Once settled for a few years in the United States, the next dream of many immigrants is to obtain citizenship or “naturalization”to access more rights and benefits.
In this case, the official website of the Washington New Americans program provides a summary of the requirements that must be met. These are:
1. Be over 18 years old.
2. Have a permanent legal residence in the United States and respect one of the following points.
The first situation lists these conditions.
If the residence permit is for at least five years:
– Have not left the United States for more than six months.
– Be physically present in the country for at least 30 months.
Another possibility is the following:
If legal permanent residency was obtained three years ago:
– Have been married to a US citizen for three years or have lived together for at least three years.
– Have not left the United States for more than six months.
– Have been physically present for a total of 18 months in the United States.
3. Have good moral character. This point will be determined based on your criminal record and honesty demonstrated during the application process.
Some offenses may result in an application being rejected or expelled.
On the other hand, if the person’s criminal record has been abducted or if the crimes occurred many years ago or before the age of 18, they will not necessarily preclude US citizenship. Although legal assistance may be needed. Immigration specialists are suitable for such cases.
4. Read, write and speak English at a basic level. Except for the following points:
– Be over 50 years old.
– Present legal permanent residency in the United States for 20 years at the time of applying for naturalization.
In these cases, an interpreter will be needed for the interview.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of US government and history. There is a list of 100 questions that can be studied in advance. At the interview, the officer will ask ten random questions from that list. The person must answer six of these ten questions correctly.
People over the age of 65 and with 20 years of residence are administered a shorter questionnaire.
Disability waivers may also be claimed.
The citizenship application fee is US$725. Those with limited resources can request a lower payment or a waiver of this amount.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.