Residency and Citizenship
Residency/Green Card
Permanent Residence also known as a “green card” is usually a two-step process.
Step 1: Petitioning the immigrant applicant.
Step 2: Immigrant’s application for permanent residence.
The typical way for an individual to obtain permanent residence is through having a family member or business petition/sponsor the immigrant applicant. After an approved petition, the immigrant will then need to apply for permanent residence. If the immigrant is in the United States, he or she may be able to apply for adjustment of status. If the immigrant is outside of the United States, he or she will apply for an immigrant visa at the U.S. consulate.
Marriage to a U.S. citizen is one way in which many of our clients obtain permanent residence. We’ve been successfully representing our clients in obtaining their permanent residence through spouse petitions.
Citizenship/Naturalization
Citizenship is the final step in an immigrant’s journey of U.S. immigration applications! We highly recommend individuals apply for naturalization/citizenship as soon as they are able to qualify. Applying for citizenship involves multiple steps including passing an English and U.S. history/civics exam. Thereafter, the applicant’s full immigration history is reviewed to determine if the applicant qualifies for citizenship.
Even if a person passes the examination and interview, the person is not officially a U.S. citizen until the person takes an oath and participates in the naturalization ceremony.
It is rare for an immigrant to obtain automatic citizenship unless the person falls within certain parameters.
Naturalization still puts an applicant under review by an immigration officer. It’s recommended to still go through the process with an attorney to ensure a successful outcome.