USCIS Changes the form and filing fees to Apply for Naturalization

To be eligible for U.S. naturalization based on being a lawful permanent resident for at least five years, you must: Prove you have been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. for at least five years; Demonstrate continuous residence in the U.S. for at least five years immediately before applying for naturalization; Show you have been physically present in the U.S. for at least 30 months out of the five years immediately before applying for naturalization; and Pass the naturalization test. The naturalization test consists of the English and civics test. The applicant must show his/her ability to read, write, and speak basic English. The interviewing USCIS officer will ask the applicant to read a sentence in English and to write a sentence in English. If the applicant demonstrates his/her ability to read, write, and speak English, the applicant passes this portion of the test. The civics test is an oral test, and the applicant is asked questions about the American government and history. The USCIS officer will ask the applicant up to 10 questions from the list of 100 civics test questions. To pass this portion of the test, the applicant must answer at least 6 questions correctly. If the applicant satisfies all of the eligibility requirements and passes the naturalization test, the last step before naturalizing is to attend the oath ceremony to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. If you have any questions and would like more information about your eligibility for naturalization, please contact our office to schedule a consultation with our experienced immigration attorneys.

The Military Selective Service Act requires all men living in the United States to register with the Selective Service System within 30 days of turning 18 years old and up to 26 years of age. The Selective Service System (SSS) is used by the U.S. government to draft soldiers into service during times of war. There are a few exceptions to the registration requirement: First, if you hold non-immigrant status until the age of 26, you do not have to register with the SSS. Second, if you enter the U.S. after the age of 26, you do not have to register with the SSS, as the age requirement to register is between 18 and 26. Third, men born after March 29, 1957, and before December 31, 1959, are not required to register. To verify online go to: https://www.sss.gov/verify/ . The information you will need to provide is your last name, social security number, and date of birth. If you find your registration record, download, and print an official Selective Service Registration Acknowledgement Letter from the website and include it with your application. This is sufficient to show that you registered. If you can’t verify your registration because you don’t have a social security number or you didn’t have one when you registered, or you prefer to call, you need to call the SSS at: (888) 655-1825 . Note, failure to register will not automatically lead to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services denying your naturalization application. In fact, even if you did not register and you were required to do so, the USCIS cannot deny your application if you show that you did not know you were required to register, or the failure to register wasn’t intentional. If you have any questions, please schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys and we will be more than happy to assist you.

You have reached the end of your journey to become a US Citizen – you’ve had your green card for the required amount of time, and you have successfully completed and filed your N-400 form to finally apply to become a US Citizen. You just got your N-400 interview notice in the mail, but what happens at this interview?