You're About to Become an American. Here's What That Gives You — and What It Asks of You.

Your name is called. You stand. Around you, dozens of people from dozens of countries are standing too. The officer asks everyone to repeat the Oath of Allegiance — and as you say the words out loud for the first time, something shifts. This isn't just a certificate you're receiving. It's a two-way agreement. The country gives you something real. It also asks something real in return.

The USCIS civics test includes a full section on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship — because USCIS believes that understanding this exchange is part of what it means to become American. And honestly, it's the part that matters most once the test is behind you.

Here's what citizenship actually gives you, and what it asks of you — in plain English, with the exact USCIS questions built in.

The Rights That Belong Only to Citizens

This surprises a lot of people: most constitutional rights in the United States apply to everyone — citizens, permanent residents, and in many cases even visitors. The Constitution doesn't say "citizens have freedom of speech." It says Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech. Full stop.

But there are two rights that belong exclusively to US citizens:

• The right to vote in federal elections. Permanent residents can't vote in federal elections — even after living here for decades, paying taxes, and raising children who are citizens. This is the right that citizenship unlocks. It's also the one most people describe as the main reason they pursued naturalization.
• The right to run for federal office. The President must be a natural-born citizen. Members of Congress must be citizens who have lived in the US for the required number of years. Naturalized citizens can serve in Congress and hold most appointed federal positions — but not the presidency.

The Rights Everyone in the US Has

Here's where the civics test catches people off guard. The rights in the Bill of Rights — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to assemble, the right to petition the government, the right to bear arms — these protect everyone in the United States, not just citizens. Permanent residents have them. Visa holders have them. The Constitution protects people on US soil.

For your civics test, USCIS will ask you to name two rights that everyone living here has. Any two of the following count:

• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of speech
• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom to petition the government
• Freedom of religion
• The right to bear arms

For a deeper look at what each of these protections means in practice, the National Constitution Center has one of the clearest constitutional breakdowns available. And if you want to see how these rights overlap with the Bill of Rights questions on the test, our article on all 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights covers each one with the official accepted answers.

Your Responsibilities as a Citizen

Rights come with responsibilities. The civics test covers both — and so does the Oath of Allegiance you'll take at your naturalization ceremony. Some of these responsibilities are civic expectations. Others are legal requirements with real consequences if ignored.

Legal Responsibilities

Obey the laws of the United States. Federal law, state law, local ordinances — all of them apply to you. This is foundational and also one of the accepted answers when USCIS asks about the promises you make as a new citizen.

Pay your federal income taxes. The deadline is April 15 each year. This is a USCIS civics test question — not because it's obscure, but because tax compliance is part of the civic contract. The obligation doesn't disappear based on citizenship status, but it's worth knowing the specific date.

Register for the Selective Service. All men in the United States must register with the Selective Service between the ages of 18 and 26. This applies to both citizens and most non-citizen male immigrants. The US military is currently all-volunteer — there is no active draft — but registration remains a legal requirement. Failing to register can affect eligibility for federal student aid, federal jobs, and naturalization itself.

Civic Responsibilities

Beyond the legal requirements, there are responsibilities the civics test describes as expectations — things that keep a functioning democracy working when enough people actually do them.

Serve on a jury. When you receive a jury summons, you are expected to appear. Jury duty is one of the ways ordinary citizens participate directly in the justice system. It can be inconvenient. That's part of what makes it meaningful.

Vote. Voting isn't legally required in the United States — but it is the right that separates citizens from everyone else who lives and works here. Many naturalized citizens describe casting their first ballot as the moment citizenship finally felt real.

Participate in your democracy. The civics test asks you to name two ways Americans can participate. The list of accepted answers is intentionally broad:

What the Oath Actually Commits You To

The Oath of Allegiance is when citizenship becomes official — and it's the source of the civics test question about the promises new citizens make. Any one of the following is an accepted answer. For a full explanation of every clause — including what "renounce and abjure all allegiance" actually means legally — see our complete guide to the Oath of Allegiance and the naturalization ceremony.

• Give up loyalty to other countries
• Defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
• Obey the laws of the United States
• Serve in the US military if needed
• Serve the nation if needed
• Be loyal to the United States

The phrase "give up loyalty to other countries" can feel heavy if you still have deep ties to your birth country. Legally, what it means is that your primary civic allegiance now belongs to the United States — not that you abandon your culture, your family, or your heritage. If you have specific questions about what dual citizenship or divided legal allegiance means after naturalization, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center has plain-language guides written specifically for immigrants navigating these questions.

How This Shows Up on the Civics Test

Questions 78 through 85 in the 2025 USCIS civics test cover this exact territory — citizen-only rights, shared rights, civic participation, taxes, Selective Service, and the promises of the oath. They're testable, they're specific, and they're the questions that rely on memory under pressure. Knowing that "any two" answers are accepted for Questions 79 and 83 is easy when you're calm. It's a different thing when an officer is looking at you and waiting.

For everything about how the three branches of government connect to your rights and responsibilities, and for a full walkthrough of what happens at the naturalization interview where these questions get asked, those articles will fill in the gaps. The official USCIS 2025 civics test page has every question and every accepted answer in one place. For broader civics context beyond the test, Civics Renewal Network offers free educational materials that help these concepts stick in a meaningful way.

Reading about your rights and responsibilities is the first step. The step that actually prepares you for the interview room is learning to say these answers out loud, quickly, without blanking. FutureCitizen.us gives you a free AI officer who walks you through the real USCIS questions one at a time — exactly like the interview. You'll know immediately which answers you have locked in and which ones still need work.