Constantino Diaz-Duran is a fellow at the Center for Social Cohesion at Arizona State University. He is chronicling his walk from New York to Los Angeles to celebrate his eligibility for American citizenship. Follow Constantino’s progress.

One question people keep asking me is how exactly the citizenship process works in the United States.  Most people know about the green card, for instance, but not really what it means, or how it’s different from citizenship.

I came to the U.S. seeking political asylum before becoming a permanent resident (which is what “getting a green card” really means). In order to get asylum, a person needs to prove his or her life is at risk at home due to either past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (a successor to the Immigration and Naturalization Service) grants asylum for persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or “membership in a particular social group.” Asylum status is reserved for those who are already in the United States, or those who have reached a U.S. port of entry.

An asylee’s stay in the country is indefinite, but not permanent. As an asylee, you can stay in the country as long as you need, but if conditions at home get better and returning is no longer considered dangerous, you must return. Until then, you are free to work legally and travel in and out of the country.

A permanent resident – one with a green card – wishes to make the U.S. his or her permanent home. Permanent residents don’t have the full rights of citizens – they can’t vote or hold certain government jobs, for example, and they can’t get U.S. passports or U.S. protection while traveling abroad. But they do have the ability to spend their whole lives living and working in the United States.

After five years, a permanent resident has the option to apply for citizenship. There are a few reasons not everyone chooses to exercise this option. For one, many countries don’t allow dual citizenship, so gaining citizenship in the United States means losing it at home. Additionally, the oath of naturalization requires people to renounce all allegiance to their countries of origin, which some are not emotionally ready to do.

It’s worth noting that many people think marriage to an American automatically confers citizenship on a non-citizen, but it doesn’t. Instead, marriage allows a non-citizen to get a green card and later apply for citizenship if they want.

Finally, as in my case, someone in the U.S. on asylum can apply for permanent resident status after a year, and then apply for citizenship five years after gaining permanent residency.

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*Photo by Constantino Diaz-Duran.