Generally speaking, a person can become a U.S. citizen in one of four ways. First, by being born in the United States or one of its territories. Second, if you were born to parents who are U.S. citizens, then you may be a U.S. citizen yourself. This process is called "acquisition" of citizenship. Third, you can be a citizen through the naturalization process, which generally involves applying for, and passing, a citizenship test. Lastly, you may be a citizen if one or both of your parents have been naturalized. This is called "derivation" of citizenship.
