Filing For Citizenship
How Immigration Desk Helps
Besides the obvious – that you now live in the US and fully intend to continue living here, there are some practical reasons why we recommend that clients file for US citizenship once they are eligible.
- If you own a business, as a US citizen, you may qualify to bid on government projects.
- As a US Citizen, you can apply for green card for close family members, your children, spouse, elderly parents. Green card holders cannot apply for some of these. And it is much faster if you are a US citizen.
- Your children are automatically US citizens, even if they are born abroad.
- You can vote and also run for political office.
- A US passport facilitates travel. If you travel overseas a lot, you are already aware of the shorter queues and processing times for US citizens at almost every airport in the world.
- US citizen services abroad. If you are overseas and ever run into any problems, be it your belongings getting stolen, you get stranded, or are accused of a crime, you want the might of the US and its consular services supporting you.
- And, also, if you have a green card and get into legal trouble, there is a possibility that you might be deported to your country of birth. With a US citizenship, there are very few chances of deportation.
In the past few decades, applying for citizenship has become complex, with many requirements that need to be met. Below are general guidelines. Please reach out to us to discuss how we can help make the process easy for you.
Eligibility Criteria
You can apply for US citizenship if
- You have been a green card holder for 5 years; or
- You have been a green card holder for 3 years and obtained your green card through your US citizen spouse; or
- You are a member of the US armed forces
If you meet one of these 3 requirements, you must also
- Have been living in the US over half the time
- Have a good moral character
- Be willing to take an oath of loyalty to the US
- Understand, speak, read and write in English
- And pass a US history and government test
What can stop you from filing
When you ask us to help with your citizenship application, we will first go over the general criteria to determine whether you qualify. If you do, we next discuss any conditions that will stop you from obtaining citizenship. Some of these can include
- Having a criminal or arrest record
- Not paying US taxes
- Not paying court ordered child support
- Not having a good moral character
- Forgetting to register for the Selective Services
There may be other criteria as well, which we can discuss to make sure you will qualify
How to file for citizenship
Once we are able to review your information and determine that you qualify, we will have you sign our Fee Agreement. In almost all cases, we will charge a flat fee for our services, which we let you know upfront.
Once you are a client, we help you collect all the needed documents and file for the citizenship application for you.
A few weeks later the Immigration Service will schedule for you to go to their center for fingerprinting. This process is called “biometrics”.
Several months later, depending on where you live and how busy your local US CIS office is, you will be called in for an in-person interview. At the interview, you will go over the petition with the officer, and also take the Citizenship exam. Before you go, we will prepare you for the interview and provide materials for you to study for the citizenship exam. You can also hire us to attend the interview with you, if there is need.
If the officer who is interviewing you finds something missing, or incomplete, he will send out a Request asking for more evidence. If everything is complete, the officer will let you know that your application is approved.
Once the application is approved, you will get sworn in before a judge, hand in your green card, and be issued a “Certificate of Naturalization”. With this, you can go down to the local post office and apply for your US passport.
How we can help
Most clients come to us because they do not want to deal with the paperwork and the USCIS, are either concerned that they do not meet the criteria, or that they have done something that will stop them from becoming citizens. Some just need to be able to continue international travel or have income outside the US and are concerned that becoming a US citizen will cause a problem to these needs. While these are the most common concerns, our clients sometimes have other issues as well. Whatever your reason, please know that in our decades of practice we have come probably across a situation similar to yours and will guide you each step of the way.
To talk with one of our attorneys, please contact us today.
Awards & Memberships
Testimonials
Extremely Talented Immigration Attorney
Anu is an extremely talented Immigration Attorney whom I recently hired to work on my immigration case. She is hard-working dedicated professional who is a person of high integrity. She has always offered the best possible advice to me. She and her team were able to file my petition in a very timely fashion. ...In situations that demand attention, you will find Anu approachable and very comfortable to talk to. On many occasions, I have been able to reach Anu directly and get my questions answered in no time. I would highly recommend Anu to anybody who is looking for an attorney who is trustworthy and reliable. You will not be disappointed! I am glad to have hired her.
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Knowledgeable, Accessible, Diligent
I have worked with Ms. Gupta for my citizenship process and she is a very knowledgeable attorney who is also easily accessible and available to answer questions. She and her team were very diligent about the paperwork and readily available to answer questions via email or phone. She is very supportive and patient in answering ...questions and provides great guidance. I was highly impressed with her response time, guidance and attention to detail.
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Vast Experience
I strongly recommend Anu Gupta for representation. I recently finished my process for naturalization, and she was super helpful in getting me through this process. She has vast experience which enables her to understand the intricacies on a case-by-case basis, especially complicated ones, and provide sound advice. ...More importantly, she is accessible at short notice and has a patient ear to go through any queries one may have, however trivial they may sound. Also she has a team of assistants who are always available for a call in case of clarifications. Overall, strongly recommended.
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