For the month of July, Berardi Immigration Law will be presenting a series of blog posts concerning the naturalization process. Naturalization is the process by which the United States grants citizenship to a foreign national. Naturalization requirements are set forth by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lists ways in which you may qualify for citizenship through naturalization:
Qualifying service in the U.S. armed forces and meeting all other eligibility requirements;
Permanent residency for at least five years and meeting all other eligibility requirements;
Permanent residency for three years and meeting all other requirements to file as a spouse of a U.S. citizen; or,
Citizenship through your parents.
The most important thing to do while going through the naturalization process and interview is to answer all questions truthfully. Lying during this process can result in denial of citizenship or citizenship being revoked. The best policy is to be well prepared ahead of time for the Citizenship Test and potential interview topics. Be very familiar with your Citizenship application form, since questions asked during the interview are generally very similar. It is also important that you bring all necessary documents to the interview. Failing to do so can result in delays or even denial. Demonstrate to the officer that you take this process seriously: arrive on time, dress up and be respectful to the officer.
There are many benefits to obtaining U.S. citizenship. Some benefits include voting, bringing family members to the U.S., traveling with a U.S. passport and being eligible for Federal jobs. Applicants may gain these benefits through citizenship without necessarily giving up a prior nationality. Because of the permanent benefit and serious nature of this, we recommend contacting an attorney regarding this process. Berardi Immigration Law is happy to assist with any questions or concerns you have regarding naturalization!
Please sure to check back for more posts about naturalization throughout the month of July!
