Posted on September 01,2022 in naturalization & citizenship

If you meet the eligibility requirements to become a U.S. citizen, you may be itching to get through the process. After all, applying for naturalization can be both stressful and expensive. To improve your chances of sailing through your naturalization interview, it is important to study for the civics exam.

Individuals who want to become U.S. citizens must have a general knowledge of American civics, history and government. To test this knowledge, officials with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services give naturalization applicants an oral examination. Regrettably, it is not uncommon for legal permanent residents to fail this exam.

How does the civics exam work?

According to the USCIS, it is entirely possible to prepare for the civics exam, as immigration officials publish the 100 possible questions they may ask you. You do not have to ready yourself to answer 100 separate questions, though. Indeed, the officer will only ask you 10 of them. Because you do not know which 10 to prepare for, however, you should try to learn the answers to all 100.

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 Posted on August 01,2022 in Uncategorized

US immigration has many requirements for anyone entering the country long-term as well as a variety of restrictions that bar certain applicants. However, these grounds of inadmissibility are not black and white.

With the right waver, you may have more options than you think when it comes to applying for your own immigration or helping loved ones with theirs.

Examples of inadmissibility and exceptions

As CitizenPath details, there are several categories of inadmissibility that may or may not have waivers available.

Health-related grounds concern the spread of disease or abuse of drugs. There are waivers available for failing to provide proof of vaccination as well as having a communicable disease. However, drug abusers or addicts do not have a waiver available.

Anyone convicted of a crime may have a harder time applying for a visa as well. Crimes of moral turpitude or prostitution come with waivers. Convictions of human trafficking, however, lack a waiver.

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 Posted on August 01,2022 in fiancé visas

Applying for a fiancé visa in the United States is a long process. One of the most important components of the visa process is the associated interview.

Preparing correctly for this interview is key to receiving a fiance visa. According to the US State Department, to prepare for the interview you will need to have a medical examination and ensure that you have all of the proper paperwork at hand.

Medical examination

You must schedule your medical examination in the country where your interview will take place. Additionally, the physician must have approval from the US embassy. This approved physician is the “Panel Physician.” The US government will not accept examinations from non-approved physicians.

If you have children that will join you, they must also have a medical examination. You must complete these examinations before you attend the visa interview. After the examination, the physician will either give you the results in a closed envelope or send them directly to the US embassy.

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 Posted on July 01,2022 in family-based immigration

The Texas Department of Public Safety launched a program in March to target migrants crossing the Mexican border into the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating this program for potential civil rights violations.

What are the alleged violations?

Alleged civil rights violations

The DOJ investigation is attempting to determine if the Texas DPS is not complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Information that indicates that the DPS is discriminating based on race or national origin prompted the investigation. The allegations assert that Operation Loan Star officials are targeting people for traffic stops and misdemeanor trespass violations based on their actual or perceived race or national origin.

Operation Lone Star

The Texas governor deployed close to 10,000 DPS officers and Texas National Guard soldiers to the border between the United States and Mexico to help arrest migrants. Additionally, he signed an executive order allowing the Guard and the DPS to apprehend and return to the border migrants crossing the border between ports of entry.

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 Posted on July 01,2022 in Spouse Visas

If you are a U.S. citizen, you are eligible to bring your foreign national fiancée into the country.

There are regulations to follow and documents to submit, but once you finish with the details, your fiancée will qualify for the required K-1 visa.

About Form I-129F

As the petitioner to bring your fiancée to the U.S., you must first file Form I-129F, the Petition for Alien Fiancée, with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In this document, you must confirm that the two of you are free to marry. You must also confirm that the marriage will occur within 90 days of your fiancée arriving in the U.S. as a K-1 non-immigrant.

Background checks

As part of the Form I-129F approval process, USCIS will perform background checks on the two of you. When completed, the Department of State (DOS) will let you know when your intended can apply for the K-1 visa. Among the documents she must take to her visa interview are proof of her relationship with you and proof of a medical examination.

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 Posted on July 01,2022 in green cards

If you are currently in the United States and you are not eligible to adjust your status because of unlawful presence, there may be a faster way to begin the green card process. Unlawful presence means you entered the country without inspection, you are in violation of your temporary visa or you overstayed your original period of authorization.

The provisional waiver application, or I-601A, is available to certain visa applicants who are immediate family members of U.S. citizens.

Purpose of the provisional waiver

According to the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the purpose of the waiver is to reduce the amount of time that spouses and children are away from their families while they go through the immigrant visa process. Without the provisional waiver, the separation time is sometimes months or even years.

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 Posted on June 01,2022 in family-based immigration

If you are a U.S. citizen who moved here from another country, you may have both close and extended relatives that would like to join you in the states. You might also be planning to marry a non-U.S. citizen and would like him or her to be able to live and work in the country you now call home.

American immigration law is constantly changing. However, preserving family bonds remains a top priority when considering petitions for either visas or green cards.

What are the options for helping family members gain legal residency?

If you already have citizen status, you may be able to sponsor immediate family, extended family members, a current spouse or a future spouse. Options for helping family members gain legal residency include:

• Requesting a K-1 visa for a fiancé, though the visa may only be valid if you marry within a certain period of his or her admission to the U.S.

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 Posted on June 01,2022 in naturalization & citizenship

The naturalization process can feel overwhelming as you steadily move closer to your interview and test. A lot hinges on whether you pass your test, so it makes sense that you may feel nervous about the whole event.

Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to prepare for your naturalization interview and test. According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the interview and test involve answering an officer’s questions and taking a two-part exam.

Preparing for the interview

To prepare for the interview, study your application. The USCIS officer will have questions about your background and talk to you about your application. If you are nervous before the interview, ask a friend or family member to go over your application with you. Ask someone you trust to perform a mock interview to prepare you. When it comes to your interview, answer calmly and honestly.

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 Posted on May 01,2022 in naturalization & citizenship

The naturalization and citizenship process consists of several parts, including English and civics tests. Unless you qualify for an exemption, you must pass both.

What happens, though, if you fail either? Do you get another chance to retake it, or do you lose the opportunity to become a U.S. citizen entirely?

The English and Civics test portions of the naturalization test

Unless an exemption applies to you, you must take and pass the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test. This test consists of two components:

• The English Component: In this component, you must demonstrate your ability to speak, read and write basic English.
• The Civics Component: Via this portion of the test, the USCIS will ask you important questions regarding American history and government, and expect you to answer most of them correctly.

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 Posted on May 01,2022 in naturalization & citizenship

If you are preparing to move forward with naturalization, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the process and prepare for your interview. For example, you should take a look at how the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services carries out background checks.

The outcome of a background investigation can have an impact on an applicant’s ability to go ahead with a naturalization interview, and you may need to review unique issues (such as securing a fingerprint waiver).

Naturalization and fingerprint requirements

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, those pursuing naturalization must go through background checks that include fingerprints and name checks with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). You must satisfy these requirements before you can attend a naturalization interview.

The USCIS collects fingerprints from naturalization applicants no matter how old they are. Those who do not appear at a fingerprinting appointment without informing the USCIS beforehand have abandoned their application. However, if you need a waiver because you have birth defects, a skin condition or another condition that prevents you from providing fingerprints, you might have the ability to secure a fingerprint waiver after meeting with a USCIS officer in person.

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