Trusted Citizenship Attorneys in Milwaukee, WI
Do you have plans to apply for citizenship in the U.S.? Our Wisconsin immigration attorneys in Milwaukee have helped countless families in Wisconsin with their naturalization process. Call our Milwaukee citizenship attorneys to get started today!
An Immigration Attorney Who Will Fight for Your Best Interests
U.S. Immigration laws are highly complicated. They constantly change, and the federal government and other agencies enact regulations. A simple misstep may lead you to bid farewell to your U.S. Citizen dream.
This is where Miller & Miller Immigration Lawyers, LLC comes in. Our experienced Milwaukee, WI immigration attorneys can help you stay ahead of these changes, delivering optimum results.
Benefits of U.S. Citizenship
U.S. citizenship can be done in two ways:
- By operation of law, where you don’t have to do anything to be granted citizenship. For example, people born in the U.S. are automatically granted U.S. citizenship.
- Through naturalization, a process that involves applying and proving your eligibility to become a U.S. citizen.
A U.S. citizen is entitled for the following benefits:
- Citizens can vote in local, state, and federal government elections.
- Citizens can travel outside of the U.S. with no restrictions.
- Crimes (other than fraud related to the naturalization process) cannot result in your removal proceedings.
- Citizens have expanded and streamlined opportunities to petition for immigration benefits for their relatives.
- You can be entitled to more healthcare and benefits depending on your residence.
Requirements for U.S. Citizenship Application
There are five basic requirements for you to become a US citizen:
#1 You must be a Green Card holder.
You must have a lawful permanent resident status in the United States. You must have Legal Permanent Resident Status (LPR), and it must remain unchanged during your application for a change of status. Otherwise, USCIS could revoke your citizenship through denaturalization.
You may apply to become a U.S. citizen (naturalize) if you have been a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) for five years.
If you obtain your permanent resident card through marriage, you could apply to become a U.S. citizen after three years so long as you are still married to the spouse who petitioned for you.
#2 You must be at least 18 years of age.
You must be at least 18 years of age at the time of your application.
#3 You must have good English literacy.
You will also be tested on your ability to read, write, and speak basic English. Your ability to read, write, and speak basic English will also be tested. It may seem intimidating, but the test will involve an immigration officer asking you simple questions about yourself and your application, to which you will respond in English. You will also be required to answer written questions in English.
As a citizenship applicant, you will also be required to pass an oral test on American history and government.
#4 You must be a resident of the United States.
To qualify for U.S citizenship, you must be a resident of the United States for at least five years. We call this continuous residency, and leaving the U.S. for too long in a single trip can interrupt your continued residence.
Ideally, it would be best to keep your trips abroad short, not exceeding six months. Otherwise, immigration officers will presume that you abandoned residency if you stayed outside the country for more than six months. In this case, you must prove that you maintained continuous residence in the U.S.
Staying outside the United States for more than one year will eventually break your continuous residence. However, certain people are exempted from this requirement including:
- Immigrants married to U.S. Citizens
- VAWA Applicants
- People who are working for certain U.S. government agencies
#5 You must have good moral character.
An applicant must possess good moral character during the whole statutory period, which is five years or three years if you’re married to a U.S. citizen.
While it is not determined what includes good moral character, as a general rule, individuals who have been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude or felony are found to lack good moral character.
Nevertheless, there are instances where people who haven’t been jailed or convicted are seen as lacking good moral character. Sexually immoral individuals, gamblers, drunkards, those who refuse to support their dependents, and those on probation are only some examples of people who can be deemed as lacking good moral character.
Our immigration attorneys in Milwaukee, WI, can evaluate your case to ensure that you are qualified before submitting an application to USCIS. This way, we can avoid any errors that can affect your naturalization application or even result in a denial or deportation. Seek legal advice from our reliable immigration attorneys to learn how you can become a US citizen today.
Will a criminal violation affect my citizenship application?
Some situations are inevitable, one of which is going over the law. If you’ve been arrested or charged with a crime, you must disclose all your criminal records to USCIS.
This includes minor violations, even those criminal records that have been expunged or sealed by the court.
If you’re an immigrant and worried that a criminal record might affect your citizenship application, consult our reliable and experienced immigration lawyer today.
At Miller & Miller Immigration Lawyers, LLC, we deal with various criminal cases, and we can help you come up with the best solution possible for your case.
Why should I hire a Milwaukee Immigration Lawyer?
Throughout this process, you really need to develop and follow a comprehensive approach to avoid roadblocks! We are here to assist you!
What are you waiting for? Go ahead and reach for that dream of becoming a U.S. citizen! Don’t miss out on the benefits of being a citizen in the United States. Schedule a consultation with our Wisconsin immigration law firm today!
