There are several advantages to becoming a U.S. citizen ("naturalizing") instead of remaining a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), but also a few disadvantages you may want to consider. Your decision whether to naturalize or not may depend on how strongly you feel about any of the advantages or disadvantages discussed below.
Here is a summary of the positive things that come with naturalized U.S. citizenship.
You might not plan on doing anything that could get you deported from the United States, but why take the chance? U.S. citizens cannot be deported unless their U.S. citizenship is taken away (which is very hard to do).
Naturalizing is an especially good idea for people who did something more than five years ago that could have gotten them deported, but didn't. Whatever you did, it won't necessarily stop you from getting citizenship, and once you have citizenship, you won't have to worry about a knock on your door from ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
One of the big reasons people want to naturalize is so they can vote in government elections. Until you become a U.S. citizen, other people are making decisions about issues that affect your life and you have no say in the matter. Once you're a citizen, you can even run for elected office yourself--except for president. (The president must, by law, have been born in the United States.)
Returning to the United States after foreign travel becomes easier once you're a U.S. citizen. You can stay outside the country for as long as you want--even make your home in a different country for as long as you want--and always get back in. If you get a U.S. passport, you might even find it easier to get a visa or other form of entry into more countries.
Certain state and federal benefits (cash or services) are available to U.S. citizens only. If you need to take advantage of those government benefit programs, it may be worthwhile to become a citizen.
Also, if you're job hunting, you'll become eligible for more federal jobs and law enforcement jobs if you become a U.S. citizen. The same is true for certain grants given out by the government--they're available only to U.S. citizens.
Would you like to bring your parents, brother, sister, or a fiance to the United States? You'll need to be a U.S. citizen before you can do so. It's also quicker and easier to bring a spouse or child to the United States if you're a citizen. Not only that, but if you have children under 18 or are planning to have children, they can get U.S. citizenship automatically through you if you are a citizen.
Once you become a U.S. citizen, you don't have to deal with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) again, at least with regard to yourself. (You'll have to deal with USCIS again if you want to sponsor a relative or employee for permanent residence.)
This means you don't have to pay to renew your green card every ten years (or if you lose it), and you don't have to notify USCIS each time you move. You also won't have to carry around proof of your immigration status everywhere you go.
The picture isn't entirely rosy. Here are some of the down sides of becoming a citizen of the United States.
The United States imposes taxes on its citizens for income earned anywhere in the world. If you plan to earn income outside the United States, you need to speak with a tax expert to see how becoming a U.S. citizen might affect you financially.
Once you become a U.S. citizen, it's difficult to ever escape your tax liability to the U.S. government, even if you voluntarily give up your citizenship. A green card holder, on the other hand, can give up his or her green card and not have to worry about filing U.S. tax returns after that.
So, if you're thinking that you may eventually move out of the United States (when you retire, for example) to a place with lower taxes, see whether naturalizing makes sense financially.
Unless you think you would enjoy jury duty, then the possibility of being called to serve on a jury--which only U.S. citizens can do--is a disadvantage to U.S. citizenship. Many people do not like being forced to spend the time and possibly lose money by not being able to work while serving on a jury.
The main reason people decide not to become U.S. citizens is because they don't want to give up citizenship in their country of birth or any other country where they hold citizenship. Often this is a fear that has no basis in reality, because the United States does not force you to give up other citizenships if you become a U.S. citizen, and your country of citizenship may allow you to remain a citizen of that country even if you become a U.S. citizen.
However, there are countries that will take away your citizenship or other privileges of being from that country if you become a U.S. citizen, and that could be a big disadvantage. You need to find out whether you're going to lose rights in your native country or other countries where you hold citizenship if you become a U.S. citizen, and then decide whether you'd prefer the rights of U.S. citizenship.
