An application for U.S Citizenship is by no means an easy task. Many applicants have applied for citizenship only to learn that their applications were denied before ever having taken the citizenship test. Numerous issues are considered by the Department of Homeland Security in assessing a candidate's entire immigration record from their initial application for immigration benefits through their application for U.S citizenship. This is why it is important to ask oneself, “Do I need to hire a lawyer for my citizenship application?” or “How can a citizenship lawyer help me?”
For starter's make sure that you have no outstanding arrest warrants. As obvious as this may sound, we have has numerous clients who claim to have been unaware of warrants that were issued years before, only to have the issue arise after having submitted their Form, N-400 Application for Naturalization. Some of these warrants have even been in different jurisdictions. A U.S citizenship lawyer can help with this matter and spare you pain and heartache as well as government filing fees for an application that will inevitably be denied.
The actual citizenship test is largely considered to be simple and unintimidating. Our office sees most issues in citizenship applications in the application processing stage. Having a citizen lawyer purposes also ensures that the application, which is a total of twenty (21) pages, is filled out accurately and completely in order to avoid any undue delay or complications that may arise from an erroneous or inaccurate application.
Though it may seem that most do not need to hire lawyers for citizenship applications, there are simply too many ways a lawful permanent resident may not qualify for citizenship. Arrests and inconsistencies in previous immigration applications have resulted in denied citizenship applications and in some cases has resulted in applicants before an Immigration Judge in Removal Proceedings. Some citizenship applications can be denied if there are unpaid taxes as well.
An application for U.S Citizenship is by no means an easy task. Many applicants have applied for citizenship only to learn that their applications were denied before ever having taken the citizenship test. Numerous issues are considered by the Department of Homeland Security in assessing a candidate's entire immigration record from their initial application for immigration benefits through their application for U.S citizenship.
A naturalized citizen may be subject to denaturalization proceedings in court or as a result of a conviction for knowingly obtaining naturalization through fraud under 18 U.S.C. 1425. A U.S. citizen from birth may not be denaturalized under the following provisions. Denaturalization can occur under section 340(a) of the INA if it is found that a naturalized citizen obtained naturalization illegally, through the concealment of a material fact, or by willful misrepresentation.
