To apply for citizenship, you must first have your green card for a certain period of time. Generally, you must hold your green card for at least five years before you can apply for citizenship. However, in some cases, if you are married to a U.S. citizen and have been married to that U.S. citizen for at least three years, you may be able to apply for naturalization as early as three years after receiving your green card instead of the normal five years. 3. Your petition will be denied, in which case you will receive a letter from USCIS stating this decision and your options. If you believe you deserve admission to U.S. citizenship, you can appeal (request a hearing with a USCIS official) within 30 days of receiving the rejection letter. USCIS will then schedule a hearing within 180 days. If the USCIS officer denies your request after the hearing and you still think you deserve a permit, you can ask for a U.S. District Court to review your case.
From getting a green card to getting a U.S. citizenship test and interview, it can take a long time to become a U.S. citizen. While the process is not too difficult, it can be complex. This video describes the requirements for U.S. citizenship and the timelines for each. If everything has been successfully processed, the next step is to make an appointment for your exam and interview, both of which will take place on the same day. Your exams and interview usually take place approximately eight to twelve months after you submit your application. Although this step is not too difficult, it is always good to prepare adequately to pass the test and interview without major problems.
In general, the continuous residency requirement applies to travel outside the United States for an extended period of time. If someone leaves the United States for more than 180 days but less than 365 days, USCIS will assume that this person has disrupted their continuity of residence and, therefore, that person has not resided in the United States permanently. In most cases, you will also need to pass the U.S. citizenship test. Normally, this test takes place on the same day as your interview. To avoid retaking the test, be sure to prepare in advance for the English proficiency and civic sections of the test. If you do not pass, you must retake part or both of the test to proceed with your citizenship application. If you need to retake the exam, you must return to your appointment location 60 to 90 days after the date of the initial exam. Some benefits that immigrants enjoy after the U.S. citizens include fewer travel restrictions, eligibility for government jobs, easier access to U.S. government jobs, fewer risks of deportation, and health privileges. Some people believe they have this „secret” or „trick” to speed up the citizenship process.
The truth is that there is no real way to speed up the process significantly. Although citizens who sponsor family members can be fast-tracked, you still see several months of waiting. If all goes well and you have provided all the documents USCIS needs to make a decision, your naturalization application can be approved on the same day as your citizenship interview and exam. Otherwise, USCIS will have 120 days (four months) from the date of your citizenship interview and test to notify you of its decision in writing. Specifically, you will receive Form N-652 (officially called the „Notice of Examination Results”). Filing your application file correctly and proper preparation for the interview and citizenship test are important to ensure that USCIS can approve your petition as soon as possible. However, naturalization is not the only way to become a U.S. citizen. In fact, there are four types of citizenship. FileRight`s experts can help you apply for U.S. citizenship today.
Don`t risk making mistakes that can cost you a lot of time and money. With our services, you can rest assured that you are getting it right the first time and that you are embarking on the path to citizenship. Contact us today to learn more. In this article, we will delve deeper into the issue so that you can understand the different factors that influence the time it takes to get your citizenship in the United States. First, to be a U.S. citizen, you must first become a lawful permanent resident, which means you must first become a green card holder. Only after you get your green card for a while can you apply for citizenship. The citizenship application process is also called naturalization. To become a naturalized citizen, you must file Form N-400 with USCIS. Have you waited a long time for your green card, visa, deportation hearing or other immigration application? At any given time, there are millions of immigrants who sometimes wait months or even years to arrive in the United States.
If you`re already in the United States, it can seem like an eternity waiting to hear about immigration. So how long does it take to become a U.S. citizen? As we discussed, it first depends on how long you have to wait after receiving your green card to apply for naturalization. It can take five or three years. Then it depends on how much time you spent outside the U.S. in the years immediately preceding the citizenship application. If you`ve spent a lot of time outside the United States, it can affect you in several ways. First, if it can be proven that you do not meet the physical presence requirement (the requirement that you spend at least half of the last five or three years in the United States), or if you have made longer trips outside the United States for more than six months, or even a year or more, it can be proven that you have disrupted your continued stay. As a reminder, the usual minimum period during which a person must have his green card before applying for citizenship is five years. But in some cases, if the green card holder is married to a U.S. citizen and has been married to that U.S. citizen for at least three years since receiving their green card, they can apply for citizenship as early as three years.
I hope this overview will give you a better understanding of most of the rules of U.S. citizenship. If you still have questions, it`s wise to consult a U.S. immigration attorney for more detailed answers. Before that, you must first be a permanent resident or have held a green card for at least five years. If you are registering as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, at least three years of residency is sufficient. Here`s a brief summary of how long the naturalization process will take – from filing the application to the swearing-in ceremony (with helpful details on what you can expect at each step below): This includes marriage provisions.
Many people mistakenly believe that marriage is a quick way to get citizenship. However, USCIS takes marriage fraud very seriously, and the number of investigations they conduct to ensure the marriage is legitimate can take about the same amount of time. „Biometrics” is just a technical term for your fingerprints as well as your photos and/or signatures. USCIS typically schedules the required biometric appointment about a month after you receive your application for U.S. citizenship. You will receive an appointment letter (Form I-797C, officially called a Notice of Action) from USCIS stating when and where your fingerprints, photos, and signature will be collected. These are used to verify your identity. USCIS also forwards your fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a background check. At this point, you will also need to provide biometric data such as fingerprints, photo, and signature. You must make an appointment to complete this step. Ultimately, your application and biometric processing will take approximately six to ten months after submission.
One of the privileges of U.S. citizenship is the right to vote. (Photo by Edward Linsmier/Getty. [+] If the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) doesn`t see any problems with your application, they will usually approve your application the same day you interview and test for citizenship. If not, they have 120 days from the date of your interview and test to inform you in writing of their decision. After passing your test and interview, you must take your oath of allegiance. This usually happens about a year after the first submission. Once you take the oath, you are officially a citizen of the United States. The oath of allegiance is an integral part of the naturalization process that many people mistakenly find trivial, so don`t miss it. If you are unable to attend your oath of allegiance ceremony, you will need to return the notification to your local USCIS office with a letter requesting a new date and explaining why you cannot do it on the original date.
Not showing up more than once at your naturalization ceremony may result in the rejection of your application. If you have a green card, you can apply for U.S. citizenship five years after you receive your green card. You must also have been physically present in the United States for two and a half of those five years. There is only one exception. The spouse of a U.S. citizen residing in the United States must have resided continuously in the United States as a permanent resident for at least three years immediately prior to the date of application. In this case, the spouse must also prove that he or she has been physically present in the United States for at least one and a half years of those three years. The most common way to become a U.S.
citizen is through the naturalization process. To be eligible, a candidate must: In many cases, your oath of fidelity ceremony will also take place on the same day as your interview and exam, provided your application is approved.