked Questions About Naturalization"
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/faq.htm

Another document states:

"Spouses of U.S. Citizens 

Generally, certain lawful permanent residents married to a U.S.
citizen may file for naturalization after residing continuously in the
United States for three years if immediately preceding the filing of
the application:

- the applicant has been married to and living in a valid marital
union with the same U.S. citizen spouse for all three years;

- the U.S. spouse has been a citizen for all three years and meets all
physical presence and residence requirements; and

- the applicant meets all other naturalization requirements."

"General Naturalization Requirements" [fourth page]
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/natzinfo.doc

You may also wish to look at:

"Lawful Permanent Residency" [which is presumably most helpful if you
are not yet a lawful permanent resident]
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/residency/index.htm

"A Guide to Naturalization"
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/insfnl.pdf

"Eligibility and Testing [Naturalization]"
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/natz/require.htm

If you have any questions, you might contact the National Customer Service Center.

"The National Customer Service Center"
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/NCSC.htm

- justaskscott


Search strategy:

Browsed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web site.

Very thorough, thank you!

I'm pretty sure that the only automatic way to receive U.S.
citizenship is through birthright, either being born to at least one
United States citizen parent, and/or being born within the United
States itself.

While this is probably not relevant to the lady's concern's, I would
like to point out that I believe that hailstorm ommitted the adoption
angle.  I believe that U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton signed
something that allowed people under a certain age (I think 18) adopted
by at least one U.S. citizen (i.e. single U.S. citizen, or U.S.
citizen and non U.S. citizen, or 2 U.S. citizens) to become U.S.
citizens upon legally arriving on U.S. soil.

The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 can be found here:
http://travel.state.gov/childcit.html

"The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 allows certain foreign-born,
biological and adopted children of American citizens to acquire
American citizenship automatically. These children did not acquire
American citizenship at birth, but they are granted citizenship when
they enter the United States as lawful permanent residents (LPRs)"

Many conditions apply to this, so it's not as clear cut as the other
ways of automatically attaining U.S. citizenship mentioned earlier.