How Germans, Austrians and Swiss Get US Citizenship in 2026

How do you become a US citizen?

You become a US citizen as a foreign adult in two stages. First you obtain US permanent residence, the green card. Then, after the statutory waiting period, you apply for naturalisation on Form N-400, pass the English and civics tests and take the Oath of Allegiance. There is no shortcut around the first stage: every adult route to "amerikanische Staatsbürgerschaft" by naturalisation runs through the green card.

The US rules are identical for every nationality. What differs is the home-country side: whether you keep your existing citizenship, and how your home tax rules treat a move.

For an overview of every US route we advise on, from treaty visas to green cards, start with our USA immigration hub.

Is there US citizenship by investment?

No. The United States does not sell citizenship, and no programme grants a US passport in exchange for an investment, a donation or a property purchase.

The closest investment route is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. It grants permanent residence, not citizenship, for an investment of USD 800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or infrastructure project, or USD 1,050,000 elsewhere, that creates at least 10 full-time US jobs. One investment covers the investor, the spouse and unmarried children under 21. Citizenship can follow only later, through naturalisation, on the same terms as for every other green card holder.

If you want residence in Europe or the Gulf instead, our golden visa and residence by investment hub compares the options honestly.

Can a German, Austrian or Swiss citizen apply for US citizenship? The naturalisation requirements

Yes, once you are a green card holder. Under the general rule published by USCIS for permanent residents of five years, the "Einbürgerung USA Voraussetzungen" are:

• at least five years as a lawful permanent resident;
• continuous residence in the United States for those five years;
• physical presence in the United States for at least 30 of those 60 months;
• at least three months living in the state or USCIS district where you apply;
• good moral character for the five years before filing;
• basic English: reading, writing and speaking;
• knowledge of US history and government, shown in the civics test;
• at least 18 years of age when you file Form N-400.

Can you be absent from the United States while you wait?

Continuous residence is where many European families stumble. The United States must remain your permanent home throughout. An absence of six months or more may disrupt continuous residence for naturalisation, and an absence of more than one year is the general guide for abandonment of permanent residence. A re-entry permit on Form I-131, applied for before departure, covers absences of up to two years, but it protects the green card rather than the naturalisation clock.

The shorter path for the spouse of a US citizen

If you are married to a US citizen, the waiting period is three years instead of five. According to USCIS guidance for spouses of US citizens, you must have been a permanent resident for at least three years, have lived in marital union with your US citizen spouse during those three years, and have been physically present in the United States for at least 18 months of them. The English, civics, good moral character and three-month local residence requirements still apply.

Do I need a green card first? Yes, and visa years do not count

The naturalisation clock starts on the day you become a lawful permanent resident, never earlier. Years spent on a non-immigrant visa do not count towards the five years:

• an E-2 Treaty Investor visa, even renewed for a decade, never starts the clock;
• the E-1 Treaty Trader visa works the same way;
• an O-1 visa for extraordinary ability is temporary, however strong your record;
• an L-1A intracompany transfer is temporary too, capped at seven years.

These visas are excellent ways to live and work in the United States, but the E-2 itself never converts into a green card. A visa holder who wants citizenship must qualify separately for permanent residence, so these visas are often the first step of a plan, not the plan itself.

Which visa leads to a green card? The realistic routes for Germans, Austrians and Swiss

Five routes cover almost every German-speaking client we see. Each has its own evidence standard, and none is a formality.

EB-5: permanent residence by investment

EB-5 is the only US green card based on capital. The investment must be at risk and must create at least 10 full-time US jobs. Approval first gives conditional permanent residence for two years; the investor then files Form I-829 to remove the conditions. The two conditional years count towards the five years for naturalisation. The USCIS fees for EB-5 petitions change on 30 November 2026, so we confirm them on the filing date. Our EB-5 and E-2 comparison shows how the two investment routes differ.

EB-1A: extraordinary ability, no job offer needed

The EB-1A green card lets a person of extraordinary ability petition for themselves, without an employer or an investment. The evidence is a one-time major international award, or at least three of ten criteria followed by a final merits determination by USCIS.

EB-2 NIW: exceptional ability or an advanced degree

The EB-2 National Interest Waiver is a separate and different standard. It is open to holders of an advanced degree or to people of exceptional ability whose proposed work has substantial merit and national importance. Under the three-part Dhanasar test, the job offer and the labour certification can be waived, so the applicant may self-petition. Exceptional ability for the EB-2 is a lower threshold than extraordinary ability for the EB-1A and the O-1.

For both EB-1A and EB-2 NIW, the USCIS filing fee for Form I-140 is USD 715 on paper or USD 665 online, plus a USD 300 Asylum Program Fee for a self-petitioner, as of the USCIS fee schedule read on 12 October 2026.

L-1A to EB-1C: for owners of an established German, Austrian or Swiss company

Many Mittelstand owners take this path. An L-1A lets a related company abroad transfer an executive or manager who has worked for it for at least one continuous year in the last three years to its US office, including a new office. The L-1A is a dual-intent visa, and the EB-1C petition for multinational executives and managers is its usual green card follow-on. The L-1A years themselves do not count towards naturalisation; the clock starts with the EB-1C green card.

