New York City Citizenship Lawyer
U.S. citizenship comes with several benefits. These include the right to vote, protection from deportation, the opportunity to work for the United States government, the ability to sponsor your foreign family members, and unrestricted travel.
If you aren't an official U.S. citizen, there are two primary ways of becoming one: proving your birthright citizenship or completing the naturalization process.
At The Law Office of Jason A. Dennis, our experienced New York City citizenship lawyers have handled immigration and naturalization cases involving wide-ranging issues. Whether you need legal advice about the naturalization process, defending your rights as a citizen when immigration status is being questioned, or claiming birthright citizenship, our team is dedicated to helping you get a favorable outcome.
At The Law Office of Jason A. Dennis, our immigration attorneys have worked with thousands of permanent residents interested in United States citizenship. We help applicants for citizenship overcome any challenges that might come up along the way.
On This Page
- Citizenship Services
- What are the Requirements for Citizenship in the U.S.?
- How to Navigate the Citizenship Process
- Contact Our Immigration Law firm Today for Legal Advice!
Citizenship Services
- Examining whether a criminal conviction may prevent you from becoming a U.S. citizen or put you at risk of deportation proceedings when applying for citizenship.
- Getting a waiver of the language requirements or citizenship test for people over 55 or who have lived in the United States for more than 20 years.
- Ensuring that employment or divorce issues won’t threaten the interests and rights of permanent residents whose original visas were based on work or marriage.
- Considering the impact of extended travel abroad during the United States residence period.
- Resolving tax problems before the application for citizenship.
- Identifying reasons for claiming acquired citizenship or derivative citizenship based on family circumstances.
Our team will review your citizenship application carefully and your eligibility for citizenship while addressing any complex immigration matters that might affect the naturalization process.
What are the Requirements for Citizenship in the U.S.?
An individual who wishes to become a U.S. citizen must meet certain requirements:
- They must have lived in the U.S. for a certain period of time, which is often referred to as a continuous residence. Those with a permanent residence status must have lived in the United States for the last 5 years. A person who has lived in the US as the spouse of a U.S. citizen; must have lived in the country for the last 3 years. For military members who are law-abiding permanent residents, the residency requirement is also three years.
- You must show a physical presence in the United States for the last 30 months within the last five years or 18 months for applicants with a continuous residence requirement of three years.
- A citizenship applicant must exhibit good moral character and, U.S. history, showcase knowledge of the English language (with some exceptions), and knowledge of government.
- You must establish loyalty to the United States.
How to Navigate the Citizenship Process
You can still become a United States citizen through the naturalization process. Before you start, you must first get a green card or lawful permanent residency.
To apply for U.S. citizenship, you will use Form N-400 or the Application for Naturalization. First, you must attend a biometrics appointment before your official interview with a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer. During his interview, you must defend your eligibility for U.S. citizenship and showcase your ability to read, write, and speak in English, and basic knowledge of U.S. history. If your citizenship application is accepted, you'll take an Oath of Allegiance at the naturalization ceremony.
One requirement that is often challenging to meet for citizenship applicants is “good moral character.” This requirement is valued highly by the immigration courts, and even a minor misdemeanor can significantly affect your cause. Our experienced NYC immigration attorney understands how the USCIS interpreted “good moral character”, so our defense team can effectively defend your situation and portray you in the best possible manner.
If you hire an experienced immigration lawyer from The Law Office of Jason A. Dennis for your naturalization application process, you can have peace of mind because a reliable legal advocate will fight fiercely for your future.
Contact Our Immigration Law firm Today for Legal Advice!
The New York City citizenship and immigration attorney and staff at The Law Office of Jason A. Dennis have first-hand experience with the naturalization and immigration process. Our defense team has been helping clients throughout New York City achieve the dream of citizenship for decades and we can help you, too. Contact our skilled immigration attorneys in New York City today at (347) 868-6100 or contact us through our online contact form for creative solutions to your complex immigration matters.
Ready to discuss your case with our New York City immigration lawyer? Contact us online or call (347) 868-6100 to start exploring your options.
Frequently Asked questions
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How do You Apply For Asylum?You must submit an I-589 form to apply for asylum. If you are in removal proceedings, meaning that you have a hearing with an Immigration Judge scheduled, your asylum application must be submitted to the Immigration Court. If you are not in removal proceedings the application must be submitted to USCIS. In most cases, an asylum application must be filed within one year of your date of entry to the United States. A successful application must show the applicant fears persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Asylum cases tend to be very complex and require extensive evidence. It is recommended to contact an attorney before filing an application due to how complicated these cases are.
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Can You Work While Waiting on a Green Card?If you have a valid H-1B or L-1 visa, you can continue working in the U.S. even while waiting on approval for a green card. Green card applicants are not able to start working in the United States without one of those Visas until they obtain a work permit by filing an I-765.
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What Should You Do if Your Visa Expires?There are a number of visas available to foreign nationals wishing to permanently immigrate to the United States depending on their current status. If you are a foreign national engaged to a U.S. citizen there is a fiancé visa, if you are related to a U.S. citizen and wish to immigrate there are family visas, a work visa if you are experienced in a particular field or industry, and more.
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What Type of Visa do You Need to Become a Permanent Resident of the US?There are a number of visas available to foreign nationals wishing to permanently immigrate to the United States depending on their current status. If you are a foreign national engaged to a U.S. citizen there is a fiancé visa, if you are related to a U.S. citizen and wish to immigrate there are family visas, a work visa if you are experienced in a particular field or industry, and more.
