Any person who is not a U.S. citizen at birth may become a citizen of the United States by Naturalization. The process of Naturalization requires the filing of a Naturalization or Citizenship application with Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS).
We handle the entire N-400 and N-600 application process. Our job is to take you through the process from filing the N-400 or N-600 forms, preparing you for the citizenship interview, and attending the interview with you. We may be able to help you whether you have a criminal conviction, or have difficulty passing the English language requirement or the U.S. history test because of health, or age, or learning disability.
Requirements:
a) LPR status:
An applicant must be a lawful permanent resident for 5 years. If an applicant obtained his/her LPR status through marriage to a U.S. citizen and continues to be married with the U.S. citizen spouse, the statutory period is 3 years.
b) Continuous Residency:
An applicant for citizenship must maintain residency in the United States for the statutory period of 5 or 3 years depending on how the LPR status was obtained. To meet continuous residency requirement, an applicant must reside in the United States for at least 6 months each year for the period. Incidental trips outside the United States do not constitute absence for citizenship purposes. However, a lawful permanent resident who obtains employment overseas that is not U.S. government employment or religious work constitutes absence from the United States .
c) Good moral character:
To be eligible for citizenship, the applicant must have a good moral character. The regulations do not define good moral character, but gives the BCIS examiner broad discretion in deciding what constitutes “good moral character.” Generally, good moral character is found where the applicant’s conduct falls within the standard conduct of a reasonable, law abiding citizen. In this regard, the BCIS carefully scrutinizes the petitions where the petitioners have had contacts with law enforcement agencies or who has criminal convictions. Applicants who have contacts with law enforcement agencies or who have criminal convictions during statutory period of 3 to 5 years are rarely naturalized. If you have a conviction and are considering to apply for citizenship, we advise that you consult an attorney first.
Process:
The process of applying for citizenship requires completion of Form N-400 for adults and Form N-600 for minors under the age of 16. The completed Naturalization application form is filed with the BCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over the applicant’s State of residency. The application must be accompanied by a copy of the alien’s LPR card and 2 passport photos.
Fee:
The filing fees for N-400 are $595 plus $80 for fingerprints
(not required for applicants under the age of 14). The
filing fee for N-600 is $460
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