Tag Archive Citizenship

ByPhillip Kim

Citizenship

The United States has a long history of welcoming immigrants from all parts of the world.

America values the contributions of immigrants who continue to enrich this country and

preserve its legacy as a land of freedom and opportunity.

Deciding to become a U.S. citizen is one of the most important decisions in an individual

’s life. If you decide to apply to become a U.S. citizen, you will be showing your

commitment to the United States and your loyalty to its Constitution. In return, you are

rewarded with all the rights and privileges that are part of U.S. citizenship.

You may become a U.S. citizen either at birth or after birth. Individuals who are born in

the United States and subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and individuals

born in certain territories or outlying possessions of the United States are citizens at

birth. Also, individuals born outside the United States may be citizens at birth if their

parent or parents were citizens at the time of birth and other requirements are met.

Additionally, you may become a U.S. citizen after birth either through your parents,

known as “derived” or “acquired” citizenship, or by applying for naturalization on your

own.

Citizenship Through Naturalization
Generally, permanent residents (green card holders) age 18 or older who meet all

eligibility requirements for naturalization. Application for Naturalization. For more

information, see the “Citizenship ” link to the top.

Citizenship Through Parents
If eligible, you can “acquire” or “derive” U.S. citizenship through a qualifying U.S. citizen

parent(s). For more information, see the “Citizenship ” link to the top.

The Naturalization Test
Most naturalization applicants are required to take a test on English, and U.S. history and

government. We provide resources to help you prepare. For more information, Please

Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

Citizenship for Military Members and Dependents
Members and veterans of the U.S. armed forces and their dependents may be eligible for

special naturalization provisions. See the “Greencards” link to the top.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByImmigration News

Immigration law polarizes Arizonans

These days, Jessica Mejia doesn’t leave the house without three pieces of identification to prove her citizenship.

ByPhillip Kim

Are you eligible to apply for naturalization?

Before you apply for naturalization, you must meet a few requirements.
Depending on your situation, there are different requirements that may apply to you.
However, generally, an applicant for naturalization must:

• Be a lawful permanent resident (have a “green card”).
• Demonstrate continuous permanent residence in the United States for at least 5 years.
(In some cases, this may be 3 years if you are married to a U.S. citizen.)
• Show that you have been physically present in the United States for 30 months.
(In some cases, this may be 18 months if you are married to a U.S. citizen.)
• Show that you have lived for at least 3 months in the state or USCIS district where you claim residence.
Before applying for naturalization please keep in mind that if you have a parent that was a U.S. citizen, either by birth or naturalization, before you turned 18 years old, you may have a claim to citizenship.
These are general guidelines that do not apply to every applicant. For more information on these requirements, please visit :
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

Do you support the principles and ideals of the U.S. Constitution and
are you willing to swear an oath to the United States?

You must be willing to support and defend the United States and its Constitution.
You declare your “attachment” or loyalty to the United States and the Constitution when you take the Oath of Allegiance at your naturalization ceremony.
You become a U.S. citizen after you take the Oath of Allegiance.

Are you a man between the ages of 18 and 26?

If you are a man between the ages of 18 and 26, you must register for the Selective Service and provide proof of your registration to USCIS. If you are 26 or older but under the age of 31, you must provide proof that you registered with the Selective Service when you were required to do so.
If you were required to register and did not, you must bring to your interview both a written statement explaining why you did not register and a letter from the Selective Service System indicating your status. For more information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

Have you ever been married, divorced, widowed, or had your name legally changed?

If yes, bring a copy of your marriage certificate, your divorce or annulment decree, or the death certificate of your former spouse. If you changed your name through a court, bring a copy of the court decree that legally changed your name. Also, if your current spouse was married before, bring evidence of the termination of your spouse’s prior marriage(s). Failing to show proof of your current marital status or legal name may delay your case.

This fact sheet attempts to simplify the naturalization eligibility requirements and list of documents that can be asked for during the naturalization interview. This fact sheet references the most commonly used documents, but is not an all-inclusive list. A USCIS Officer may ask for additional information and documents
that are not included in this fact sheet. For additional information on applying for naturalization, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByImmigration News

23 indicted in weddings-for-citizenship

A federal grand jury has indicted 23 people in what prosecutors called a conspiracy to set up sham weddings in exchange for cash, free vacations to Cambodia and sex, according to documents unsealed Tuesday.

