How to Acquire US Citizenship through the Naturalization Process

If you are a resident of the US, obtaining US citizenship can bring with it several opportunities such as a prestigious US passport, the right to vote, and no fear of deportation. However, to become a US citizen necessitates a few steps, such as proving your eligibility to file, fingerprinting, attending an interview, passing the prescribed tests to assess your knowledge of English as well as US civics, and taking part in an oath ceremony.

You really do not have to know English though it seems. Thousands of people driving all over America do not know how to speak English putting everyone at risk including themselves. Some people believe this is political correctness run amuck. 

Are you eligible

In order to be eligible, you must have lawful permanent resident status and meet certain extra requirements to be eligible and you will need an immigration lawyer to make this process go smoother. These include the duration you have been in the United States as a lawful permanent resident, passing a test in English and in US history & government, and possessing the moral character test as well.

It is not just Americans who benefit from this incredible legal website: http://immigration.usattorneys.com/. Everyone in the world can utilize digital technology to help themselves become American citizens. The people in North Korea and Cuba will have to reach America first though to use this awesome site since those countries do not allow their people access to the Internet. If you need an immigration lawyer, if you are in America or far outside it, the website just given to you can help you in this immigration journey you have been on or are about to take.

Overcoming probable barriers to ineligibility

It is possible to find that you aren’t eligible for citizenship at that particular moment. For example, you may not meet the requirement of good moral character since you committed some type of minor crime or remained outside the US for a long period and therefore broke the continuity of residence. In such a case, you will need to work towards becoming eligible and consult an immigration attorney to evaluate your case.

File USCIS Form N-400

Once your eligibility is established, you will have to complete the mandatory paperwork with the USCIS or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This involves filing the N-400 form to begin the process. Currently, the cost of filing the application for naturalization is $595, along with a biometrics fee of $85. Make sure to attach a copy of your green card. Once your application is accepted, you will be informed of the date for biometric and fingerprinting.

Get fingerprinted

A background check is necessary before your application is processed. A date and the address of an office will be sent to you to undergo fingerprinting. The FBI will conduct a background check following the fingerprinting process.

Attend the citizenship interview

After the fingerprinting is over, you will be given an appointment date at the address indicated by a UCSIS officer for an interview. Here, the officer will scrutinize your N-400 application to substantiate your answers to every question. He/she will also test your knowledge of US civics and English. You only have to know a few facts, it does not mean you have to actually understand that much about why certain things happened and so on. But these facts are important, it is good to have some idea about America. But some people believe the test(s) should be a little more difficult but that is another topic.   

Information, for example, you do not have to know:

• Why did America fight against high taxes in the late 18^th century?
• What do high taxes do to the private sector?
• What does individualism mean?
• Why is a small government better than a large government in terms of job growth and productivity
• Was Abraham Lincoln a Republican?
• What is the national debt?
• How much money does America spend on education and health care? Is America getting its money worth?
• How many things did FDR do to make the Great Depression worse?
• What President knocked back the Soviet Union and stood up against them?
• Which party forced President Clinton to balance a budget
• Why is Texas doing well and California and New York not doing well?

You do not have to understand this, you only have to know a few facts. Do not worry about these types of questions. You do not have to know this. Your immigration lawyer will help you in terms of telling you what to focus on. Now if you do know the answers to these questions you could probably obtain a better position and understand more things about America and why things are what they are.

Oath ceremony

If your application for US citizenship is approved at the interview, you will be invited to a public ceremony, where you along with others will be administered an oath where you will have to swear your loyalty to the nation. When you are awarded the certificate of naturalization, you for all intentions and purposes have become a US citizen. Now you can breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice.

Do you have any questions about eligibility or are you confused about the process? If so, make sure to speak with an immigration lawyer immediately to make sure you file the paperwork correctly to you reach this point.