On What Grounds Can I Be Denied U.S. Citizenship?
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Many green card holders dream of becoming U.S. citizens. However, this is not automatic because a green card holder must still qualify and get approval for citizenship from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Unfortunately, many who apply are denied citizenship for various reasons. At Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC, we have experienced immigration attorneys who help clients in the Chicago area to successfully apply and get approved for citizenship.
Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship
U.S. citizenship for those not born in the U.S. is obtained through a process known as “naturalization.” This process requires the applicant to first submit Form N-400 Application for Naturalization to the proper (USCIS) office.
Before filing the application, the applicant must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:
- Must be at least 18 years old when submitting the application.
- Must be a green card holder for the past three or five years, depending on which category under which they are applying for citizenship.
- Must have continuous residence and physical presence in the United States
- Must be able to speak, write and read English basic English.
- Must have good moral character.
- Must demonstrate an understanding of basic U.S. history and government.
- Must show loyalty to the U.S. Constitution and
- Must be willing and ready to take the Oath of Allegiance.
Eligibility to apply for U.S. citizenship, however, is only part of the naturalization process. Once USCIS receives an application from someone who is eligible for citizenship, an immigration officer will determine whether the applicant is disqualified to be a U.S. citizen on other grounds. An application for citizenship can be denied on various grounds, including the following, which are the most common.
Failure to Meet Financial Obligations
One of the reasons applicants get surprised when applying for citizenship is failure to pay child support. If an applicant has been ordered by a court to pay child support, but they have failed to do so, then this will be grounds for denying their application for citizenship. It is, therefore, important if you have ordered child support to make sure you are current or discuss with an experienced immigration lawyer what your options are.
This is also true for an applicant who has failed to pay taxes or is behind in making payments as agreed with the IRS. This is one of the most common reasons many citizenship applicants are denied, but, as in the failure to pay child support, there are options that one can pursue. For example, one can contact the IRS and arrange with them to pay the outstanding taxes.
Fraud in the Application
If an applicant for citizenship lies on the application or during the naturalization interview or there is evidence of fraud, then the application for citizenship will be denied on this ground.
The application can also be denied simply because the immigration officer suspects fraud, in which case the onus will be on the applicant to prove there is no fraud involved. Fraud is typically established if the applicant for naturalization provides information on their application or says things during their interview that are contradicted by facts.
USCIS will usually provide the applicant an opportunity to overcome the fraud finding or suspicion. If that is the case, then the applicant greatly improves their chances of overcoming this fraud finding with the help of an experienced naturalization lawyer.
If you are in the Chicago area and are applying for citizenship, contact our office today and schedule an appointment for a consultation to learn how we can help you.
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Exceptional Legal Representation I want to sincerely thank Kevin Raica for handling my case so efficiently. From our very first meeting, he demonstrated confidence and a clear plan for moving forward, which put us at ease right away. He kept the process moving and resolved our case in a timely manner. His professionalism and dedication made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. I have already recommended his services to…
Kriezelman Burton & Associate are Excellent immigration law firm that understands and guide one through any immigration cases. Attorney Khiabett is one of their best attorneys you can trust, she understands, patient, attentive, and gives honest advice about any immigration case her client has. I HIGHLY recommend the law firm to anyone having immigration concerns. Thank you for all you do.
Outstanding experience and successful Green Card approval with Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC! The immigration process can often be stressful and overwhelming, but working with Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC in Chicago made the entire journey smooth, transparent, and successful from start to finish. I want to express my deepest gratitude to Justin Burton for his exceptional professionalism, strategic guidance, and confidence from day one. Knowing my case was in…
Great lawyer, helped us to get a green card in few months, so thanks a lot. Recommended
Kevin Raica literally saved my life. He helped me out of a dangerous situation that my previous attorney had put me in. After 17 years without status and 6.5 years of working with my previous attorney, I had experienced so many denials that I had completely lost hope. When I met Kevin, everything changed. He genuinely cared about my situation and gave me hope when I couldn’t see any for…
We sincerely thank the entire team for the professionalism, responsiveness, patience, and dedication shown throughout our case. From our very first visit, Justin reassured us that everything would be all right. Thank you, Khiabett, for your expertise, professionalism, and calm guidance before and during the interview, which greatly reduced our stress and gave us confidence. We also deeply appreciate Kamila's hard work, patience, and responsiveness throughout the process. For sorting…
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We have been in the dark with our case for over 2 decades, while working with other big firms who just kept me in the dark and sat on our case without making any effort to move it forward until I met the wonderful team at Kriezelman & Burton. AO and JP are truly God-sent angels who with their knowledge, collaboration, sense of direction and outside the box thinking, managed…
Highly recommend attorney Kevin Raica and attorney Agata Bigdanowicz. They were super helpful, responded on time, and won my case in record time. It took about a month and half in total for me to get my approval after filing!
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