ByPhillip Kim

Applicant Performance on the Naturalization Test in Fresno.

Immigration requires that naturalization applicants must demonstrate an ability to read, write, and speak words in ordinary usage in the English language, and have a knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government. As part of a multi-year redesign, the naturalization test was modified to achieve two basic objectives:

A uniform and consistent testing experience for all applicants
A civics test that can effectively assess an applicant’s knowledge of U.S. history and government
The new test strives to emphasize the founding principles of American democracy and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship while also serving as an important instrument to encourage civic learning and attachment to the country.

From October 1, 2008 through January 31, 2010, more than 577,000 new naturalization tests were administered nationwide. For those applicants taking both the English and civics tests, the overall national pass rate as of January 2010 is 92 percent. Data collected since October 1, 2008 indicate that applicant performance remains relatively consistent with that of the previous test. Compared to historical data from internal case management systems, the current pass rate of 92 percent is similar to that of the old test, which was 91 percent based on 2008 data.

Background on the Data
The data reflected above were taken from internal case management systems used to track naturalization applications and have been gathered to provide a general snapshot of how applicants are performing on the revised test. The national pass rate is determined based solely on an applicant’s first test within the current naturalization application. The data represent applicants taking the new naturalization test from October 1, 2008 through January 31, 2010. Please note that test results for each applicant are manually entered into the case management system and some errors may occur during manual entry. Although every effort has been undertaken to eliminate any errors made during manual data entry, errors may exist that would impact the publicized national pass rate. For More Information, Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByPhillip Kim

Citizenship Through Naturalization by Immigration Attorney in Fresno

Naturalization is the process by which U.S. citizenship is granted to a foreign citizen or national after he or she fulfills the requirements
established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

In most cases, an applicant for naturalization must be a permanent
resident (green card holder) before filing. Except for certain U.S. military members and their dependents, naturalization can only be granted in the United States.

You May Qualify for Naturalization if:

You have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements.
You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a U.S. citizen.
You have qualifying service in the U.S. armed forces and meet all other eligibility requirements.
Your child may qualify for naturalization if you are a U.S. citizen, the child was born outside the U.S., the child is currently residing outside the U.S., and all other eligibility requirements are met.

How to Apply for Naturalization Prepare for taking the naturalization test before you apply. We have educational materials and resources to help you prepare.

Note: You may already be a U.S. citizen and not need to apply for
naturalization if your biological or adoptive parent(s) became a U.S.
citizen before you reached the age of 18. For More Information,
Please Contact:
Fresno Immigration Attorney Phillip Kim
(559) 761-9742
https://phillipkimlaw.com/

ByImmigration News

Christian Conservatives and Immigration Reform

Interesting : In advance of President Obama’s and the Democrats’ coming push for immigration reform, support for so-called comprehensive reform that would include a path to citizenship for many illegal immigrants already in the United States is building among a surprising constituency: conservative religious activists. The effort includes not only socially conservative groups that have partnered with Democrats on other issues in the past—like the National Association of Evangelicals and the

ByImmigration News

The Examiner: Obama’s Achilles heel – Natural Born Citizenship

What is a Natural Born Citizen? For well over a year now, we have been hearing this question in regards to Barack Obama. It’s a good question, and one that is relevant only when discussing the President, Vice President, and anyone else who may assume the Presidency in the line of succession. This the only time that such a distinction matters. It will help in this very important discussion to understand the differing types of Citizenship that the United States recognizes and what defines

ByImmigration News

Vitter Vs. The Constitution: Louisiana Senator Pushes Amendment To Prevent Census Count Of Non-Citizens

Over the past couple of weeks, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) has been trying to sell his and Sen. Robert Bennett’s (R-UT) amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill which would require the US Census Bureau to add a question about citizenship to its 2010 survey. Today, Vitter continued claiming that states with many immigrants would steal the representatives of states with few immigrants if noncitizens are not excluded from congressional apportionment de