Qualifying for Naturalization

Thứ Năm, 17 Tháng Ba 201613:15(Xem: 17888)
Qualifying for Naturalization

There are a number of requirements you have to meet in order to qualify for U.S. citizenship. Among the most complicated of these are the residency requirements, which look at how long you've been living in the U.S. and your immigration status during that time.

Specifically, you must show that you have been a permanent resident and resided continuously in the U.S. for at least five years, or three years if married to a U.S. citizen all that time.

You must be actually, physically in the U.S. for at least half the required three or five years before filing your application and you must live continuously for three months in the state where you filed your application for naturalization. Finally, you must not have abandoned your residence in the United States.

If you're married to a U.S. citizen, you need only three years' continuous residence with a green card before applying to naturalize. However, there are additional requirements:
· you have to physically live with your citizen spouse for at least three years before you take the naturalization examination or test, and
· your spouse has to be a U.S. citizen for the entire three-year period.

If you spend too much time outside the U.S. during this 3 or 5 year period, CIS can say that you have broken your continuous residence. If you are away from the U.S. for less than six months it's usually not a problem. Short absences are unimportant.

If you're absent from the US for between six months and one year, you'll probably need to explain the absence to USCIS and show that you did not break your continuous residence requirement. For example, you would need to show that while you were abroad for more than six months you did not terminate your employment in the United States, that your immediate family remained in the United States, and that you kept your home in the US.

You will also need to show that you did not obtain employment while abroad and you did not request tax classification as a “nonresident”. If you claim to be a “non-resident” for tax purposes, that also makes you a non-resident for naturalization purposes.

Absences from the U.S. for a continuous period of 1 year or more will interrupt your continuous residence requirement. If you are out of the US for more than a year, in order to file an application for Naturalization, you will have to wait four years after your return to the US.

You need to apply for a Re-Entry Permit to stay outside the U.S. for more than a year. Even if you stay abroad for more than a year with a Re-Entry permit, you will still have to be physically present in the US for at least half of the 3 or 5 years of the physical presence requirement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.1. I travel to Vietnam several times a year to take care of family matters. Those trips are very brief. In the summers, when my children are out-of-school, they come with me and we stay there two or three months. Will my travel keep me from becoming a U.S. citizen?
A.1. As long as you spent at least half your time in the United States, and your job is in the US, and you do not give up your residence in the US, you can naturalize.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.2. If a person cannot speak English, can he still apply for Naturalization?
A.2. The law provides three exemptions from the English language requirement for naturalization. They are for
· applicants age 50 or over who have been permanent residents for at least 20 years,
· those at least age 55 with at least 15 years permanent residence,
· those who have a mental or physical disability that prevents them from learning English.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q.3. My father is 75 years old and has been a permanent resident for ten years, but he cannot speak English. His doctor wrote a letter to ask for exemption from the English language requirement for naturalization, but CIS refused. What can he do?
A.3. If the doctor just says something like, “he’s too old to learn English,” USCIS will deny the waiver request because old age is not a disease or disability.

ROBERT MULLINS INTERNATIONAL www.rmiodp.com www.facebook.com/rmiodp
Immigration Support Services - Tham Van Di Tru

9070 Bolsa Ave., Westminster CA 92683 (714) 890-9933
779 Story Road, Ste. 70, San Jose, CA 95122 (408) 294-3888
6930 65th St. Ste. #105, Sacramento CA 95823 (916) 393-3388
Rang Mi - 47 Phung Khac Khoan, Q1, HCMC (848) 3914-7638

Thứ Tư, 24 Tháng Hai 2016(Xem: 17523)
The Department of State has just released their annual report of the Immigrant Visa Waiting lists for applicants who are subject to a quota. These quota categories are called Preference visas.
Thứ Ba, 16 Tháng Hai 2016(Xem: 18041)
What is an L1 visa? The L-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa.
Thứ Ba, 09 Tháng Hai 2016(Xem: 17152)
I cannot speak English well. Can I take my interview in Vietnamese?
Thứ Hai, 01 Tháng Hai 2016(Xem: 14412)
Since most EB5 visas are given to people who invest in Regional Centers, we will look at some of the frequently asked questions about these centers.
Thứ Tư, 27 Tháng Giêng 2016(Xem: 17412)
Fiancee Visas are actually non-immigrant visas because a Green Card is not issued until after the marriage in the US and application for Adjustment of Status in the US.
Thứ Tư, 06 Tháng Giêng 2016(Xem: 26202)
K visas: Vietnam is among the top five countries for K visas. K-1 visas are issued to a US citizen’s fiancée so that she can come to the US to be married. There are also K-3 visas.
Thứ Sáu, 01 Tháng Giêng 2016(Xem: 15326)
On December 18, Congress passed the 2016 Federal Omnibus. Overall, there were not many surprises in the bill, except for the EB5 Investors program.
Thứ Hai, 21 Tháng Mười Hai 2015(Xem: 13874)
Two hundred and twenty five years ago, in 1790, the US Congress passed its first naturalization law, limiting citizenship to free whites of “good moral character” who had lived in the U.S. for at least two years.
Thứ Tư, 16 Tháng Mười Hai 2015(Xem: 15787)
The current EB5 Immigrant Investor Program was extended until today, 16 December and new legislation is expected by the end of this week. It is expected that the EB5 program will be extended until September 2019.
Thứ Tư, 09 Tháng Mười Hai 2015(Xem: 16331)
On 23 November, the US State Department warned American citizens about possible risks of travel due to increased terrorist threats.