Immigration Attorney Tips: Citizenship Requirements

The ultimate goal of any immigrant is to become a U.S. citizen. Here is what you should know if you want to become a U.S. citizen.

1. You need to be a Lawful permanent resident (LPR) for five years (or three years if you got your LPR status through marriage to a U.S. citizen).
2. You have to be in the U.S. more than half of the last five years before filing for citizenship (or three years with marriage cases).
3. You have to show good moral character for the last five years (or three years with marriage cases). This means that you do not have serious crimes or arrests, you have paid your taxes, and have generally been a good resident of the U.S.
4. You need to pass a civics examination, answering 6 out of 10 questions from a list of 100 possible questions. The link to the 100 questions is here: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/100q.pdf
5. You need to be able to read a sentence in English, write a sentence in English, and generally communicate in the English language about your application.
6. Exceptions: You can waive the English test and take the civics test in your own language if you are 50 years old and have been an LPR for 20 years (50/20 rule) or if you are 55 and have been an LPR for 15 years (55/15 rule). You may also be eligible for a medical waiver of the English and civics test if you are unable to study or learn the English language due to illness or other medical-related reasons.

If you are considering applying for citizenship, there is a free clinic on September 23, 2023 sponsored by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Our staff, including attorney Scott Girard and his paralegal Liliana will be at the event with other immigration lawyers and professionals. We will be providing free legal assistance to anyone in the community who wants to file their citizenship applications. Legal advice will be limited to screening individuals for eligibility and preparing their applications on the day of the event. More information about the event can be found on the flyer below.

If you have questions about the event or your eligibility for citizenship, please contact our office at 913-210-0939.