United States Citizenship
There are many advantages to United States citizenship, including the right to vote, the ability to travel with a U.S. passport, and the chance to help family members immigrate to the country. However, the road to citizenship is often long and complicated. A citizenship lawyer of Scott D. Pollock & Associates P.C. in Chicago can represent you in your process of naturalization. Our Chicago citizenship attorneys have over 30 years of practice in immigration and nationality law and are here to help you.
Lawful permanent residents (LPR) need to meet the many requirements to be eligible for naturalization, including the following:
- Continuous U.S. residence for at least five years as well as at least 3 months in a state
- LPR status for three to five years, depending on the circumstances of the case
- Basic English language skills including reading, writing, and comprehension
- Basic understanding of U.S. history, civics, and the constitution
- Good moral character
Some criteria, such as age, marital status, health conditions, military status, and family relationships can all influence the application process. Your Chicago citizenship attorneys will assist in gathering all needed materials to meet requirements for your particular adjustment of status.
There are three primary ways for you to become a citizen of the United States:
- Naturalization
- Certificate of Citizenship
- Passport Applications
Getting help from a lawyer for citizenship application will help determine which path towards citizenship is best for you. Different documents and evidence may be needed depending on your current nonimmigrant status or relation to a U.S. citizen; working with a Chicago immigration lawyer can ease the process. We will make sure that your forms are filled out correctly and sent in a timely manner no matter which path to citizenship you need to take.
Naturalization
Naturalization is the process of an LPR becoming a citizen of the U.S. There are multiple steps that a person must complete before obtaining citizenship:
- Submit a completed application for naturalization (N-400) with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
- Submit their fingerprints, which are used in a criminal background check
- Attend a naturalization interview
- Pass a U.S. civics test
- Pass an English test
After the application and tests are successfully finished, the applicant must wait to receive approval from USCIS. The final step is taking the Oath of Allegiance to the U.S. Scott D. Pollock & Associates P.C. are here to provide US citizenship and immigration services in Chicago from the first to the final step of your allegiance.
Certificates of Citizenship
A certificate of citizenship (N-600) is a document that identifies an individual as a U.S. citizen after a certain date. The form serves as proof of citizenship.
There are many cases in which a certificate of citizenship may be applicable. For example, a person who was born overseas and claiming U.S. citizenship through their parents could apply for a certificate of citizenship as evidence.
Passport Applications
Since a U.S. passport is considered proof of citizenship, a person seeking to obtain evidence of their citizenship through a certificate of citizenship may be able to present that same evidence to a local passport agency office instead. Proof of intent to travel may be required.
Paths to Citizenship for Families and Military Members
In addition to naturalization, our citizenship attorneys of Chicago will also represent you in the variety of other paths to citizenship which include:
- Helping your child or other family members become a citizen through your citizenship
- You are married to a U.S. citizen and have been residing in the United States for three or more years
- You are in the U.S. Armed Forces with qualifying service.
Through our law office, your citizenship lawyer in Chicago is equipped with the knowledge and experience needed to represent you and your family members. We understand how important it is to be with your family and petition for their green card. Even from our immigration and naturalization office in Chicago, IL, we are able to represent your family members who are abroad.
We are also seasoned in specialized procedures for military members. The citizenship lawyers in Chicago at our firm can guide you through the intricacies of naturalization for both military members and their families.
Contact an Attorney
The support of a trusted attorney is invaluable for LPRs navigating the citizenship and naturalization process. If you have immigrated to the U.S. and are seeking the full rights that citizenship has to offer, the specialists in citizenship and naturalization law at Scott D. Pollock & Associates can help.
Our attorneys have over seven decades of combined experience in U.S. immigration law. We’ve helped guide numerous clients through the complicated process of gaining citizenship.
Contact a member of our team today at 312.444.1940.
For questions and/or to arrange a consultation with one of our attorneys contact us now
