CITIZENSHIP AND NATURALIZATION
An applicant is eligible for Naturalization where he or she
can meet the following requirements:
- Must be 18 years old
- Must have Permanent Residence Status (Green Card) for
five years subsequent to application. If married to a U.S.
Citizen, the permanent residency requirement is three years.
- Must have resided for at least three months within the
state the petition was filed.
- Must be physically present in the U.S. for at least
one-half of the five years (one half of the three years for
spouse of a Citizen).
- Must have resided continuously within the U.S. from the
date the application was filed up to the time of admission
to citizenship
- Must not be absent for a period more than one year
during the period residence is required. (Five years or
three years)
- Must be a person of good moral character.
Common Reasons for Denial of Citizenship
- Applicant cannot speak/write English
Applicants
are required to speak, understand and write in the English
language. An exception exists where the applicant is at
least 50 years old and has maintained permanent residency
for at least 20 years, or is at least 55 years old and has
maintained permanent residency for at least 15 years. Here,
the applicant may have the examination performed in his or
her native language. The applicant may also apply for a
Waiver if he or she is unable to learn English due to a
medical condition. WE SPECIALIZE IN HELPING OUR
CLIENTS FIND SOLUTIONS TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM.
- Arrests
An applicant may be denied citizenship
if he or she is on probation for any crime committed at the
time of interview. An applicant may also be denied
Citizenship if he or she committed a crime involving moral
turpitude. WE OFFER CRIMINAL WAIVERS AND MEMOS TO
MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES FOR APPROVAL EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN
CONVICTED.
Application Procedure
Once the Application
is submitted, the applicant will be scheduled for
fingerprinting appointment. Applicants can file up to three
months before he or she meets the residency requirement. The
current filing fees for Naturalization are $320.00 plus $70.00
for Fingerprints.
All Applicants for Citizenship will be interviewed by the
Immigration and Naturalization Service. The applicant may
request one re-examination. An Attorney may accompany the
Applicant to his or her Naturalization Interview.
Click here for a U.S. Citizenship Test
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