American Citizenship & Naturalization
Immigration Lawyers
U.S Citizenship & Naturalization
Do you want to stop worrying about renewing your "green card" every ten years? Do you want to help a member of your family immigrate to the United States? Do you want to vote in the next elections? Do you want to spend long periods of time outside the U.S or move to another country? Then you should become a citizen. U.S. citizenship is the last step in your immigration journey. As a citizen you will have all the rights and privileges as a U.S. born citizen except that you will not be able to be president of the country.
You can apply to become a citizen if:
- You have been a resident for the required period of time (usually five years although there are exceptions)
- You have lived at least half of that time in the U.S.
- You have good moral character
- You read and write English; and
- You have basic knowledge of U.S. history and government.
You should first consult with an experienced immigration attorney before filing for naturalization to make sure it is the right thing for you to do, especially if you have been arrested at any time, even if it was many years ago and you completed all the conditions of your sentence or probation. You misrepresented yourself in any immigration application in the past.
You have been before an immigration judge or were removed or deported in the past; or you have lived outside of the United States for extended periods of time. It is very important to consult with an immigration attorney because sometimes applying could cause the government to deny your application and place you in removal proceedings.