citizenshipyes

Gather your data

The citizenship application form asks for a lot of data. To use our service you need to gather that data before you go to our Begin applying page. You will need to gather the same data if you want to try to apply on your own. A list of what you need follows. If you want to be especially well-prepared to use our service, download the Acrobat document we have prepared that shows exactly what the data entry page will look like and “pre-enter” your data there.

What you need

• your name, and any other names you have used in the past (like maiden names or second last names that you don’t usually use in the U.S.
• your date of birth, height, wieght , race, eye and hair color
• a list of all the trips you have taken outside the U.S. since becoming a permanent resident. Note the start an end dates of each trip, and all countries that you travelled to. (Your passports are probably the best place to get this information.)
• your green card number, and the date and place you were granted permanent residence (these are all on your green card)
• your current address and all your addresses during the last five years. Note the dates you lived at each address
• all your jobs during the last five years. Note your job title, each company’s name and addrress, and when you worked there
• if you are are now married, your date of marriage, and your current spouse’s full name, date of birth, social security number, and address.
  If your spouse was born outside the U.S. and became a U.S. citizen after birth, get their citizenship certificate and note the date and place they acquired citizenship.
  If your spouse is not a U.S. citizen, note your spouse’s country of citizenship. If your spouse has a green card, note your spouse’s A number.
• If you or your current spouse married before, you need to note the name and immigration status (U.S. citizen, permanet resident, etc.) of each prior spouse, the marriage and termination dates of each marriages, and how the marriage ended (e.g., divorce or the prior spouse’s death).
• If you have children, each child’s name, current address, and date and country of birth. If your child has a green card, note the child’s green card number.
• Have you committed a crime since getting your green card? Have you been arrested for drunken driving in the last xxtwo years? If so, you probably should not be using our site to apply for citizenship, and we will likely suggest that you not apply until after you obtain detailed advice from an attorney who specializes in the immigration consequences of crimes. If you do fill out our questionnaire, we will charge you for the consultation, even if we recommend not going forward.
• If you were arrested or stopped by the police but did not commit a crime, did not admit guilt, and charges were nolled or dismissed, you will need to obtain a certified copy of the disposition of the charges from the court. Do this before you fill out our questionnaire. You will also need to be prepared to tell our attorney (and later the immigration examiner) what happened in detail.
  It is essential that you get the certified disposition record before speaking to us or filing. People sometimes misunderstand exactly how a case was resolved. It is easy to confuse a dismissal with suspended sentence or a dismissal after admitting guilt and completing a program. In some cases the difference can result in being detained without bond and deported.

Does this seem like a lot of information? It is. Trust us when we tell you that you are far better off gathering it in advance so that your application will be complete and correct. Cutting corners and submitting an incomplete application and hoping to “fill in the gaps” later on can lead to problems: minor ones, like rejection of your filing or irritating your examiner; or major ones; like having your application denied and being put in removal proceedings.