Gaining U.S. Citizenship - Naturalization

Now that I have been working with immigrants for more than 20 years, many have reached the point of qualifying for naturalization - the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. To qualify, you must first be a permanent resident for 3 years (if married to a U.S. citizen) or 5 years (if you gained permanent residence through employment or other family relationships). You must not have been out of the U.S. for more than 6 months without requesting "advanced parole" from the USCIS. You must not have been convicted of a crime. If you are a male who was a permanent resident in the U.S. between your 18th and 26th birthday, you must have registered at the post office for "selective service" (military). There are a few other things that you will be asked on the form, such as "have you ever been a member of the Nazi party ?(!)," but most of the other questions that are asked are highly unlikely to be a problem.

I was recently contacted by a scientist in Washington State who is ready to file for naturalization. It is particularly important in years when the U.S. has elections because one great privilege of citizenship is that you get to vote and help guide the future of the nation or even of your local politics. In the case of a scientist, there are quite a few grants he will be able to get once he is a U.S. citizen that he cannot get as a permanent resident (as well as employment in U.S. government agencies). Finally, for many immigrants, the biggest prize is the U.S. passport, which allows you to travel to many countries in the world without a visa, and which allows you to return to the U.S. without ever fearing that "something will go wrong" with your green card. U.S. citizenship can never be revoked, once granted, unless it is found in future that fraud was committed on the path to obtaining it. Another great privilege is that it is much easier to petition for relatives (and particularly, a non-immigrant spouse) if you are a U.S. citizen.

The form to file for naturalization is form N-400 and it is quite long. For a busy scientist, it is hard to get through it. I will complete the form for him and by faxing back and forth, we will get it in shape to submit. Once submitted, he will simply have to go for a finger-printing and photograph appointment at his local USCIS, and then go for the citizenship "test;" which in some districts is simply a 5-minute interview. Once he passes that, he just waits for the next opportunity when he can be sworn in as a U.S. citizen. On the very same day, if he wishes, he can apply for his U.S. passport. It's a fun process with a great reward.