How does one legally become a U.S. Citizen?

So how does one obtain or overcome barriers on getting a green card

That's why I'm asking. I'm truly curious how it gets done.

If you meet all of the following criteria, you are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship:
You have had permanent residence (a green card) for the required number of years.
This is usually five, but fewer for certain categories of applicants. For example, people who might be allowed to apply sooner include the spouse of a U.S. citizen who has been married and living together for three years; the battered spouse of a U.S. citizen, even if divorced or separated; a refugee or political asylee; a U.S. military members or a military widow or widower, and a spouse of a U.S. citizen in certain types of overseas job. Note also that you can turn in your citizenship application 90 days before your required years of permanent residence have passed, to compensate for the fact that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may not act on your application (call you in for an interview) for at least that amount of time.
You have been “physically present”—that is, lived in the United States, for at least half your required years of permanent residence.
This is usually two and a half out of the required five years.
You have been “continuously present” in the United States.
That means you have not spent long stretches of time (six months or more) overseas. People who have not only spent a long time out of the U.S. but appear to have abandoned their U.S. residence for a home elsewhere may not only be denied citizenship but have their green card cancelled.
You have lived in the same U.S. state or USCIS district for three months before applying to the USCIS there.
This is an easy requirement to deal with – if you don’t meet it yet, wait a few months!
You are at least 18 years old at the time of filing the application.
Note that children may, in some cases, gain citizenship through their U.S. citizen parents.
You have demonstrated good moral character in the years leading up to your application for citizenship.
For example, it helps to be able to say or prove that you have paid your taxes and child support and not committed any crimes, and have otherwise been a responsible member of the community.
You can speak, read, and write English.
You will be tested on this during the naturalization interview at a USCIS office.
You can pass a brief oral test covering U.S. history and government.
You will also be tested on this during the naturalization interview at a USCIS office. Fortunately, all the possible questions are available for you to study in advance.
You are willing to affirm loyalty to the United States and serve in its military if necessary
Once you pass the naturalization interview, you will attend a swearing-in ceremony, where you will take the Oath of Allegiance.

Google it...seek naturalization.

Thanks but that doesn't tell me how to get a green card?

Start here. You need to learn google before you can apply for citizenship

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Apparently the only thing required to benefit from our constitution and welfare state is to touch American soil.

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Logic would say no but apparently that does NOT apply. As I have recently learned, every person on US soil is entitled to due process...

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It’s really not that difficult. Asians do it all the time. I’m not sure why Mexicans have so much trouble

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This is a misleading statement. Within the different types of green cards that you can apply for (employment based or family based), there are country quotas. So while some Asian like Japanese people might get it qiuckly, other Asians like myself have to wait for a long time. I am from India and my employer filed for an immigration based Green card for me in 2010 which has not yet been approved. Any Indian who applies for an EB2 or EB3 (different categories) of green card right now, is looking at a greater 100 years wait (I am not joking about that 100).

Similarly on the family side some countries like Mexico had a very long backlog.


The main reason for this backlog is that for many types of green card there is a max number that can be given out annually, and no country can receive more than 7% of that annual quota. So the lines of some of the bigger countries (India for employment based, Mexico for family based) have exponentially increased to the point where there is no longer any line in the sense that if an applicant will die before they will ever get to the front of the line, then that's not a line for them.

If MY family could wait 15 years for a visa and citizenship and followed the process LEGALLY, I don't give a rotting donkey if it's a hardship for others to do the same.

Coming to the US is NOT a right, it's a privilege! Don't like it, go to Libya!

And yes, I'm a proud American, Trumpkin, deplorable, etc.