Legal, permanent residents are eligible to apply for citizenship in two different ways. One way is if you obtained your permanent resident status through a spouse, and you continue to live with them. You can apply for citizenship within three years of obtaining your permanent resident status. Other individuals who obtained their permanent residency status through other means can apply for citizenship after five years.
If you are eligible, you need to show that you’ve had permanent resident status for at least three to five years. You must have been in the United States for at least half that time, 18 months to 30 months. You cannot have broken continuous residence. In other words, you cannot have stayed outside of the United States for more than one year, and you cannot have been convicted of certain crimes.
You also have to have positive, good moral character for the five years immediately preceding the application. Obviously, certain criminal convictions will bar you from filing for citizenship, or you will have to wait those five years. If you do have some immigration violations that may cause you not to be eligible.
You may get your asylum application denied affirmatively through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or defensively in immigration court because there is reason to believe that you lack credibility or you are otherwise ineligible for this protected status. However, you must not consider this rejection as the… Read More
There are two main methods of acquiring permanent resident status in the United States. Namely, to become authorized to live and work in the country permanently, you may apply through an adjustment of status petition or consular processing. Without further ado, please continue reading to learn whether you should undergo… Read More
Formally referred to as an employment authorization document (EAD), a work permit may allow certain non-citizens of the United States, like yourself, to work here legally. While you may feel as though there is less at stake here as opposed to applying for citizenship or permanent residency, you may still… Read More
It is never a good thing if federal immigration authorities find you to have an unlawful presence in the United States. This means they believe you are staying in the country without the proper authorization. This may happen because you overstayed your visa or crossed the border without the required… Read More
