Our immigration laws were drafted in such a way as to stimulate all lawful permanent residents to become citizens of the United States at the earliest moment possible.

Being present in the United States without having its citizenship implies certain risks that, although the majority of people in such status will never perceive or experience, may affect any immigrant at any moment. For example, every resident is subject to being denied re-admission to the United States for a variety of reasons after a lenghty trip abroad, a risk of deportation after facing criminal charges before a court of justice, or by failing to notify the USCIS of any change of address within the time period demanded by our immigration laws.

On the other hand, the benefits of citizenship are many, such as having the right to stay permanently in the United States, the right to vote in local, state and federal elections and to receive certain welfare benefits and protections offered by the state and federal governments.

The procedure to become a citizen of the United States, better known as naturalization is started by filing a series of petitions and documents. Afterwards, the candidate for citizenship is administered an exam that measures basic skills in the English language and knowledge of civics (the basics of the republican form of government and history of the United States). After approving the exam, the candidate will attend a Naturalization Ceremony, where every attendant will pronounce the Oath of Alleigance to the United States. In this ceremony you will promise that:

  • you renounce your alleigance to other countries,
  • will support and defend the constitution and the laws of the United States,
  • swear alleigance to the United States, and
  • will serve the country when necessary.

Even though you will renounce your alleigance to other countries in this ceremony, you do not have to forfeit or renounce the citizenship of your home country. The United States recognizes that its subjects may possess multiple citizenships, even though it openly discourages such practices.

We can help you in your path to citizenship, step by step.

Who qualifies for naturalization?

According to the Immigration and Nationality Act, GENERALLY SPEAKING, the following persons qualify for naturalization:

  1. Those who been a lawful permanent resident for 5 years before applying for naturalization, being phisically present in the United States for at least half of that period of time, without leaving the United States for periods longer than 6 months (the Immigration Service estimates that over 90% of applicants for naturalization fall into the category).

  2. Those who obtained their residence by marriage to a US Citizen, and have maintained such marital status for three years before applying for naturalization. As an exception, if the immigrant was subject to extreme cruelty or battered by the Citizen-spouse during this time period, it will not be necessary to maintain the marital status before applying for naturalization. The physical presence requisite described in the paragraph above also applies for these two scenarios.

  3. In addition to the physical presence requisites, every immigrant must reside, at least, for three months in the district where he or she will apply for naturalization.

  4. Those who are persons of good moral character.

This is not, however, an exhaustive list of all the possible ways to apply for naturalization. There are other roads to citizenship such as, for example, a faster procedure for those permanent residents who serve in the US Military, among others.

How can we help you in your journey to become a US Citizen? Call us today!

Other important information

About the citizenship examination
Is the language requisite a problem?
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL APPLICANTS

About the exams:

Not everybody is under the obligation to take the English language skills section of the citizenship examination. If you are 50 years old, and have been a permanent resident for 20 years or more, or you are 55 years old and have been a permanent resident for 15 years or more, you do not need to take the English examination. However, the law requires you to take the civics knowledge section of the exam in the language of your preference.

If you are over 65 and have been a permanent resident for 20 years or more, you still have to a simpler version of the civics examination.

About the English Language:

Many immigrants whose native language is not English hesitate in applying for naturalization because of the language component of the examination. It is important to remember that the examination merely measures basic language skills, hence it is not a complicated examination by itself. The following sentences show some samples of the material that may appear in the civics and language modules of the examination:


ESPAÑOL

 INGLÉS
Mi nombre es Carlos My name is Carlos
Hoy es un día soleado Today is a sunny day
Quiero ser ciudadano de los Estados Unidos I want to be a citizen of the United States
Tengo tres hijos I have three children
Ella puede hablar inglés muy bien. She can speak English very well.
La bandera americana tiene trece franjas The American flag has thirteen stripes.
Ellos tienen caballos en su granja They have horses on their farm.
El presidente de los Estados Unidos es George W. Bush The President of the United States is George W. Bush.

There is a variety of review materials for the exam, both in Spanish and English. Give us a call today for more information. 


Information we need from you to work your application:

Before you contact us for help in your application for naturalization, please collect the following information. This will help us process your application in less time and more accurately:
  1. Place and Date of Birth.
  2. Height and weight (in feet/inches and pounds)
  3. Hair color, eye color and race.
  4. Alien registration number.
  5. Your own Social Security Number and your spouse´s (if applicable).
  6. Name, date of birth, nationality and immigration status of your current spouse.
    1. Date and place of your marriage.
    2. If your spouse is a US Citizen, respond whether citizenship was acquired by birth or naturalization.
  7. Names of former spouses, if any.
    1. Nationality and immigration status of your former spouses.
    2. Date of marriage to your former spouses.
    3. Date of termination of your previous marriages and reasons (divorce or death).
  8. If your current spouse was previously married:
    1. Name, nationality and immigration status of former spouses.
    2. Date of marriage to former spouses.
    3. Date of termination of previous marriages and reasons (divorce or death).
  9. Names, countries and dates of birth and current addresses of your children. If they are not US Citizens and have an Alien Number, please provide the number.
  10. Addresses (places of residence) in the last 5 years, citing the periods in time (in months and years) of residence at every single address, starting with the current postal address.
  11. Exact information and dates of all your exits from the United States in the last five years.
  12. Names and addresses of the the places of employment of the applicant during the last 5 years, including the most recent employment outside of the United States.