If your stay is temporary, then you want to apply for a nonimmigrant visa. This type of visa allows you to enter the United States temporarily. If you are from one of the countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, you may come to the United States without a visa as long as you meet certain requirements. If your reason to visit the United States is short term (business, tourism, medical treatment, studies, temporary employment, etc.) then you want to apply for a nonimmigrant visa.
If an individual does not gain U.S. citizenship through either birth or descent, he or she may achieve citizenship through naturalization. Naturalization involves the acquisition of citizen status through specialized legal processes.
To become a naturalized citizen of the United States, a foreign national first must meet several legal standards:
- Entry, residence, and physical presence
- Age
- Literacy and education
- Moral character
- Attachment to constitutional principles
- Oath of allegiance to the United States