Category: US Citizenship

Peter Hapak is a long-standing client of Berardi Immigration Law. Peter’s relationship with Berardi Immigration Law began when he decided it was time to settle permanently in the United States due to many of the opportunities available here. He decided to apply to become a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States after spending years […]

If you are a foreign national seeking to become an American citizen, the naturalization process can be a mixture of stress and excitement. One of the last steps to complete before naturalizing to a citizen is the civics test. Passing the civics test is required to become a citizen. A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services […]

On Friday, October 12, 2018, USCIS issued an alert that it will be updating policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the married and living in marital union requirements under section 319(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  In general, all naturalization applicants filing on the basis of marriage to a U.S. […]

USCIS announced that as a part of its ongoing modernization efforts, English reading and writing tests during naturalization interviews will now be administered on digital tablets. This change was unveiled on October 1st. While tablet usage is not completely new to USCIS processes, this step greatly expanded the use of this technology. Previously, digital tablets […]

A new policy proposal is expected to be released shortly by the Trump Administration that would make the process of obtaining citizenship or green cards more difficult for applicants that have used public benefits like the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Several news […]

Derivative citizenship is the term used to describe citizenship that is obtained by someone who is under the age of 18 whose parents naturalize. Obtaining citizenship in this manner is automatic. The requirements can vary depending on which year naturalization occurred.  Derivative citizenship is distinguishable from acquisition of citizenship. Acquisition of citizenship occurs when the […]

The qualifications determining whether a person born abroad can acquire U.S. citizenship vary based on each situation. Derivative citizenship is governed by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). This can be broken up into four main categories: birth abroad in wedlock to two U.S. citizen parents; birth abroad in wedlock to a U.S. citizen and […]

While there are several options available to obtain citizenship through naturalization, the most common path to obtain citizenship is for a green card holder who has resided in the U.S. for five years.  While there are certain exceptions, USCIS states the general eligibility requirements for this method of naturalization are as follows. A permanent resident […]

One way to obtain citizenship is naturalization through military service. Requirements will vary based on whether time in the military was served during peacetime or during periods of hostility. Generally, the applicants must show at least one year of qualifying service. These specific requirements are governed by special provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act […]

Many immigrants and visitors to the United States are often unsure how USCIS defines a day. Although it may not seem like a major issue, miscalculating days either within or out of the United States can have major consequences for foreign nationals either immigrating to or visiting the U.S. It is helpful to divide this […]