There are three basic ways to become a citizen of the United States of America. A first way is to be born in the country, as I was. So I became a citizen by birth in the country, not because my parents were citizens. A second way is to be born outside the U. S. to a citizen of the country, as my three children were. So they became citizens because their father was a citizen, not by birth in the country. A third way is for a foreign national to apply for citizenship after living in the U. S. for five years as a permanent legal resident (with a "Green Card"). (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 7 July 2026)