Washington, D.C., and Virginia Naturalization Attorney | Citizenship Application
At the Law Offices of Amelia L. Ramer in Reston, Virginia, I represent immigrants who are seeking naturalization or U.S. citizenship. I provide full-service representation, including:
- Preparing and submitting the application
- Preparing clients for the English language and civics examination
- Counseling clients on what documents to bring and what to expect at the interview
To learn more about my personal approach to immigration matters and how I can help you achieve your citizenship and naturalization goals, call my office at 703-481-5650 or toll free at 866-603-9739.
Eligibility for Naturalization
Lawful Permanent Residents are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship through the process of naturalization. To qualify, applicants must:
- Have lived in the U.S. for five years (or three years in certain circumstances such as when married to a U.S. citizen, or through active duty service in the Armed Forces )
- Establish "continuous residence" in the United States for a period of five years before filing the application (this period is reduced to three years in certain circumstances)
- Establish physical presence" this means that the applicant must be physically present in the United States for at least half the statutory five- or three-year period preceding the date of filing the application. To determine eligibility, the applicant needs to review the appropriate three- or five-year period immediately preceding his or her application and count the number of days s/he was physically in the United States. The number of days spent in the U.S. must equal at least one half of the total days in the five- or three-year period at the time of filing in order to be eligible to naturalize.
- Have a clean criminal record
- Show that they are of "good moral character"
- Pass basic exams on U.S. history and government
- Demonstrate proficiency in English
Criminal Records and Citizenship
In some cases, the presence of a criminal record may not prevent an applicant from becoming a naturalized citizen. If a criminal record in the U.S. or your home country is hurting your application, I can help you make arrangements to demonstrate good moral character and evidence of your rehabilitation by such measures as obtaining psychiatric exams or character references employers.
However, if your criminal record is presenting a great obstacle to your application, it may be in your best interest to retain your current residency status. By seeking citizenship, you may not only lose your chance at citizenship, you could be subject to the removal process.
Contact a Reston Citizenship Attorney
While it is true that you can apply for citizenship without a lawyer, it is likely to your benefit to have an experienced lawyer handling your case due to the complexity of the process. To request a consultation to discuss your case, contact my office today.
