Sarpong Law Offices represents and counsels immigrants, their families, and their employers here in Denver, Colorado, throughout the United States, and the world. Our US Immigration and Nationality attorneys focus on minimizing unnecessary litigation, preventing costly mistakes and consulting on how to increase chances of approval and the likelihood of success with USCIS (formerly INS) procedures and immigration forms (applications and petitions). Our lawyers are experts in deportation and removal relief and defense, green card and adjustment of status applications and process, consular processing, family and employment visa process (K-1, K-2, K-3, K-4, H, E-1, E-2), and US citizenship and naturalization applications and process. As US Immigration and Nationality consultants and attorneys, we help you to increase your chances of success with USCIS and to save you money.
Filing for US Citizenship/Naturalization (N-400 Application for Naturalization)
Congratulations! If you believe that you are eligible and are considering filing for U.S. Citizenship/Naturalization, it means that you are on the last lap of an achievement many only dream about.
For some, the trickiest part about the process is figuring out whether they have satisfied the “continuous residency” requirement; for others, the headache is the “English Test” and the “Civic Test.” Whatever the challenge, you have come to the right place for help.
Filing for U.S. Citizenship or applying for Naturalization is not merely about completing forms. Anyone who can read and write can fill out forms. The issue is do you understand what the questions on the forms are asking you, do you understand the subtleties.
Our U.S. Citizenship/Naturalization Service does not only include preparing the N-400 application for you, but make sure that you have all the requisite documents for a successful application. We also help you prepare for the English and Civic Tests, if necessary. We also help you prepare for your initial USCIS interview, and may accompany you to that interview if necessary.
Requirements:
- Age
- Residency
- Continuous Residence and Physical Presence
- Good Moral Character (Crimes/Offenses)
- Attachment to the US Constitution
- English Test
- Civic Test
- Oath of Allegiance
- Veterans/LPR serving in the US Military
Document Checklist for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization
The U.S. Naturalization Test – English and Civics Requirements
Age
Applicants must be at least 18 years old to be able to file. If under 18, your parent (or the source/basis of eligibility) must file for you using a different application form.
Residency
An applicant must have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Lawfully admitted for permanent residence means having been legally accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States as an immigrant in accordance with the immigration laws.
Residence and Physical Presence
- An applicant is eligible to file if, immediately preceding the filing of the
application, he or she: - has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence;
- if filing while married to the U.S. Spouse through whom you obtained permanent residency, the continuous residency requirement is 3 years; if filing on your own, must have resided continuously as a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. for at least 5 years prior to filing with absences from the United States totaling no more than one year;
- has been physically present in the United States for at least 30 months out of the previous five years (absences of more than six months but less than one year break the continuity of residence unless the applicant can establish that he or she did not abandon his or her residence during such period);
- has resided within a state or district for at least three months.
Good Moral Character
What Crimes/Offenses may disqualify you from being a Naturalized U.S. Citizen
Generally, an applicant must show that he or she has been a person of good moral character for the statutory period (typically five years or three years if married to a U.S. citizen or one year for Armed Forces expedite) prior to filing for naturalization. The Service is not limited to the statutory period in determining whether an applicant has established good moral character. An applicant is permanently barred from naturalization if he or she has ever been convicted of murder. An applicant is also permanently barred from naturalization if he or she has been convicted of an aggravated felony as defined in section 101(a)(43) of the Act on or after November 29, 1990. A person also cannot be found to be a person of good moral character if during the last five years he or she:
- has committed and been convicted of one or more crimes involving moral turpitude
- has committed and been convicted of 2 or more offenses for which the total sentence imposed was 5 years or more
- has committed and been convicted of any controlled substance law, except for a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana
- has been confined to a penal institution during the statutory period, as a result of a conviction, for an aggregate period of 180 days or more
- has committed and been convicted of two or more gambling offenses
- is or has earned his or her principle income from illegal gambling
- is or has been involved in prostitution or commercialized vice
- is or has been involved in smuggling illegal aliens into the United States
- is or has been a habitual drunkard
- is practicing or has practiced polygamy
- has willfully failed or refused to support dependents
- has given false testimony, under oath, in order to receive a benefit under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
- An applicant must disclose all relevant facts to the Service, including his or her entire criminal history, regardless of whether the criminal history disqualifies the applicant under the enumerated provisions.
Attachment to the Constitution
An applicant must show that he or she is attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States.
Language (English Test)
- Applicants for naturalization must be able to read, write, speak, and understand words in ordinary usage in the English language. Applicants exempt from this requirement are those who on the date of filing:
- have been residing in the United States subsequent to a lawful admission for permanent residence for at least 15 years and are over 55 years of age;
- have been residing in the United States subsequent to a lawful admission for permanent residence for at least 20 years and are over 50 years of age; or
- have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, where the impairment affects the applicant’s ability to learn English.
United States Government and History Knowledge (Civic Test)
An applicant for naturalization must demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the history and of the principles and form of government of the United States. Applicants exempt from this requirement are those who, on the date of filing, have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment, where the impairment affects the applicant’s ability to learn U.S. History and Government.
Applicants who have been residing in the U.S. subsequent to a lawful admission for permanent residence for at least 20 years and are over the age of 65 will be afforded special consideration in satisfying this requirement.
Oath of Allegiance
- To become a citizen, one must take the oath of allegiance. By doing so, an applicant swears to:
- support the Constitution and obey the laws of the U.S.;
- renounce any foreign allegiance and/or foreign title; and
- bear arms for the Armed Forces of the U.S. or perform services for the government of the U.S. when required.
- In certain instances, where the applicant establishes that he or she is opposed to any type of service in armed forces based on religious teaching or belief, USCIS will permit these applicants to take a modified oath.
Veterans of U.S. Armed Forces
Certain applicants who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible to file for naturalization based on current or prior U.S. military service. Such applicants should file the N-400 Military Naturalization Packet.
Lawful Permanent Residents with Three Years U.S. Military Service
An applicant who has served for three years in the U.S. military and who is a lawful permanent resident is excused from any specific period of required residence, period of residence in any specific place, or physical presence within the United States if an application for naturalization is filed while the applicant is still serving or within six months of an honorable discharge.
To be eligible for these exemptions, an applicant must:
- have served honorably or separated under honorable conditions;
- completed three years or more of military service;
- be a legal permanent resident at the time of his or her examination on the application; or
- establish good moral character if service was discontinuous or not honorable.
Applicants who file for naturalization more than six months after termination of three years of service in the U.S. military may count any periods of honorable service as residence and physical presence in the United States.
An applicant who has served honorably during any of the following periods of conflict is entitled to certain considerations:
- World War I – 4/16/17 to 11/11/18;
- World War II – 9/1/39 to 12/31/46;
- Korean Conflict – 6/25/50 to 7/1/55;
- Vietnam Conflict – 2/28/61 to 10/15/78;
- Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm – 8/29/90 to 4/11/91;
- or any other period which the President, by Executive Order, has designated as a period in which the Armed Forces of the United States are or were engaged in military operations involving armed conflict with hostile foreign forces.
Applicants who have served during any of the aforementioned conflicts may apply for naturalization based on military service after qualifying service and the requirements for specific periods of physical presence in the United States and residence in the United States are waived.
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