When veteran Nigerian rapper Olusegun Osaniyi, popularly known as Lord of Ajasa, recently showed off his United States citizenship certificate, the moment generated more than congratulatory messages.
For an older generation of Nigerian music lovers, Lord of Ajasa is a familiar name from the era when indigenous-language rap was still fighting for space in a Nigerian music industry dominated largely by English-language hip-hop.
But his latest milestone has also brought an entirely different question into the spotlight:
How does a foreigner actually become a United States citizen?
The answer is not as simple as buying a ticket to America, securing a job or spending a certain number of years there.
For most immigrants, US citizenship is the final stage of a much longer immigration journey. In many cases, a person must first become a lawful permanent resident — commonly known as a green-card holder — before becoming eligible to apply for naturalisation.
There are, however, several routes through which people can become US citizens.
Here are five important pathways.
1. Become A Permanent Resident And Later Apply For Naturalisation
For many immigrants, this is the most familiar route.
A person first obtains lawful permanent resident status through an eligible immigration category. Depending on the circumstances, this can happen through family sponsorship, employment, certain humanitarian programmes or other immigration pathways.
But having a green card does not automatically make someone an American citizen.
Generally, an applicant who is at least 18 years old and has been a lawful permanent resident for five years may qualify to apply for naturalisation, provided other requirements are satisfied. USCIS identifies this as the standard naturalisation route for most applicants.
That five-year period is not simply a matter of possessing a green card while living anywhere in the world.
Applicants generally have to meet continuous-residence and physical-presence requirements and satisfy other eligibility conditions.
They must also go through the naturalisation process, which includes submitting the application, attending required appointments, completing an interview and, unless exempt or granted an exception, taking the required English and civics tests.
And there is one moment that matters above everything else.
You do not become a US citizen simply because your naturalisation application is approved.
USCIS states that citizenship is acquired after the applicant takes the Oath of Allegiance at the naturalisation ceremony. The applicant then receives a Certificate of Naturalization.
2. Marriage To A US Citizen Can Shorten The Timeline
Marriage to an American citizen can provide an important pathway to citizenship, but there is a major misconception surrounding it.
Marriage itself does not automatically make someone a US citizen.
For a person who qualifies under the applicable rules, being married to and living with a US citizen can reduce the standard naturalisation residence period from five years to three years.
USCIS says an applicant generally must be at least 18, be married to and living with the same US citizen for three years, and have that spouse been a US citizen for those three years, alongside the other naturalisation requirements.
In other words, walking down the aisle is not the same thing as receiving an American passport.
The applicant still has to qualify for naturalisation and complete the required process.
That distinction is important because social media often creates the impression that marriage is a shortcut straight to citizenship.
It is not.
It is a potentially faster route to eligibility for naturalisation, provided the applicant meets the relevant legal requirements.
3. Citizenship Through A US Citizen Parent
Not everyone becomes American by immigrating to the United States first.
Some people may acquire US citizenship because of their relationship to a US citizen parent.
This area of immigration law can be complicated because eligibility depends heavily on factors such as when and where the person was born, the citizenship status of the parent or parents at the relevant time, and whether specific statutory requirements were satisfied.
For some children born outside the United States, citizenship may be acquired at birth through a US citizen parent if the legal requirements are met. In other circumstances, a child may derive citizenship after birth when specific conditions are fulfilled.
USCIS explains that certain foreign-born children can derive citizenship automatically by operation of law when the statutory requirements are satisfied.
This means that some people who believe they need to “apply” to become American may actually have a claim to US citizenship already, depending on their family circumstances.
That is why citizenship-by-parent cases should not be treated as a one-size-fits-all process.
The details matter.
4. Military Service Can Open A Special Citizenship Route
The US military also has special naturalisation provisions for certain service members.
For eligible members of the US Armed Forces, some of the normal naturalisation requirements can be modified or waived depending on the circumstances and the type and period of military service.
USCIS notes that people who have served honourably in the US Armed Forces may qualify under special naturalisation provisions. Certain applicants who meet the applicable military-service requirements are treated differently from ordinary civilian naturalisation applicants.
There are also special provisions covering certain periods of qualifying hostilities.
So, unlike the ordinary five-year route, military naturalisation can operate under different rules.
But again, this is not simply a case of joining the military and automatically receiving citizenship.
The applicant must meet the specific statutory requirements applicable to their military service and circumstances.
5. Citizenship Can Also Be Acquired Or Derived Through Certain Children And Family Circumstances
Another pathway involves children of US citizens who meet specific legal requirements.
For example, certain foreign-born children living in the United States may automatically acquire citizenship before reaching age 18 if the statutory conditions are satisfied, including requirements involving lawful permanent residence and the legal and physical custody of a US citizen parent.
There are also circumstances involving children living outside the United States where a US citizen parent can seek citizenship documentation on the child’s behalf, although the requirements are highly specific.
This is one area where assumptions can become dangerous.
Being the child of an American does not mean every person automatically qualifies for citizenship.
The citizenship laws consider details such as the parent’s citizenship, the child’s age, residence, physical presence and other statutory requirements.
In some cases, the person may already be a citizen but simply need documentation proving it.
So, What Happens After You Apply?
Getting to the naturalisation stage is only part of the journey.
For a typical applicant, USCIS outlines a process that begins with filing the naturalisation application and supporting documents.
The applicant may then be scheduled for biometrics where required, followed by the naturalisation interview.
During the interview, USCIS reviews the application and background. The applicant generally takes the English and civics tests unless an exemption or waiver applies.
If the application is approved, the final step is the Oath of Allegiance.
That is when the transformation becomes official.
Green-card holder today. American citizen after the oath.
USCIS says the new citizen then receives a Certificate of Naturalization.
And Then There Is The Passport
Citizenship comes with rights and responsibilities that go beyond possessing a certificate.
US citizens can vote in federal elections, apply for a US passport, live permanently in the United States and apply for certain jobs that require US citizenship. They can also petition for certain eligible family members to immigrate.
But citizenship also carries responsibilities, including loyalty to the United States and, when required, jury service.
That is why citizenship is fundamentally different from simply having a US visa or even a green card.
A visa can give someone permission to enter or remain in America for a particular purpose.
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A green card gives a person lawful permanent resident status.
Citizenship is a different legal status altogether.
Lord Of Ajasa’s Story Raises A Bigger Question
And this brings us back to Lord of Ajasa.
His American citizenship announcement may look like a simple celebrity milestone on Instagram, but it also illustrates how dramatically people’s lives can change.
The rapper helped carve out a place for Yoruba-language hip-hop at a time when the genre was still developing in Nigeria.
Now, years later, another chapter of his personal story is being written thousands of kilometres away.
For Nigerians watching from home, the lesson is not that there is one secret formula for becoming American.
There isn’t.
There are different legal pathways, and eligibility depends on the individual circumstances of each applicant.
The bigger lesson is that US citizenship is generally not something obtained overnight.
For many people, it represents years of immigration, permanent residence, documentation, applications, interviews, tests and legal requirements.
And for others, citizenship may come through family or special statutory provisions rather than the traditional naturalisation route.
So the next time someone says, “I want to become an American citizen,” the real question is not simply how much money do you have?
It is:
Which legal pathway applies to you?
And that answer can determine whether the journey takes years, follows a family connection, arises from citizenship already acquired at birth — or falls under a special provision of US immigration law.