Are you,
you fiancée, child or spouse eligible for naturalization?
America
is a land of dreams and opportunities. Every year a swarm of people
from around the world file for a US immigration visa. However, the
immigration process or the naturalization process for those seeking
US citizenship is quite extensive and complex. In such a scenario, it
is important that you consult the best immigration lawyer in NJ to get expert opinion as well as support to help you get
through the process successfully.
What,
exactly, is naturalization?
Naturalization
is the process through which a foreign national or citizen can get
the American citizenship once he or she successfully completed all
the requirements as laid down by the Congress in Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA).
To become
eligible for naturalization, an individual should first be a lawful
permanent resident and at least 18 years of age at the time of filing
an application for citizenship of the United States. For minor
children, there are some specific rules for naturalization. If you're
living in (say) New Jersey, you can consult an immigration attorney
in NJ to discuss about exceptions and waivers for minor children
seeking naturalization.
An
individual looking for naturalization should also reside in the US
for a continual period ahead of filing an application for
naturalization. In case the individual is not married to a US
citizen, he or she should live in America for a period of 5 years
following a lawful admission to the United States as a permanent
resident. For people married to American citizens, he or she should
live in the US for a continual period of 3 years after their lawful
admission to the USA as a permanent resident. And, the individual
married to an American citizen should live with his or her spouse for
at least 3 years before the exam date of the applicant. The American
citizen spouse should have been a citizen of the United States during
the said time.
- Residency of three months is necessary following the filing of application for naturalization. Continual residency in the US is also mandatory from the of filing the application till the date of admission to citizenship. For more details, you can consult an immigration lawyer in New Jersey.
- A child can qualify for naturalization in case your are an American citizen, the child was born away from the USA, the child is currently living outside America and meet all other requirements for the eligibility for naturalization.
- Along with these requirements, it is also necessary that the individual must be able to speak, read and write general English, which is evaluated on the basis of written and oral tests supervised by an examiner from the immigration department during the scheduled naturalization interview.
However,
an individual may by default be an American citizen and not require
to apply for US naturalization in case his or her adoptive or
biological parents received an American citizenship before the
individual reached 18 years of age.
The
applicant should posses both the understanding and knowledge of the
basic US government and history, which can be evaluated through a
multiple choice questionnaire. In general, individuals who are exempt
from this requirements should ideally meet this requirement. In
addition, an applicant should have good moral and cultural character
and must posses attachment the basic principles of the American
constitution. You immigration attorney in NJ can help you understand
the process effectively.
To become
an American citizen, you can consult the best immigration lawyer in New Jersey and discuss your requirements. You must ideally discuss all
aspects of your eligibility to get naturalization.