# can only adults naturalize (citizenship in U.S.)?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 26, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051 "2009-01-26T14:57:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051/1 "2009-01-26T14:57:04Z")

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I was looking at some tables in the report below and wondered if only adults (over 17 years old) can naturalize. I.e., if we’re told 500,000 people were naturalized in year XXXX, were they all 18 or over?

[http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-708.pdf](http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/M-708.pdf)

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051/2 "2009-01-26T15:19:40Z")

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Nope – immigrant children get naturalized all the time. A particularly common example is through international adoptions, though that’s by no means all of them.

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051/3 "2009-01-26T15:33:57Z")

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> [@friedo](#):
>
> Nope – immigrant children get naturalized all the time. A particularly common example is through international adoptions, though that’s by no means all of them.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051/4 "2009-01-26T16:07:26Z")

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**friedo** is correct - the progression for my children was [ul][li]for the first six months after they arrived, we were officially foster parents[_]then we applied to officially adopt them[_]once the adoption was final, we applied for citizenship for them[/ul][/li]  
We still have the little flags they got when they became citizens.

Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051/5 "2009-01-26T16:18:51Z")

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There’s also [derivative naturalization](http://www.murthy.com/news/UDder.html), which is conferred upon the children of alien parents when the parents become citizens.

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**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-only-adults-naturalize-citizenship-in-u-s/483051/6 "2009-01-26T17:31:21Z")

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> [@Shodan](#):
>
> **friedo** is correct - the progression for my children was [ul][li]for the first six months after they arrived, we were officially foster parents[_]then we applied to officially adopt them[_]once the adoption was final, we applied for citizenship for them[/ul][/li]  
> We still have the little flags they got when they became citizens.
> 
> Regards,  
> Shodan

Did they have to take an oath and a test and all that?