Port St. Lucie
Naturalization & Citizenship
“Naturalization,” or the process of becoming a citizen, can give you new rights, security in your legal status, and the ability to bring family members into the United States and register your children as citizens.
The naturalization process can be difficult, but with the help of the Law Office of Olivia C. Cummings, you can have professional experience guiding you along the way to achieving your dream.
Port St. Lucie
Naturalization & Citizenship
For many of our clients, becoming a U.S. citizen is their ultimate goal in the immigration process.
“Naturalization,” or the process of becoming a citizen, can give you new rights, security in your legal status, and the ability to bring family members into the United States and register your children as citizens.
The naturalization process can be difficult, but with the help of the Law Office of Olivia C. Cummings, you can have professional experience guiding you along the way to achieving your dream.
Requirements for Naturalization
The main requirement you must meet in order to apply for Naturalization is being a lawful permanent resident. If you have a green card, and you’re at least 18 years old, you may be eligible to apply for naturalization, as long as you are in one of the following situations:
- You have been a lawful permanent resident for at least 5 years
- You are married to a U.S. citizen and have been a lawful permanent resident for at least 3 years
- You have served in the U.S. military, in which case your naturalization might be expedited
Once you’ve determined that you meet the minimum requirements for Naturalization, you must determine whether there are any negative factors in your record that may create any potential obstacles during your Naturalization process.
Obstacles to Naturalization
Even if you do meet the minimum requirements, you may still run into some problems that could prevent you from obtaining citizenship:
- Arrests or unresolved criminal issues on your record
- Previous fraud or inconsistencies in your immigration applications
- Tax issues
- Long absences from the U.S. during your permanent residency
- Failure to pass the qualifying English and Civics exams (more on this below)
If you run into any of these issues in the process of your application, it’s crucial that you seek the advice of a Port St. Lucie immigration attorney with experience helping clients navigate these obstacles, like our team at The Law Office of Olivia C. Cummings.
The Process of Becoming a U.S. Citizen
The good news is that, with the help of a seasoned immigration lawyer, the process of applying for citizenship has never been easier.
If you’re eligible for Naturalization, our team can help you apply for citizenship in just 4 easy steps:
Step 1
File Form N-400, Application for Naturalization
Step 2
Review and submit all necessary documents with your application, such as evidence of your valid green card, your bona fide marriage, your arrest record, etc.
Step 3
Participate in an interview with a United States Citizen & Immigration Services (USCIS) officer.
Step 4
Take an exam that will test your knowledge of the English language, and U.S. history and government
Once you’ve successfully completed all of these steps, the USCIS will notify you of their decision, and if approved, invite you to attend an Oath Ceremony. Usually, it takes between 6 months to a year from the time you apply for citizenship to finalize the Naturalization process.
Case Study
CASE TYPE:
Naturalization/Citizenship Application Approval (with a criminal record)
CLIENT:
Jamaican national who had been a legal permanent resident in the U.S. since she was a child. When she was younger, she received Adjudication of Guilt Withheld for a Grand Theft offense. She thought her criminal history wouldn’t affect her Naturalization process because her records were ordered sealed by a judge.
GOAL:
Naturalization
RESULTS:
The client tried applying for Naturalization on her own, but she was denied due to her inability to prove Good Moral Character (GMC). She came to me for help after her denial. When I prepped her application, I explained the statutory guidance applicable to her case (being that the incident occurred more than 5 years ago and as a result, the USCIS had no legal authority in which to question the client about the incident). I also prepped her case with tons of supporting evidence to prove that despite her record, she did in fact possess the requisite Good Moral Character for Naturalization. Her case was approved with no Requests For Additional Evidence or pushback. The client was young, recently divorced, and wanted a fresh start. Becoming a U.S. Citizen was the last goal on her list so that she could move on to the next chapter in her life.
”After applying for citizenship on my own and being denied, I came to Olivia for help. She was able to file my appeal under a very tight deadline and convinced immigration to approve me for citizenship. Throughout the entire process, Olivia was very professional and understanding. She will go out of her way to fight for your case.
~ John M.
