GENERAL FACTORS CONSIDERED IN DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY

There are three general factors that help determine your eligibility to be naturalized as a United States citizen, they are:

• The length of time you have been a lawful permanent resident (green card holder)

• How much time you have spent living in the United States



• Whether or not you have served in any branch of the United States military

In most cases, you will have to be a valid green card holder as the first factor to determine if you are eligible to be naturalized. Different circumstances surrounding how you received your green card affect your timeline for eligibility for naturalization. Along with the length of time you have possessed a green card, your eligibility for naturalization is also factored upon how long you have actually physically lived in the United States. Your time living in the United States does not have occur consecutively, you can add up the time you have lived from separate time periods if applicable. For many people this is not an issue as they have not lived outside the United States since receiving their green cards. Finally, service in the military or being the widow of a United States citizen who died while serving in any branch of the United States military can fast-track your ability to be naturalized.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DETERMINE TIMELINE FOR ELIGIBILITY

There are a variety of circumstances that can either shorten or lengthen the period of time you have to wait before becoming eligible for naturalization. The types of circumstances and associated timelines for naturalization eligibility include:

GENERAL CATEGORIES 

MILITARY SERVICE 

These are the most common groups of people who are eligible for naturalization to become United States citizens. If you don’t fit into one of these groups, you may still be eligible. It is recommended that you seek the advice of an experienced immigration and naturalization attorney to best answer your questions about your specific eligibility for naturalization.

THE POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF ELIGIBILITY

Your status as a naturalized citizen confers many of the same entitlements and benefits as being a natural born United States citizen. One of the main benefits of citizenship is that you cannot be deported back to your country of origin. A lawful permanent resident (green card holder) does not have the same luxury. You can lose your eligibility to become a naturalized citizen and even face deportation and removal proceedings if you accused of a crime that calls into question your “good moral character.” If you are currently facing a criminal charge, or have been charged in the past, then you may be need to obtain a waiver to be eligible for naturalization.

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.