{"id":12652,"date":"2026-09-28T14:36:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T19:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/?p=12652"},"modified":"2026-09-28T11:19:22","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T16:19:22","slug":"can-applying-for-u-s-citizenship-put-my-green-card-at-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/can-applying-for-u-s-citizenship-put-my-green-card-at-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Applying for U.S. Citizenship Put My Green Card at Risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applying for U.S. citizenship is a major goal for many immigrants. For green card holders, though, it raises a question worth taking seriously: Could<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/citizenship-and-naturalization\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the naturalization process<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> itself put your current status in jeopardy?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Kriezelman Burton &amp; Associates, LLC, a Chicago-based immigration law firm serving clients nationwide since 1974, we understand this concern. The short answer is that applying for citizenship does not normally threaten a valid green card. That said, the naturalization process does open your entire immigration file to USCIS review. Here is what every applicant should understand before filing:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problems with the original green card application may surface during the review.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criminal, travel, tax, or immigration violations can affect both citizenship eligibility and permanent resident status.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If USCIS discovers a serious issue, removal proceedings are possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Does Applying for Citizenship Normally Put a Valid Green Card at Risk?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the vast majority of applicants, filing Form N-400 does not trigger any automatic loss of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/services\/immigration-lawyers-chicago\/permanent-residency\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">permanent resident status<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. USCIS does not revoke a green card simply because someone applied for naturalization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The risk in applying for citizenship arises when the application process reveals:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Something that should have prevented the green card from being granted in the first place, or<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Something that has occurred since the green card was issued that undermines continued eligibility.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Happens if Problems With the Original Green Card Application Are Discovered?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USCIS reviews an applicant&#8217;s full immigration history as part of the naturalization process. This includes additional fingerprinting and background checks. If a problem is found, such as a material misrepresentation made during the original green card application, USCIS has the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/can-your-green-card-be-revoked\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">authority to pursue rescission<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of current permanent resident status.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How Can Criminal, Travel, Tax, or Immigration Issues Affect Both Applications?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Certain conduct that occurs after receiving a green card can affect naturalization eligibility and, in serious cases, lead to removal proceedings. Common issues include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Criminal convictions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Certain offenses can bar naturalization and constitute grounds for deportation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Extended foreign travel<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Absences exceeding six months may break the continuous residence requirement and raise questions about abandonment of permanent resident status<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Tax filing failures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Failing to file U.S. taxes as a permanent resident can signal an intent to abandon residency or a lack of good moral character (GMC)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Immigration violations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Prior unlawful presence or misrepresentation, even if previously overlooked, may resurface during review<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Can Happen if USCIS Finds a Serious Problem During the Citizenship Review?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USCIS has the authority to do more than deny a naturalization application. If a significant issue is uncovered in an applicant&#8217;s record during the review, the agency may:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deny the citizenship application<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Refer the case to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initiate removal proceedings against the applicant<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This outcome is not common, but it is a real risk for applicants with unresolved issues in their immigration history.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Have Questions? Speak With an Immigration Attorney Before You File<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The naturalization process carries significant benefits and, for some applicants, significant risks. A thorough review of your immigration history with an attorney before filing can help you identify and address potential issues in advance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The attorneys at Kriezelman Burton &amp; Associates, LLC have guided countless permanent residents through the naturalization process. To discuss the potential risks and options for your specific situation,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/contact\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact our firm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to schedule a confidential consultation.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Applying for U.S. citizenship is a major goal for many immigrants. For green card holders, though, it raises a question worth taking seriously: Could the naturalization process itself put your current status in jeopardy? At Kriezelman Burton &amp; Associates, LLC, a Chicago-based immigration law firm serving clients nationwide since 1974, we understand this concern. The &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/can-applying-for-u-s-citizenship-put-my-green-card-at-risk\/\" class=\"more-link\">Seguir leyendo<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u00abCan Applying for U.S. Citizenship Put My Green Card at Risk?\u00bb<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":12653,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"2normal","footnotes":""},"categories":[357,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-citizenship","category-green_cards","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12652"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12652\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12656,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12652\/revisions\/12656"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krilaw.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}