Immigration Law Blog on Lawyers.com

To be eligible for the naturalization process, an individual must first be a Lawful Permanent Resident. He or she must be at least 18 years old at the time of filing for citizenship.  For information on naturalization for minor children, please contact our lawyers for details on waivers and exceptions.

An individual must reside in the United States for a continuous period prior to the filing of the naturalization application. If the applicant is not married to an American citizen he or she must live in the U.S. for a continuous period of five years after lawful admission to the U.S. as a permanent resident. If an individual is married to a U.S. citizen, he or she must live in the United States for a continuous period of three years following lawful admission to the U.S. as a permanent resident. In the latter case, the individual must be married to and reside with the spouse citizen for three years before the applicant’s exam date and the spouse must have been a U.S. citizen during that entire time.

Residence is required for three months immediately preceding the filing of the naturalization application. Continuous residence in the United States is also required from the date of filing until actual admission to citizenship.

The applicant must have an ability to read, write and speak ordinary English. This is ability is determined through oral and written tests administered by an immigration examiner during the naturalization interview.  There are some exemptions to the language requirement; consult our attorneys for more details on possible waivers.
The applicant must have both knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of U.S. history and government. This ability is determined by administration of a multiple choice test. Generally, even those person who are exempt from English requirement must still meet this requirement.

The application for naturalization must have good moral character and attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution. Please contact the Akano Law Offices for information on how to fulfill this requirement.

If you want to start the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, call the immigration and naturalization attorneys at the Akano Law Offices.