US Citizenship

The other answers aren't accurate because they don't distinguish between “citizenship” and other immigration statuses like “lawful permanent residence.” There aren't “ten” ways to get US citizenship. There are the following eight (8) general ways, in order of popularity:Being born in the geographic United States (but this does not work if your parents are foreign diplomats);Being born outside the United States to a parent or parents who are US citizens (the rules for this are very complex);Obtaining a “green card” (and this can be very hard to do, although there are multiple pathways to a green card) and applying for “naturalization” once you qualify, most often by having the required physical presence and continuous residence;Getting a green card as a child and getting automatic citizenship when your parent becomes a US citizen or when a US citizen adopts you while you are under 18;Joining the US Armed Forces during a “wartime” period and then naturalizing through military service (no green card is required for this);Being born a US National (today, that means being born in American Samoa and Swain’s Island) and then moving to the mainland United States and applying for citizenship;Working for the US intelligence community and getting citizenship as a reward for your valuable service;Getting Congress to pass a special law making you a USA citizen.