Family-based green cards: spouse or parent who is a US citizen

If your spouse is a US citizen, or you are the unmarried child under 21 of a US citizen, or the parent of a US citizen aged 21 or older, you are an immediate relative. The USCIS page for immediate relatives confirms that the US citizen family member files Form I-130 for you and that immigrant visas for immediate relatives are unlimited, so a visa number is always available. A family petition rests on a genuine family relationship.

Not sure which of these routes fits your profile? Mirabello Consultancy reviews your record, your company structure and your family plans, and tells you honestly which route is realistic and which is not. Book a free consultation to start with a clear assessment.

How long does it take, and what does it require? The routes compared

The time to the green card itself depends on the route, your country of birth and the filing date. There is no single official processing time for any of these categories, and per-country limits on visa numbers apply to the employment-based and investor categories. We build the timeline with you from current official data on the day you file. Realistically, the total from first petition to US citizenship is the green card stage plus at least five years, or three for the spouse of a US citizen.

What does US citizenship cost?

The naturalisation stage is the inexpensive part. The USCIS fee for Form N-400 is USD 760 on paper or USD 710 online, as of the USCIS fee schedule read on 12 October 2026. Fees can change, so confirm them on the USCIS fee schedule before filing.

The real cost lies in the green card stage. For EB-5 it is the investment of USD 800,000 or USD 1,050,000 plus government, legal and project fees. For EB-1A and EB-2 NIW it is the I-140 fees above, optional premium processing at USD 2,965, the adjustment or consular stage, and the cost of assembling a strong evidentiary record. An independent licensed US immigration attorney prepares and files every petition; Mirabello Consultancy advises on the route and coordinates the whole file, so you see the full cost before you commit.

Can you keep your German, Austrian or Swiss citizenship?

US law does not prohibit dual nationality. Whether you keep your existing citizenship after naturalising in the United States depends entirely on the law of your home country. The three German-speaking countries answer this question differently, so the rules below are stated country by country.

Germany: you keep German citizenship (since 27 June 2024)

Under German law, a German who applies for and acquires a foreign citizenship no longer loses German citizenship. The reform of the nationality law (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, StAG) took effect on 27 June 2024: the former loss rule in § 25 StAG has been repealed, and the Federal Office of Administration (BVA) confirms that the retention permit procedure (Beibehaltungsgenehmigung) was abolished on that date. The change does not apply retroactively: a German who acquired a foreign citizenship without a retention permit before 27 June 2024 and lost German citizenship under the old rules remains affected. For "doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft USA Deutschland", the answer today is therefore yes. See also our guide to countries that allow dual citizenship.

Austria: loss on naturalisation abroad, unless retention was approved in advance

Under Austrian law, the position is the opposite. Section 27(1) of the Austrian Citizenship Act 1985 (StbG) provides that a person who acquires a foreign nationality on their own application loses Austrian citizenship, unless retention of citizenship (Beibehaltung) was approved beforehand. Section 28 allows retention only on written application, on specific grounds such as the interests of the Republic or particularly deserving personal reasons, or the welfare of a child, and on condition that the foreign nationality is acquired within two years. An Austrian who files Form N-400 without an approved Beibehaltungsbewilligung should expect to lose Austrian citizenship on naturalising. Plan this before the US application, never after.

Switzerland: you keep Swiss citizenship

Under Swiss law, dual nationality has been recognised without restriction since 1 January 1992, according to the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM). Swiss citizens who acquire another nationality keep their Swiss citizenship unless the other country requires them to give it up. US law does not require this, so a Swiss national who naturalises in the United States remains Swiss.

Other nationalities follow their own law, and some countries remove the original nationality automatically when a citizen naturalises abroad. If you or a family member holds a further citizenship, for example through a parent, check that country's rules separately before filing.

What changes for your taxes as a US citizen?

US citizenship is a lifelong tax status. The IRS states that US citizens are subject to tax on worldwide income from all sources, and that the filing rules are generally the same whether they live in the United States or abroad. A green card holder is already a US tax resident from the first day of permanent residence; citizenship makes that status permanent, even if you later move back to Europe.

Two further planning points are factual, not reasons to move or to stay. First, German residents who hold substantial company shareholdings should review § 6 of the Foreign Tax Act (Außensteuergesetz, AStG) before giving up German tax residence, because § 6 AStG can treat those shares as sold at fair value when unlimited German tax liability ends, after at least seven years of unlimited liability within the last twelve. Second, renouncing US citizenship later has its own consequences: the IRS applies the expatriation tax rules of sections 877 and 877A of the Internal Revenue Code to US citizens who renounce and to long-term residents, with a mark-to-market regime for covered expatriates and an obligation to file Form 8854. A qualified tax adviser in both countries should review your position before you naturalise.

Where should you start?

Start with the green card, because everything else follows from it:

1. Decide whether you need US citizenship or only the right to live and work in the United States.
2. Choose the green card route that fits your record: capital for EB-5, achievement for EB-1A, expertise for EB-2 NIW, an existing company for L-1A and EB-1C, or family. A free consultation helps you choose.
3. Austrians: apply for the Beibehaltung of Austrian citizenship well before filing Form N-400.
4. Keep the United States as your permanent home for the full five years, or three as the spouse of a US citizen, and track your days of physical presence.
5. File Form N-400, pass the English and civics tests and take the Oath of Allegiance.

You can also ask Mira, by Mirabello, the AI advisor of Mirabello Immigration Intelligence, which US route fits your profile. If your question runs the other way, and you are an American looking at Europe, read our guide on how Americans get EU citizenship.