citizenshipyes

The new citizenship exam works well for our clients

cywp1Michael — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:26:37 +0000

Many people were afraid that the new citizenship test was an effort to make it harder to get citizenship. Our experience contradicts those fears. The 100-question test may require a little more effort to study for, but the final results are as good as or better than those our clients got on the old test. The new writing requirements seem to be easier: the sentences tend to be brief, and to use words on the vocabulary list that USCIS provides. The sentences for reading are also brief and use words on the list. (The reading requirement has never been as big an obstacle as the writing requirement.)

So please, do not hesitate to apply for citizenship based on fear of the test. Right now, processing times are low based on USCIS being overstaffed in most parts of the country. If you meet the other requirements, this may be a good time for you to apply.

Mailing addresses for N-400 applications change

cywp1Michael — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:37:56 +0000

Starting January 22, 2009, applications will be sent to two regional lockbox facilities. Applicants in the west, Rocky Mountain states and midwest will send their applications to Arizona. Applicants from the eastern and southern US will send their applications to Texas.

West, Mountain West, Midwest

If You Reside In: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Territory of Guam, or Northern Mariana Islands, file your N-400 with:

Mail address:

USCIS Lockbox Facility
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
P.O. Box 21251
Phoenix, AZ 85036

Address for overnight mail services:

USCIS, Attn: N-400
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S. Floor 1
Phoenix, AZ 85036

East, South

If You Reside In: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or U.S. Virgin Islands, file your N-400 with:

Mail address:

USCIS Lockbox Facility
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
P.O. Box 299026
Lewisville, TX 75029

Address for overnight mail services:

USCIS, Attn: N-400
12501 S. State Hwy 121, Bldg. 4
Lewisville, TX 75067

Military applicants will continue to file their applications with the USCIS Nebraska Service Center.

Delays continue, but outlook brightens

cywp1Michael — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:01:08 +0000

Delays in processing naturalization cases have not changed markedly in the last couple of months. Average waiting times remain in the 10-12 month range. However, the outlook for pending and newly filed cases is a little better, as USCIS hires more staff and devotes more resources to clearing its backlog. In the year ending September 30, 2008, USCIS completed 1,171,140 naturalization applications, up from about 700,000 in the previous year.

The longest big-city waiting times are in Los Angeles (14.2 months) and Orlando. At the other end of the spectrum, a handful of smaller cities have wait times under 6 months. View the list of Wait Times by Field Office.

The new test is coming on October 1

cywp1Michael — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:15:48 +0000

If you file your citizenship application on or after October 1, 2008 you will be given the new citizenship test. Applicants whose applications are filed prior to that date can choose to take the old or new tests if their interviews are held prior to October 1, 2009. After that date everyone will use the new test.

USCIS reduces processing delays

cywp1Michael — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:09:17 +0000

USCIS has announced that average processing times for naturalization applications are now 10-12 months. This is a reduction of about six months from this time last year when application backlogs peaked as USCIS dramatically increased fees for application processing. However, the average processing still falls well short of the 6 month goal. Many offices now have predicted processing times of under 6 months. Only 3 – Charlotte, Hartford and New Orleans – report times over 14 months.

List all your children and spouses

cywp1Michael — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:52:16 +0000

It is very important to list all of your children, young or old, whether they live with you or not, anywhere in the world. Don’t think that older children or ex-spouses from long ago “don’t count.” They do. If there are any doubtful situations – a former marriage or divorce that may not have been legal in some way, a child put up for adoption or adopted informally – list and explain in writing what happened and know before you apply if the problem could affect your, your child’s or spouse’s application or status.

Many problems can result if you fail to do this. Even if there is no problem other than bad memory or sloppy form-filling on your part, the Immigration officer may decide that you are dishonest and disqualify you on moral character grounds. If there is a more serious doubt or problem like an invalid divorce or adoption, you or a relative might end up in deportation accused of having gotten your green card incorrectly.

Be careful, be correct, and seriously consider using a lawyer to help you prepare your application.

If you have to go to court…

cywp1Michael — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 01:40:25 +0000

Most of us think about arrests as a dramatic event involving handcuffs and going to jail, but that’s often not the case. A better rule of thumb: if you had to go to court, you were arrested. Even if the prosecutor threw out the charge or a judge dismissed the charge and told you that you can answer no when asked if you were ever arrested Immigration still requires you to list the arrest and how the case was decided on Form N-400. Even more serious: charges dismissed by some state courts are considered convictions for immigration purposes.

If you ever had to go to court, get a certified copy of the disposition of your case and consult a lawyer before you apply for citizenship.

Keep your old passports

cywp1Michael — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:34:56 +0000

You need to list all the trips you have taken outside the US since you became a permanent resident. Saving your passport will let you track all those dates. Immigration looks at the dates to make sure you meet the residence requirements for citizenship and that you did not interrupt your residence for citizenship purposes or give it up. Saving your old passports is far better than guessing the dates of your trips. If your country of citizenship keeps your old passport when you get a new one, take a copy the pages of your old passport before you replace it.

If you don’t speak English well

cywp1Michael — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:15:37 +0000

Most applicants for citizenship need to read, write and speak English. However, you do not need to be fluent. You can see examples of the kinds of short sentences you will have to write on our English, civics test page. It is common for examiners to ask you to read a sentence or two from your citizenship application (especially the last page, where the oath is) or your appointment notice. Try these out with a family member or friend who has good English. While it is important to study and practice, don’t be intimidated if your English is not perfect. The citizenship process requires basic English, not fluency.

However some applicants – especially those who came to the United States as adults and have had limited opportunities to go to school here – will have trouble learning English. There are exceptions to the basic rule for older applicants who have had their green cards for a long time. If you are over fifty-five years old and have had a green card for at least fifteen years or are over fifty and have had a green card for at least twenty years, you can be interviewed and answer the civics and US history questions in your own language and you do not have to demonstrate your ability to read and write English.

Finally, applicants who have a disability that significantly hinders their ability to learn, or to read, write, or speak can be exempted from all or part of the English and civics requirements. Unfortunately, this is not a broad exemption covering old age. It requires detailed proof of medical disability, and most USCIS offices are very strict in how how they interpret the disability exemption. We’ll be adding detailed information on disability naturalization to our site soon.

USCIS updates processing times for citizenship cases

cywp1Michael — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:47:27 +0000

Long delays persist in USCIS processing of citizenship cases according to new figures published yesterday by USCIS. Many major offices, including Los Angeles, Miami, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Dallas, Phoenix, San Jose, and Orlando, now have processing times of close to or above 14 months. Some major offices are doing better: New York, Newark, Boston, Seattle and Atlanta are taking around 10 months; and Chicago, San Francisco and San Diego are taking less than nine months.

USCIS’s target processing time is 6 months, but processing times ballooned last year after USCIS announced a huge price increase and was flooded with applications just before the increase took effect. USCIS has taken steps like authorizing overtime, transferring officers and training new officers in order to reduce the backlog. Unfortunately, many of last year’s applicants will not have their applications processed in time to vote in the November presidential election.

The processing times on the list are typical times, not a guarantee. Hundreds of thousands of applications are held up because of slow processing of seurity checks by the FBI.