Recently, Sullivan County held a naturalization ceremony to welcome seven new people as American citizens (see article on page 1A).

What does it take to become a citizen through naturalization?

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services the process takes three to six years total; this includes a mandatory three to five waiting period as a green card holder, followed by roughly six to 18 months to process the final citizenship application.

There is then a ten-step process to naturalization, including forms, fees and a civics test. Let’s see—can most Americans ace the civics test? Name the three branches of government. How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have? What are the two parts of Congress? What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?

After completing the forms and passing the test (you must answer 12 questions correctly) the final step is taking the Oath of Allegiance at the naturalization ceremony. Here in Sullivan County, the oath is administered by a judge at the Sullivan County Courthouse in Monticello.

The county holds a few ceremonies throughout the year as immigrants become permanent U.S. citizens.

We commend them for taking this path. Although the U.S. immigration office says it takes three to six years, based on anecdotes and other reports, it can take even longer—sometimes decades. And many cases need a lawyer, which can rack up in fees.

So, the path is not always easy. It takes a lot of perseverance, insistence and an ability to understand the forms and process.

We congratulate our newest citizens!