×
Menu
Search
Home
/
Practice Areas
/
Road to Citizenship

Road to Citizenship

Road to Citizenship

Our North Carolina immigration attorneys have helped previous clients with the citizenship process from start to finish. Learn more about the road to citizenship below.

1. Schedule Consultation

The first step in the naturalization process is to call our law firm. You’ll schedule a time to sit down with one of our attorneys and discuss your situation. Before the initial consultation, you may want to prepare questions and gather relevant information. We’ll let you know ahead of time if there is anything we need you to bring. During your appointment, we’ll help you learn about the citizenship process and what it requires on your part.

2. Determine Eligibility

Using details gathered at your consultation, we’ll determine whether you are eligible for citizenship. It’s possible to achieve citizenship if you fulfill certain requirements. For instance, you need to have had a permanent resident card (green card) for at least five years, or three years if your spouse is a US citizen. Other requirements include no history of serious criminal convictions and your English-speaking ability. If you are eligible, we’ll continue to the next stages.

3. Open Case with Vestal Immigration Law

After choosing our attorneys to represent you, we’ll open your case and begin working alongside you through the rest of the application process. The path to citizenship can be confusing, so we guide you every step of the way to ensure all requirements are fulfilled.

4. Gather Documents and Evidence

During this stage, we’ll gather necessary documents and evidence in your favor. If you have been arrested at any point in the past, this is the opportunity to obtain a certified court disposition. Your attorney will review any past immigration violations or criminal accusations. This step is critical to your case’s outcome, since the evidence presented will support your eligibility for citizenship.

5. Attorney and Team Prepares Your Case

Vestal Immigration Law is at your side through the entire process. Before filing your case, our legal team looks over the documents and prepares the information for further review. We’ll identify the strengths and weaknesses of your case and ensure everything is ready before proceeding. Additionally, we’ll help you prepare your Form N-400, which is your application for naturalization.

6. Case is Filed with Correct Government Agency

Once we’ve prepared all critical parts of the case, it’s time to submit your Form N-400, pay your fees and apply for naturalization with the correct government agency. The agency will take a look at the evidence that supports your eligibility for citizenship.

7. Attend Biometrics Appointment

After filing your application, you’ll need to schedule an appointment with the USCIS at a local Application Support Center. During the appointment, you will provide all necessary biometrics, such as fingerprints, a photograph and a signature. You must bring your appointment notice (Form I-797C) and a valid photo ID.

8. Be Patient

After all information has been submitted, your application may take some time to process. The amount of time depends on various factors in your case, such as the basis of your eligibility. Since delays are possible, it’s often easiest to hire an attorney to handle the details, so you’ll be grateful to have our team at your side.

9. Attend Interview or Hearing

The final step to citizenship is passing an interview and test. For the test, you will need to correctly answer a series of questions about civics and history, read a sentence, and write a sentence. If you have been in the U.S. for a long enough period of time and you are a certain age, you may qualify for an exemption to the testing requirements.

10. APPROVAL

After all of the steps above and you have successfully passed your citizenship exam, you will get an appointment for your oath ceremony which may be the same day! At this ceremony, you will turn in your green card, receive your naturalization certificate and take the Oath of Allegiance. Congratulations! You are now a U.S. citizen. Congratulations on becoming a U.S. citizen! You will receive a Certificate of Naturalization, which proves your legal citizenship status. It’s also recommended that you update your Social Security Record once your naturalization ceremony commences.

Speak with a North Carolina Immigration Attorney

Vestal Immigration Law has helped a countless number of clients with the citizenship process. Contact us today if you’re ready to get started.

Contact Vestal
Immigration Law

We are dedicated to helping businesses, individuals, and families navigate the federal immigration system. The more you know, the more empowered you become.

We look forward to meeting you and exploring your opportunities. Please fill out the contact form so we can discuss your situation.

If you would like to make an online payment, please click here.