Archive for June 18, 2019

What to Expect at Your Naturalization Interview
What the USCIS officer will say and do during your interview for U.S. citizenship.

Your naturalization appointment notice—which you will likely receive some months after submitting Form N-400—will tell you where and when to present yourself for your citizenship interview. After you receive this notice, you have only one major hurdle left to citizenship: a successful interview. Here’s what to expect, and how to make sure the interview goes well.

Deciding Whether to Bring an Attorney

You can have a lawyer accompany you to your interview, even

Collection of Social Media Identifiers from U.S. Visa Applicants

 On May 31, 2019, the Department of State updated its immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms to request additional information, including social media identifiers, from most U.S. visa applicants worldwide.

This update – which we initially announced last year in the Federal Register – is a result of the President’s March 6, 2017, Memorandum on Implementing Heightened Screening and Vetting of Applications for Visas and other Immigration Benefits and Section 5 of Executive Order 13780 regarding implementing uniform screening and vetting standards for

U.S. Citizenship Requirements for 3-Year Married Permanent Resident

As a permanent resident who is married to a U.S. citizen, you are eligible for naturalization after just three years. This is a significant benefit (as it normally requires five years as a permanent resident before applying for citizenship).

To qualify, you must have lived in the U.S. continuously for the three years immediately preceding the date you file Form N-400, Application for Naturalization. You must be married to a citizen the entire time; and your spouse must have been a U.S. citizen for the

I-601A waiver approved. What is next?

Getting I-601 waivers approved is a milestone in the visa process.  Obtaining an approval assures you, prior to leaving the U.S., that your illegal entry and/or unlawful presence will not be used as a reason to deny your immigrant visa. The approval also makes the process very quick. After the consular interview, you should receive you permanent visa within 3 weeks.  After receiving a grant of a I-601A waiver, there is a series of steps that you must still follow.

Once the waiver is approved by the USCIS, you should receive