U.S. Citizenship Lawyer in New York

The Law Office of Patricia Machado, P.C. is proud to assist those working towards their goal of U.S. citizenship become naturalized through the application process. Our firm helps a variety of individuals and families who wish to apply for citizenship, including those who have recently married a U.S. citizen to those who have valid green card status. We can also assist U.S. citizens who are living abroad and wish to apply for citizenship for their adopted child.

Whatever the circumstances may be, you will be able to work directly with our firm, with our lead immigration lawyer in New York available to offer personal legal counsel. It is of utmost importance to our firm that each client has the opportunity to meet with a lawyer regularly from their initial consultation to their citizenship interview and application review.

Gain the assistance of a New York City immigration attorney with a vision focused on you by calling the Law Office of Patricia Machado, P.C. today.

Pursuing U.S. Citizenship as a Green Card Holder

After obtaining lawful permanent residence through the unfortunate case that follows deportation or after getting immigration benefits with a valid green card for a specific amount of time, you likely are aware that you may qualify for the chance to ultimately become a full U.S. Citizen. Citizenship grants permanent residency to an individual within any U.S. state and yields the ability to vote and own land while also making it more challenging for you to lose your residency rights then it was previously.

Steps to Citizenship for a Green Card Holder

It is made possible for green card holders meeting their specific age and time standards to file an application for naturalization either using an “N-400, Application for Naturalization” or “N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship” form. These applications are both subject to a USCIS acceptance process, but different in terms of opportunities for you to retain your green card without receiving citizenship. Our firm can help you understand the different steps and processes available to you in your aim of gaining U.S. citizenship.

Citizenship Qualifications

Are You Qualified To Apply For Citizenship?

During your naturalization application, four primary eligibility requirements need to be met under normal circumstances.

• Permanent Resident Status. After gaining lawful permanent residence (a “green card”), you must live in the country for more than three years. Alternatively, individuals who marry a U.S. citizen and obtain a valid green card will qualify after living in the United States for at least three years and two years if not married to a U.S. citizen.
• Living in Your State or District for at Least 3 Months. Even if you have a valid green card and have achieved permanent resident status, it is still crucial to live in one single state or district for three months at least prior to the date of filing your application. The application for naturalization will be delayed if you move during this significant three-month period of time.
• Physical Presence in the United States for at Least Half of 5 or 3 Years. A 30-month physical presence within the U.S. is required if you have a green card and a U.S. citizen spouse. If you do not have a U.S. citizen spouse, physical presence for five years at 54 months is required. The total amount of time you need to accomplish is contingent on whether your time in the U.S. is less than or more than a few weeks but the physical time requirements are the same.
• Residence in the United States for 3 or 5 Years. For 3 of the 5 years your application takes to be approved, you must show that you have a permanent residence within the U.S. Five of the five if you have a U.S. citizen spouse. During your candidacy for naturalization, you cannot abandon cumulative periods of weak ties of lasting residence within the U.S.

Preparing for the U.S. Citizenship Test

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require all candidates committed to citizenship who are either between the ages of 18 and 55 and 28 and 55, or are admitted to having a disability, to take an English and U.S. Civics test. Only three sentences, one of which is a dictated sentence, will be read aloud in the English part of the test.

As for the U.S. Civics test, it consists of 10 required questions which pertain to U.S. history and government, from which you must answer at least six correctly. For individuals between 65 years of age or older who have been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. for 20 or more years, or are over 55 years of age and have been a legal resident for 15 or more years will receive a revised rather than the standard civics test which questions would be from a significantly smaller pool of questions. If you speak little or no English and are between the ages of 71 and 76, you may also qualify for a revised oral test administered in your own language. After the submission date of November 5, 2020, requiring all candidates over 65 show English proficiency and take a standard test is highly unlikely to occur anytime soon.

In the event that the English test is exempt, you may be permitted to take the civics test in the language of your original choice as drawn from the list of languages spoken at the USCIS field offices as recognized by the United States Department of State (DOS).

English Test Topics

• Be familiar with standard greetings
• Learn the simple order of common phrases and system requests
• Practice times of day like “morning,” “hello,” “goodbye,” “hello,” “good night,” etc
• Weather predictions

Which Words Will You Be Tested On?

• What are the four seasons and what is the current season?
• What forms of time are appropriate when calling a USPS service to inquire about package delivery status?
• What holidays are celebrated on days of the week in the United States?
• What are each of the four months and days of the week for each U.S. holiday?

U.S. Civics Test - 5 Important Points to Remember

The naturalization citizenship test must be completed within the 6 months leading up to the application-

Gain the assistance of a New York City immigration attorney with a vision focused on you by calling the Law Office of Patricia Machado, P.C. today.