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I started the process to citizenship in 1995 with my first application (back then was just a letter) for the Green Card Lottery. Green cards are given out via a lottery system where once a year 50,000 people are picked world-wide and given a chance to be a long-term resident. From 1995 I applied every year for a green card, and finally in 2018, I won the lottery. However, winning that lottery didn’t guarantee that I would get a green card, it merely started the process in which I had to go through in order to receive one.
For my green card I had to pay $360, do an interview, and also had to pay $200 for a special medical check that had to be done at a specific American hospital. Once I passed these I was given a VISA to travel to the United States where I had to do another interview with Customs and Immigration (mine was done in Atlanta,Georgia). I finally received my green card in 2019 and with it was allowed to work, stay long term and get a social security card. After 5 years with my green card I was able to apply for citizenship, which was this last October 2024.
To apply for citizenship it costs $710, and that does not guarantee you will receive citizenship. As part of the process I had to pass history, geography, government structure, reading and writing tests. After passing these tests there was also an additional interview. I had to provide 15 pages of information and pass biometric tests for a full FBI background check. I had to also provide proof that I deserved my citizenship (recommendations, records of taxes, birth certificate translated in English, proof of employment, current residence information, copies of all documents like ID, passport, etc.)
Today, January 23 rd 2025, 30 years after starting the process I passed the final test and interview for citizenship! The process is not quite over yet. I still have to be sworn in at the Official U.S. Citizenship Oath of Allegiance Ceremony, which will be by invite some-time in the next month. At that ceremony they will take my green card and I will receive an official American citizen certificate and be able to apply for a Passport.
Yes, it was a very long and hard and expensive process, but it was worth it! It is a great honor for me to be a citizen of the best country in the World, and now I have to work even harder to prove that I deserve it. USA is my home and has been for many years, and that is why I care so much about how good we do here. If you are already a citizen, do not take this privilege for granted. Work hard, aim higher, get involved, develop… And if you are not a citizen yet, well, you have to work even harder! – Polly Marinova
