REQUIRED STEPS TOWARDS YOUR UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP

When applying for naturalization to become a United States citizen, you will have to successfully navigate through the following five major steps:

  • Application for Naturalization

    The first step in becoming a naturalized United States citizen is to file an Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) with United States Citizenship and Naturalization Services (USCIS). You will have to include a filing fee (currently $725) with your Application for Naturalization unless you are exempt or allowed to pay a reduced fee due to financial hardship. You are typically allowed to file an Application for Naturalization both through the mail or online with USCIS. If you are a military-based naturalization applicant who is applying from another country, then you will likely be limited to only using the mail to submit your Application for Naturalization.


    Note: You are eligible to submit your Application for Naturalization as early as 90 days before reaching the end of your specific waiting period. This will give you a jump start on your application process.

  • Biometrics Appointment

    About a month after you have filed your Application for Naturalization (Form N-400), then you will be called in for your “Biometrics Appointment.” This really just a fancy legal way to say that USCIS will take your fingerprints and take photographs of you. The Biometrics appointment is where USCIS runs a criminal background check on you and looks to determine if you have ever entered the United States illegally or have been deported in the past. There is no interview during this appointment, nor is there any blood sample or DNA collected from you unless there is some cause for concern about a family blood relation. The Biometrics appointment is generally fast, where USCIS usually completes Biometrics appointments in less than 30 minutes.

  • Citizenship Interview

    You are typically brought into a USCIS office for your citizenship interview just over a year after you have filed your Application for Naturalization (Form N-400). This timeline varies depending on where you live, where some USCIS field offices being busier than others. If you are applying while residing in the United States, then your interview will take place at the nearest USCIS office to you based on your ZIP code. If you are applying for naturalization from abroad, then your interview will take place at the United States Embassy or Consulate in the county in  which you are residing. If you are an active member of any branch of the United States military, then your interview could take place at a military base. The main function of the citizenship interview is for USCIS to verify all of the information included on your Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) to be true, and to ask any additional questions that may have raised concerns with USCIS.

  • Citizenship Exam

    The citizenship exam is given at the same time of the citizenship interview. This is a two-part test that is required for naturalization that includes: 1) an English language test which examines your ability to speak, read, and write the English language, and 2) a civics test which examines your knowledge of United States history and government. You will be given study materials from USCIS to help pass the citizenship exams and are given two opportunities to pass the exam. If you don’t pass the first time, you will be allowed another opportunity to retake the exam at a later date. If you don’t pass the citizenship interview and exam, then you will have to reapply for naturalization or be successful in appealing the decision of USCIS.

  • Oath of Allegiance

    This is the easiest and most exciting step in the naturalization process. Once your Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) is approved by USCIS, then you will be required to attend an Oath of Allegiance ceremony. You will turn in your green card and receive a Certificate of Naturalization confirming your new status as a naturalized citizen of the United States!

Note: your overall timeline to successfully naturalize as a United States citizen is generally between 12-18 months (1-1.5 years) from the time you first apply. Processing times vary according to many variables including where you live and any changes in immigration policy coming from the President of the United States.

WHY CHOOSE YOU ARE HOME TO HELP YOU BECOME A

NATURALIZED CITIZEN?

You Are Home is a team of immigration lawyers whose mission is to help you obtain your United States citizenship while answering your questions and concerns along the way. Our main goal at You Are Home is to make your naturalization process as simple and pain free as possible. As a You Are Home client, you will be paired with an experienced immigration attorney who will help you identify any potential issues with your case, while also helping guide you through each step together as a team in order to help you best achieve success. Our immigration attorneys are experienced not only in helping people file immigration paperwork and prepare for their naturalization interviews; they have also successfully defended clients facing detention and deportation in immigration court. When you have You Are Home on your side, you will be prepared for whatever legal obstacles that could appear in the way of obtaining your United States citizenship.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH YOU ARE HOME TODAY!

You Are Home is proud to offer consultations with our immigration attorneys via phone or videoconference via Zoom. If you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our  experienced immigration attorneys to answer your questions and review your documents, you may do so here . If you decide to hire You Are Home to help you further with your naturalization case or any other immigration legal service that we offer, then we will credit your consultation fee towards the cost of those services. Don’t go it alone, let the experienced attorneys at You Are Home help you officially make the United States your (new) home country.