Qualifications for U.S. Citizenship–Your PA Lawyer Can Help
Obtaining full naturalized United States citizenship is a lengthy process. Before you can even make an application, you must have a permanent resident card (green card) for a minimum of five years (three years if your spouse is already a citizen). Although it is possible to go through this complicated process without the help of an immigration lawyer, most green card holders who wish to become citizens contact an attorney to help them. The process is complicated and contains several deadlines for filing that if missed, result in your application for citizenship denied.
To obtain naturalization in United States, an applicant must be:
- At least 18 years old
- A permanent U.S. resident for at least five years
- Living within the state for at least three months
- Physically present within the U.S. for at least 30 months of the past five years
- Reside within the U.S. continuously from the date of application to the date naturalization is granted
- Read, write, and speak English to acceptable levels
- Knowledgeable of U.S. history and civics
- A person of good moral character
- Faithful to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and loyal to the United States
In addition, there several criteria related to the absence of criminal activities in the United States, or in some cases, in any other country in the world. Obvious crimes precluding citizenship include homicide, rape, terroristic activities, and drug offenses.
You may be qualified for naturalization. A Philadelphia citizenship attorney with in-depth knowledge of immigration and citizenship law can provide you more information about the criteria for obtaining naturalization in U.S.
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