U.S. Citizenship (Naturalization)

Once you are a citizen, Trump can never deport you!

Now that the election is over, MANY people are asking how laws could change or what the best way is to avoid immigration problems. The answer? BECOME A CITIZEN!

“I recommend Justin as a lawyer. Justin and his team were very helpful. Whenever I had questions, they were there to assist me quick. I was able to become a permanent resident thanks to his hard work. They are very professional.”

Ian Soto

What about my green card?

Even though your green card says “permanent resident,” you really are not “permanent.” You can be deported at any time for certain violations of criminal or immigration laws. You can easily avoid this by becoming a citizen as soon as you are eligible. They can try to take your green card from you, but they can almost never take away your citizenship!

Vote for your representatives

We have also recently witnessed another good reason (besides avoiding deportation) to gain citizenship: getting the right to vote! Our country has NEVER been in more need of serious, comprehensive and common-sense immigration reform, and we just elected possibly the worst possible president for that. Imagine if all eligible green card holders applied for and were granted citizenship before an election and voted…who might our president be then?

Am I Eligible?

To be eligible for citizenship, you must meet the following qualifications:

  • 5 years (or 3, if you are married to a U.S. citizen) of living in the U.S., at least half of which you actually are residing here in the U.S. You can still take trips out of the country, but should never stay out of the country for more than 6 months at one time.
  • Live in the state where you file your application for at least 3 months.
  • You are at least 18 years old.
  • You have “good moral character.” If you have any crimes on your record, you MUST seek the advice of an attorney before applying for citizenship.
  • You are able to speak, read and write in English (unless you qualify for the 50/20 or 55/15 exemption or are mentally incapable of taking the exam).
  • You can pass the history exam.
  • You are willing to swear allegiance to the United States.

It should be noted that applying for citizenship opens your entire file to review by USCIS, and if there are any discrepancies or errors in your file, it could have drastic consequences. This is why a competent attorney should help you with this process. This is especially true with President Trump in office, since he has vowed to aggressively go after criminals and deport them. Having a crime doesn’t mean you are automatically ineligible for citizenship, but you should get your case evaluated by an experienced attorney ASAP.

“Great support from Lawyer Justin Sweeney and his staff, all way up to the last minute. I’m so grateful for find him. Highly recommend!”

Marta Ramirez

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